A group of Transition Year (TY) students were put through their paces at Carlow Fire Service’s Learning & Development Centre at Hacketstown, Co. Carlow this week.
The five-day course was designed to illustrate, demonstrate and inform the students about the operational capacity and response of the fire service.
The TY students completed various tasks including, Manual Handling Training, Foot Drill & Marching, Fire Appliance and equipment familiarisation, including how to mount and dismount a Fire Appliance, handling fire hoses including how to roll out a hose, remove water from a hose and roll it back up again.
As part of their visit to the Learning & Development Centre in Hacketstown, the TY students underwent parade and foot drill, embedding teamwork by responding to instructions and moving as a team.
They also experienced driving a fire appliance, virtually, by using an emergency services vehicle simulator which was provided by Virtual Driving Hub, based in Athy, Co. Kildare.
Pressure was building among the students as they learned how the fire service uses positive pressure fans to tactically move smoke out of a building after a fire, during a building tactical ventilation demonstration. The fans in each of the four fire stations in County Carlow are battery operated, eliminating carbon emissions, toxic fumes and achieving a reduction in weight of the equipment for our firefighters.
It wasn’t all plain sailing for the students during the ‘Bang Box’ demo however, where they learned about flammable gases and different levels of flammability. They learned how different gas mixtures react with an ignition source in a compartment dependent on the concentration of a flammable gas with air. According to Carlow Fire & Rescue Service, not only were there a few jumps from the students, but there may also have been other fumes in the air!
The fire service is one of many ‘blue light’ services who regularly meet at incidents as part of their working day. Joint collaborations and stakeholder engagement is essential in their day-to-day running. The National Ambulance Service and An Garda Síochána also attended the training centre to showcase their service and outline their role.
Included in this was a walk-through of an emergency ambulance and a talk from ambulance paramedic bout their role. Training in CPR, Chocking Protocol & use of a defibrillator AED were also delivered, and students were certified as Cardiac First Responders afterwards.
Car crash virtual reality experience using virtual reality headsets to experience being involved in a crash was used by Limerick Station Officer John Lyon.
Other roles during the week included operation of fire hydrants and introduction to a Breathing Apparatus Set.
Road safety is an essential part of the education curriculum, especially with young adults and second level school students. An Garda Síochána outlined their role in Roads Policing and gave advice to the students about road safety. This included conducting speed checks and stopping a vehicle with a tyre deflation system.
Road Traffic Collision extrication equipment, vehicle stabilisation and how to cut a vehicle to rescue a casualty were also demonstrated by the fire service.
The last day of the TY course was a passing out parade and drill.
Carlow A/CFO Ben Woodhouse said: “We are so proud of all of you for what you have achieved over the week. We hope we have ignited an interest in a role within the Emergency Services but wish you well in whatever career you follow.” The trainers included on the course were Station Officer (SO) Brendan Ryder, SO Eddie Coleman, Sub-Station Officer (SSO) Eddie O’Hara, SSO Danial Fitzpatrick, Driver/Mechanic Frankie Whelan, Firefighter Teegan Joyce and Firefighter Ronan Boyle along with guest trainers from the National Ambulance Service, Limerick Fire & Rescue Service and Carlow Gardaí.
