The aim of Fire Cadets is to support the development of young people, enabling them to experience something new by participating in a wide range of practical and theoretical activities in a unique firefighting-based environment.
In Dorset, the programme is delivered at a fire station to students in Years 9-11, one evening per week for 20 weeks between January and July (excluding school holidays).
The 2018 Fire Cadet unit will run from Blandford Fire Station on Monday evenings. The closing date for applications has now passed, with priority given to mid/north Dorset applicants. Details of the 2019 programme will be released in Autumn 2018.
The programme is delivered by specially trained and DBS-checked staff and volunteers. It is designed to be fun, but it also challenges and develops the participants and supports their school and home lives by getting them to:
- Work co-operatively within a team environment
- Gain self-esteem and self-confidence
- Improve communication skills
- Adopt a new set of personal values
- Understand the importance of safety issues and the consequences of anti-social behaviour
- Learn about fire and road safety
- Consider their community and/or a local charity and give up some free time fund-raise
- Develop practical skills
- Improve levels of fitness
- Create or add to a portfolio of achievements
- Achieve a BTEC accreditation
The scheme is evaluated by the students and instructors – feedback is reviewed and acted upon to ensure the scheme develops year on year.
For further information about the Dorset Fire Cadets programme or to register your interest in making an application, please email [email protected]
The BTEC award is assessed throughout the 20-week programme by trained instructors and assessors. The qualification is internally verified before samples of work are externally moderated to review working practice and ensure consistency.