Students show off firefighting skills

The 12 pupils graduated from a new programme put on by Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service which is designed to inspire young people in the county.

The five-day programme uses fire service drills and cultures to develop team-working skills and increase self-esteem and confidence through workshops and drill yard activities.

The pupils spent the week with firefighters learning how to use hose reels, ladders and breathing apparatus as well learning first aid. Practical exercises also involved moving around the smokehouse in the dark to get a sense of what it is like for firefighters going into buildings where they have little or no visibility.

Group Commander Kevin Napier said: “It can take up to 12 weeks for a professional firefighter to learn these skills, and for the students to pick them up in five days is incredibly remarkable.”