Coleg Sir Gâr Students Visit Earlswood Training Centre

On Tuesday, May 20^th, Coleg Sir Gâr students visited Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service’s (MAWWFRS) Earlswood Training Centre for a Firefighting Experience Day.

During the day’s presentation and discussion session, students were given an insight into the prevention and protection work of MAWWFRS across its various departments, as well as the role of a modern-day Firefighter.  It also provided the opportunity to discuss MAWWFRS’s culture journey and an overview of its Community Risk Management Plan 2040, which highlights how MAWWFRS is addressing the risks, threats and challenges facing the communities it serves.

Later in the day, students were able to take part in a variety of practical sessions to experience some of the training and entry-level tests that Firefighters complete to prepare them for their roles.  Sessions included ladder hauls and lifts and the rare opportunity to be part of a simulated incident, requiring them to manoeuvre through a building using touch alone.  They were also able to test their communication skills as part of a crawl way exercising, navigating confined spaces in darkness in teams of three.  They were then able to gain a better understanding of some of the equipment that Firefighters regularly use, by watching a breathing apparatus set training session. 

The visit to the Earlswood Training Centre gave the Coleg Sir Gâr students a much better understanding of the role and responsibilities of MAWWFRS, which is the third-largest Fire and Rescue Service in the UK and which provides emergency response to almost two-thirds of Wales across 58 Fire Stations.  Read more about MAWWFRS here.