Passing out parade for Kent Fire and Rescue Service’s (KFRS) newest firefighters
An official passing out parade to welcome ten new wholetime firefighters to Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) took place on December 12 at Rochester Fire Station.
Attended by family and friends of the trainees, the occasion was held to welcome the firefighters and showcase their newly honed skills. Chosen from over 5,000 applicants, the trainees have just completed 15 weeks of intense training designed to equip them with the necessary skills and techniques required to become a firefighter.
In order to reach this stage, the trainees underwent a number of comprehensive selection assessments, including situational awareness, problem solving and physical testing. The individuals, who are all part of the last cohort from the 2017 recruitment drive, were then interviewed before being selected to join KFRS’ trainee course 182.
The training that followed included intensive courses around the daily challenges and risks faced by today’s fire service when responding to a wide range of emergency incidents. This included, but was not limited to, learning how to use fire engine equipment in a wide range of emergency scenarios, working safely at height and in confined spaces, learning firefighting techniques, training in hazardous materials and dealing with road traffic collisions.
After being tested against a range of realistic scenarios to help them prepare them for the life of a firefighter, the recruits successfully passed their final assessments and were able to showcase their skills at today’s passing out parade in the form of a road traffic collision demonstration, drill and firefighting display. The trainees will be placed at their respective fire stations in January and will soon be actively responding to 999 incidents around the county.
Nikki Escudier, KFRS Lead Training Coach, said: “It’s been a fantastic few months training the group. They have all worked so hard, and my fellow training coaches and I feel honoured to have been part of this journey. The trainees have bonded brilliantly as a team but are looking forward to starting work at their own stations in January. It’s been an absolute pleasure training them – well done, trainee course 182!”
