Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS) welcomed eight new wholetime firefighters to the service after they successfully completed an intensive 14-week course at the RBFRS Training Centre in Whitley Wood, Reading.
The new recruits have learned all the skills needed to begin their careers as firefighters, including hose, pump and ladder training, technical rescue (including water rescue, animal rescue and road traffic collision training) as well as training in using breathing apparatus.
To mark the conclusion of the course, a celebratory ‘passing out’ parade was held at RBFRS’ Training Centre at Whitley Wood on Wednesday (12 July). During the event, the new recruits showed off their new skills to their proud families and friends in a variety of drills, including a breathing apparatus rescue scenario and road traffic collision where they had to safely remove a ‘casualty’.
During the passing out parade, it was officially announced in front of friends and family, the station where each new recruit would begin their RBFRS journey at. The new recruits will be posted at the following stations:
- Austen Mullar – Whitley Wood Fire Station
- Tom Davis – Maidenhead Fire Station
- Leigh Wilson – Bracknell Fire Station
- Luke Foster – Wokingham Fire Station
- Felicity Screen – Slough Fire Station
- Ryan Bonner – Dee Road Fire Station
- Mark Kelly – Wokingham Fire Station
- Nicky Palmer – Whitley Wood Fire Station
Our new recruits will shortly be posted to stations and will set about working right where they need to be – in the heart of the communities they will serve.
Special guests in attendance included Deputy Lord-Lieutenant of the Royal County of Berkshire Mr Gordon Storey, the Chairman of Royal Berkshire Fire Authority Councillor Colin Dudley and Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service Chief Fire Officer Trevor Ferguson.
Group Manager Dom Manton said: “We’re delighted to welcome our new colleagues to RBFRS. They’ve all worked exceptionally hard during their training over the past 14 weeks and they should be proud of what they have achieved so far.
“For now, I just want to wish them every success and we are confident they are well equipped for the challenges ahead.”
Royal Berkshire Fire Authority Chairman, Councillor Colin Dudley, said: “I am very honoured as Fire Authority Chairman to have joined the new recruits at their passing out parade. The new recruits are what I believe to be, the future of our fire service.
“I am sure there will be times that they find the job challenging, however these feelings will be overcome by pride, knowing the impact that they’ve made in the community that they serve by saving lives.”
You can take a look at a video and photos on our facebook page.