Phoenix Parade An enjoyable and, it turned out, instructive afternoon at the Phoenix Passing Out Parade at Torquay Fire Station recently gave me the chance to see a group of young people dramatically putting into practice a range of new skills they’d been learning - and to find out things I didn’t know about fire service practice. Jobcentre Plus has been working for a third year with Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service (DSFRS) to encourage and motivate unemployed young people. The group attending the Phoenix Training Course at the Fire Station had all volunteered to work and train alongside operational fire fighters in a course designed to build self-esteem, develop leadership and improve communication skills, and, crucially, to increase the participants’ motivation as a stepping stone to future employment. On the day I attended, the candidates completed their passing out parade, giving their friends and families the chance to see them in action as they demonstrated the various skills they’d learned. Brian Capello, Community Safety Officer with DSFRS, talked us through the display, explaining that first aid and food hygiene certificates had also been won, and that team-building was a key component of the course, as we saw once the youngsters got to work. First, a spectacularly burning building billowed smoke at us as the volunteer crew assembled and, with military precision, blasted it with water – to cool the building and prevent ‘extreme heat’– and entered to retrieve smoke-inhaling victims who were then expertly resuscitated. Next, a wrecked car containing a trapped traffic-accident victim saw the team tackle another challenging situation expertly: ‘Look at my hand!’ one of them kept calling, Brian explaining that this was to encourage the victim to stare straight ahead rather than risk further injury to neck or back by moving. The car was then stabilised before the team set to work to remove the roof and, with tremendous care, extricate the victim. As well as being reminded of the multi-tasked nature of the fire service’s work, the military discipline required and the range of skills they have to deploy daily, I was really impressed by the young volunteers’ teamwork, especially given that most of them had never even met before the course began. Nathan Johnson, voted by the group ‘best recruit’, told me that it had been a fantastic experience, and Tony, another team-member, agreed, adding that he’d learned so much about how the fire service works and the amazing range of equipment it needed to use. Another, Arran, said the course had been ‘exciting and motivating’, Callum saying he’d enjoyed being part of a team while Danielle had loved the excitement of it all. Craig, the youngest on the course – he’s 19 soon – agreed with the others and declared that ‘the experience will live with me forever.’ Talking to Mark Griffin, Children and Young People Intervention Officer for DSFRS, I was struck, again, by how much work is involved and by what the participants had gained – not least an accredited certificate that will certainly complement a cv and impress any future employer, given especially that it details all the skills gained in the course and how they were achieved. I’m looking forward now to meeting the next group of volunteers at the start of their course – and then to see how they react to what they experience: certainly the display I witnessed last week set a tremendously high standard! Any interested employer, by the way, who’d like to attend the next Phoenix parade to experience for themselves the skills the volunteers learn and put to such impressive use should contact Olivia Shillabeer at Newton Abbot Jobcentre Plus on 01626 236311. Living with Sight Loss Do you have a visual impairment? If so, you might well be interested to know that Action for Blind People is running a range of free ‘Living with Sight Loss’ courses around Devon and Cornwall. These courses provide opportunities for people to share their experiences with others who understand the frustrations of visual impairment, topics including practical skills for everyday life, eye health, using technology, and emotional wellbeing. To find out still more information about living with sight loss courses and other services they provide, you can contact Action for Blind People on 01392 458060 or email [email protected] Support for Cancer Patients The Torbay Prostate Support Association are hosting a talk on psychological support for cancer sufferers and their families by Dr. Ellen Young, Macmillan Consultant Clinical Psychologist for the Torbay Hospital Foundation Trust. The talk will take place next Tuesday, October 28th, at the Redcilff Hotel in Paignton. Everyone is welcome, they say, not just members of the Association, and the talk begins at 3pm. Community First There’s still money available from Community First funding for groups working on or wanting to start projects in Ellacombe and Blatchcombe. Groups need to apply as soon as possible as all money has to be allocated by the beginning of December and projects completed by the end of February 2015. Application forms and guidance documents are available here at Torbay Community Development Trust via [email protected]
Posted on: Thu, 23 Oct 2014 10:34:52 +0000
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