Fire Service training course equips young people with skills to keep themselves and others safe

A three-day training course delivered by Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service has equipped 14 young people with vital life skills they can use both now and in the future.

The Fire Service’s Prevention Team has worked with Northamptonshire Children’s Trust to deliver an ARC (Action, Reaction, Consequence) course at Mereway Fire Station for young people being supported by the Children’s Trust’s Leaving Care Team.

The course included both practical and classroom-based sessions with the aim of increasing the confidence of those taking part, equipping them with new skills to keep them safe, and building trust and confidence in the emergency services.

It also taught the young people to recognise potential fire hazards in the home – such as vapes, cigarettes, e- scooters and charging devices – and how to prevent fires from happening.

Practical sessions included the participants trying on firefighter kit and using the hoses, while undertaking team tasks to improve their communication and problem-solving skills.

Other practical skills included using throwlines as part of a course on water safety, CPR and first aid. There was also a road safety course delivered through the Northamptonshire Safer Roads Alliance (NRSA), and participants were also trained how to deal with bleeding after an incident involving knives.

The course culminated in a mock scenario where participants were able to utilise some of the skills they had learned throughout the week.

Feedback from one young participant said: “I don’t have enough words to thank you for this brilliant opportunity where we understood how to keep ourselves and our communities safe.”

Michelle Bates is a youth engagement officer at Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service and delivered the course with the Prevention Team.

She said: “It’s important for us to engage with young people in a way which can have a lasting impact. These sessions are designed to help them build their confidence and learn new skills.

“All of the group worked very hard and it’s fantastic to see how useful they found the course. This will help them to deal with any potentially difficult situations they may encounter in their lives and make decisions which can keep both themselves and other people safe in the future.”