Bridgwater & Taunton 999 Academy students visited Taunton Fire Station to participate in a simulation that resembles the experience of entering a low visibility building in order to save a casualty.

The activity enabled students to put the theory they have learned through the 999 Academy into practice. The students were challenged with navigating through the building whilst wearing blacked-out goggles. They were tasked with the locating and rescuing the casualty and returning to safety. The experience was very valuable to all that took part and allowed students to gain an insight into a potential career within the protective services.

Luke Payne, 999 Academy Course Leader said,

This experience has really enabled the learners to gain some vital experience of some of the challenges that the fire service face in their day-to-day job. While we cannot replicate the actual conditions of the fire, this was a very good taster to help students communicate in teams and to practise vital skills required in the fire service. A big thank you to the CYP Team and DSFRS staff at Taunton and Bridgwater Fire Stations for their continued work and support on this activity and throughout the year.

999 Academy student Lucy said:

The visit to Taunton fire station was really useful in developing our communication, teamwork, leadership and listening skills. We had to constantly be in contact with each other so we were safe, had to work together in bringing people out of the building, knowing where we are and helping us not bump into anything that could cause injury to us. It was helpful as it taught us the importance in working together as we were in an unknown environment while saving casualties and keeping each other safe. It also gave us a great insight into how much teamwork and communication actually goes into a job like that.

John Rosser also a 999 Academy student said,

Taunton fire station was a great experience that was both fun and helped me develop better communication and teamwork skills. I had to work with my partner to get casualties out of the building safely which allowed me to develop better trust in my partners. Trust is essential especially when navigating difficult situations and obstacles like managing staircases with limited visibility as they are responsible for me and my safety.

If you would like to know more about our Uniformed Protective Services and our 999 Academy, visit our website via www.btc.ac.uk or call our Information & Advice team on 01278 441234.