Well done to our fabulous trainee firefighters who this week proudly passed out from course 61/26 during an emotional ceremony at Service Headquarters in Washington, Tyne and Wear.
Family, friends and fellow Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service (TWFRS) colleagues were invited to mark the occasion on Thursday 16 July, with the event dedicated to the achievements of the 16 recruits who have graduated after completing the 15-week intensive training course.
We were also honoured to have in attendance His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Tyne and Wear, Ms Lucy Winskell, OBE; alongside Fire Authority Chair, Councillor Tom Woodwark; Service Chaplin, Fiona Usher; and Julie Judson representing The Salvation Army.
Over the past three-and-a-half months our brand-new firefighters have been put through their paces by 14 TWFRS instructors, and completed more than 600 hours of practical and theoretical training. The specialist tasks included tactical firefighting, pumps and ladders, breathing apparatus, and road traffic collision training with trauma care.
We also honoured three of the firefighters during the ceremony by presenting them with prestigious TWFRS awards. They were presented to Firefighter Vanessa Campbell (Trainees Trainee Award), Firefighter Connor Fenton (The George Maddox Trophy), and Firefighter Daisy Hunter (The Silver Axe).
If that wasn’t enough, the trainee firefighters raised an impressive £1,627 for The Firefighters Charity after being sponsored to run the return journey from SHQ to Penshaw Monument.
The next step will see each of the graduated recruits start their operational careers at one of our 17 community fire stations. Alongside tackling real-life incidents, they will continue their development journey, as the firefighters begin a two-year apprenticeship programme.
Chief Fire Officer Stewart Nicholson, said:
“It never ceases to amaze me the amount of passion and desire that our firefighter recruits show every day throughout the training programme. Their enthusiasm and commitment will ensure that residents across Tyne and Wear are kept safe from harm in the local community as they embark on the next exciting chapter of their career with Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service. They will also serve as outstanding role models for our fire cadets and other young people who are looking to enter the profession.
“The public rightly looks to the fire and rescue service in terms of education, prevention and in their time of greatest need, response to emergencies. I have no doubt that our newest trainee firefighters graduating this week will uphold and drive to deliver on that responsibility.”
Everyone at Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service wishes the newly qualified firefighters every success as they begin their operational careers serving communities across Tyne and Wear.
They have set the bar very high for the next round of recruits. Let’s bring on course 62/27.
#Creating the Safest Community
The post Tyne and Wear Firefighter Recruits Graduate After Intensive Training Course appeared first on Newcastle Magazine – Your source for inspiring Newcastle news.
