128 Young Firefighters (YFF) are celebrating after recently passing their Level 2 BTEC Award in Fire and Rescue Services in the Community. 

Young Firefighters have been working towards this award since January. This involves them attending a YFF branch night once a week and learning all about the Fire and Rescue Service and learning the skills of professional Firefighters. The training that takes place each week not only gives them the opportunity to learn Firefighting skills along side frontline Firefighters but also encourages young people to develop valuable life skills such as communication, team working, self-discipline and confidence all of which YFF can use when they enter employment.

YFF are also encouraged to interact with their communities and learn about fire safety, the consequences of behaviour like arson or making 999 hoax calls, and at the end of the two year programme, YFF have the potential to achieve a nationally recognised qualification – Edexcel Level 2 BTEC Award in Fire and Rescue Services in the Community.

At their recent graduation ceremonies they were able to demonstrate to their families some of the skills that they have learnt during their time in the YFF Programme. 

Its not just about what goes on during these branch nights, all YFF also take part in really worthwhile activities including fundraising projects such as car washes, bag packing, cycle rides raising money for The Fire Fighters Charity, Blazing to Serbia Charity, Tickled Pink Breast Cancer Charity and other local charities in their communities. 

Tonypandy YFF has taken part in a Twinning Town exchange programme with Ravensburg in Germany.  The German Young Fire Fighters spent some time in Rhondda Cynon Taff and YFF from Tonypandy visited Germany and taken part in the 25th YFF Birthday celebrations in Germany. 

YFF from Caerphilly have assisted the Blazing to Serbia Team in delivering old fire engines to Serbia.  This involved participating in lots of fundraising activities prior to the trip and travelling with the six Fire Engines to Serbia covering 1400 miles over 5 days.

All the experiences YFF encounter during their time with the Service really does make a difference, not only to the individual, but to their families, the local communities, the various charities that we support and also to the Fire and Rescue Service in assisting us to achieve our objectives. 

In this way the YFF have developed crucial citizenship skills which will serve them well in the future as they move on in their lives, but it will also have a positive effect on the communities that we serve.  In addition the BTEC qualification provides YFF with a real educational outcome alongside the practical skills that they pick up.

SWRFS is currently recruiting more YFF in the following branches: Ogmore Vale, Llantwit Major, Caerphilly, ‘Abergavenny, and Tredegar.  Please contact Sian Vowles, 01443 232000 or 07917 597790 for more information, or download an application form from Young Firefighters