On Thursday, March 21st, a Graduation Ceremony and Passing Out Parade was held by Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service (MAWWFRS) for the latest cohort of Wholetime Firefighters.
Held at the Service’s Earlswood Training Centre, the event was an opportunity to reflect on and celebrate the amazing achievements of the 12 individuals - known collectively as Squad 01/24 - who have recently completed their On-Call to Wholetime conversion course, and in the company of their friends and families.
Following an extensive recruitment process where a variety of challenges were met as part of a rigorous selection process, Squad 01/24 began their eight-week residential course on January 25th. Since then, they have each developed the initial skills and attributes needed to undertake their new roles as Wholetime Firefighters.
The Ceremony included the Parade of Recruits, where they were joined by the Service’s Colour Party, and an Inspection of the Recruits by Chief Fire Officer Roger Thomas, Chair of Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Authority, Councillor Gwynfor Thomas and Head of Training Delivery, Stuart Bate. Several Drill Yard Displays were then held to fully illustrate the emergency response skills each member of the Squad has developed during their training, which were followed by a Presentation of Certificates and Awards.
