Salamander is a tailored development programme designed to promote empowerment in a positive environment whilst also encouraging team work and the supporting of others.
The primary aim of Salamander is to work with young people in Swindon and Wiltshire and provide them with experiences that will help them to learn new life skills and gain confidence.
Our key objectives are to:
Encourage participants from across our diverse community to participate in Salamander and develop confidence and self-esteem within an inclusive environment
Establish links with the community and partner organisations.
Deliver a series of messages regarding fire, road and water safety.
Enhance the image of the Fire and Rescue Service within the community.
Who is Salamander for?
We work with a number of partner organisations to ensure we are targeting those individuals who will benefit most from this unique experience including local Schools, Youth Offending Teams, Swindon Borough Council Family Services, Swindon Young Carers, Swindon Down’s Syndrome Group and Wiltshire Area Boards.
What can I expect from a Salamander course?
Salamander is an AQA accredited 5-day firefighting course consisting of activities such as:
- Hose, pump and hydrant operation
- Safe use of ladders
- Rope rescue (abseiling)
- Road Traffic Collision extrication
- Search and rescue
- Casualty Care
- Water rescue
- Road safety
Where is Salamander held?
Salamander is held at designated fire stations and courses are run by fully trained, operational firefighters who work hard to share their knowledge and skills and provide positive role models for the young people.
Our primary Salamander stations are Trowbridge, Warminster, Chippenham, Salisbury and Swindon.
What are the benefits of the programme?
The benefits of Salamander differ depending on the client group. However, the primary aim is to provide an experience based on the core ethics of the Fire and Rescue Service as this encourages self-confidence and improved teamwork.
The programme is designed to change each participant’s attitude and behaviour by challenging them to:
- Adopt a new set of values;
- Address consequences of anti-social behaviour and fire setting
- Co-operate with others
- See the advantage of improving their own learning and performance
- Gain self-esteem and self-confidence
- Improve their communication skills
- Gain an awareness of mental health and wellbeing
Adult Engagement Courses
In addition to our Salamander courses for young people, we also provide bespoke courses for over 18’s. These courses are commissioned by a variety of partners including Swindon Borough Council’s Adult Community Learning (ACL) Team. The ACL courses include referrals from Gloucester House, DWP, Booth House, Medaille Trust, The Harbour Project, Building Bridges, Stonewater Housing and Family Service.
The aims of the course are similar to our courses for young people but with an emphasis on the participants developing employability related skills, improving confidence and self-esteem, building trust, understanding some of the skills of a modern firefighter and the hazards they face, working together as a team and gaining from the mentoring role provided by the firefighter instructors. The programme also encourages learners to start thinking about the consequences of their actions and how they can make themselves and others safer.
The activities on all our courses are designed so that they can be differentiated to meet the needs of the group but also on an individual basis within that group. Every learner is encouraged and supported to achieve and challenged to improve aspiration.
For more information on Salamander courses, please contact our Youth Intervention Coordinators:
Wiltshire – Nikki Vickery – [email protected] or call 07739 899285
Swindon – Nicky Parker – [email protected] or call 07771 773725
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