Recruits celebrate joining fire service
New recruits joining the fire service have celebrated completing their training with a passing out ceremony.
The parade held at Rochester Fire Station welcomed the new full-time firefighters whittled down from 5,000 hopefuls. They are the final 10 recruits out of 56 to join Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) following its latest recruitment drive in 2017.
Family and friends joined the newbies after completing a 15-week intense training course. The trainees were taught the necessary skills and techniques needed to become a firefighter on trainee course 182.
They faced a gruelling set of selection tests ranging from assessing their situational awareness, problem solving and physical tests before facing a final interview to get on to the course.
Each task in the programme focusses on teaching the pupils about the daily challenges and risks faced by modern-day firefighters.
The service deals with a variety of different emergency incident.
The students had to learn how to use fire engine equipment appropriately for the emergency they will need to deal with, working at height and in confined space and tackling fires in different scenarios.
They were also taught how to deal with incidents involving hazardous materials and road traffic collisions.
The course puts on realistic situations to assess how they successfully complete tasks to help people in trouble.
Each member will now be put on a two-year development phase developing their abilities further.
At the ceremony held on December 12, the firefighters gave demonstrations of the skills they have learned.
This included a road traffic collision task, drill and firefighting display.
All the new recruits will join the watch at their new fire stations – Dartford, Maidstone and Thames-side – in January. Nikki Escudier, lead training coach, said: “It’s been a fantastic few months training the group. They have all worked so hard. “The trainees have bonded brilliantly.”
North McKenzie, 24, a forensic science graduate, decided on a career change to join the fire service and will be based at Dartford. He said: “There will be no better feeling than knowing that I could potentially be saving someone’s life every time I put on the uniform.”
KFRS chief executive Ann Millington said: “Not only have the trainees chosen a career dedicated to keeping the people of Kent safe, but they will most likely be involved in huge life-saving missions. I wish them all the very best.”