We’ve really enjoyed following our newest recruits as they have soared and flourished through eight tough, yet rewarding, weeks at The Fire Service College, Moreton-in-Marsh.
Their course began on the 27 September 2023, with an induction into the service, familiarising themselves with Fire kit and learning what it takes to join our Family.
This quickly followed an intense 8-week course at the Fire Service college, accompanied by further learning on stations to prepare them for real life incidents.
While at the college the recruits learnt foundation Firefighter (FF) skills which included
- Knots and lines
- 5m/10.5m ladder pitches
- 5m ladder pitch over an obstruction
- Basic major pump operation
- Lifting from open water using LPP
After gaining confidence in the initial skills, they were ready to demonstrate them in scenario based training. This ranged from attending road traffic collision drills to going into fire conditions with breathing apparatus sets on. This demanding yet rewarding journey has given them the best foundation in their new careers as professional Firefighters.
Pass Out Parade
On the 15 December, we followed Fire Service tradition and held our Pass Out Parade Ceremony at the Blue Light Hub, Milton Keynes. This day was an opportunity for friends and family to come and watch their loved ones put everything they had learnt into practice. They carried out a ‘persons reported’ fire demonstration where they utilised their working at height, pumping and breathing apparatus training. There was a real thrill as the audience watched this drill, they were able to celebrate and recognise all of the hard work our Firefighters have put in throughout their training journeys.
The successful recruits were then awarded with their certificates for completing their initial Firefighter training. Our Deputy Chief Fire Officer, Mick Osbourne, welcomed the recruits and shared his own words of wisdom
‘We see you as the future of our Service, and we all have an interest in making sure you succeed. It is still the best job in the world. It will give you opportunities and experiences that no other job can, so always learn and always keep your ears opens because you will see and hear things that you won’t find anywhere else.’
The excitement didn’t stop here, they also found out where they were going to be stationed and which Watch they were joining to continue their development. This is not the end of their journey, just the start and we will be with them every step of the way!
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Congratulations & welcome to:
Cohort 10:
- Firefighter Donovan
- Firefighter Morrissey
- Firefighter Oldham
- Firefighter Plowman
- Firefighter Simpson
- Firefighter Tett
- Firefighter Woodford
Cohort 11:
- Firefighter Adams
- Firefighter Arari
- Firefighter Attrill
- Firefighter Colton
- Firefighter Cook
- Firefighter Dawe
- Firefighter Dodd
- Firefighter Jones
- Firefighter Law
- Firefighter Marshall
- Firefighter McFarlane
- Firefighter Norris
- Firefighter Richards
- Firefighter Smith
- Firefighter Tranter
- Firefighter Turney
- Firefighter Walker
- Firefighter Witham
The Silver Axe Award…
For years, the Silver Axe Award has been given out to one individual in each course. This award recognises a recruit who has shown self-discipline, motivation, leadership qualities and someone who demonstrates an exceptional attitude to learning. This was awarded to Firefighter Charlotte Jones.
Thank you
A big thank you to everyone who has supported the apprentices so far and made this special celebration so successful. We would like to thank the MacIntyre team who prepared and presented the delicious food for the event. You were all polite and professional throughout the day and most definitely played a part in the success. Another special thanks to DBH Photography for helping us capture the day.
