The Fire Service Go Ape!!

Post by Apprentice Community Safety Advisor Greg Brunt

Since I started my apprenticeship I have been involved with lots of different projects and have been able to participate in Home Safety Checks, Fire Safety Talks, a Community Project and I have also been assisting Community Safety Advisor, Wendy Hall with the Tameside Fire Safety Ambassadors.

The Ambassadors are volunteers who are part of a local third sector origination called Hyde Community Action.  They meet every Sunday as the ACE girls group and agreed to pilot a 6 month scheme which was aimed at providing the young women with information about Greater Manchester Fire Service and the many and varied roles within the service. It is also to educate them about Fire Safety in the Home with a view to them assisting both Community Safety Advisors and Operational Crews in the future, interpreting when needed (into Bangladeshi) to ensure that our fire safety message is communicated throughout the community effectively.

We hold weekly seasons at Hyde Fire Station where we are teaching them the importance of fire safety in the home. They have currently been assisting on home safety checks and are preparing to host an event to showcase the work they have been doing and their achievements to date.

As part of a bonding exercise to enhance their teamwork skills we set out to Bolton for a day trip to Go Ape, the outdoor aerial assault course. I was asked to come along to help support and assist with any problems the Ambassadors faced. (Also to shake my colleagues out the trees when it’s time to go home)

After getting set up with our safety equipment I was chosen to be the class guinea pig and show the group how safe the courses are by demonstrating the safety clips and throwing myself off the platforms. Despite the worried faces, all of the girls completed the practice course with flying colours before tackling the main course.

Everyone started the course but despite the encouragement from the group some found it just a little too much and returned to earth. It was good to see the group supporting each other and I was proud that everyone had a least tried their hardest to face their fears. As we pushed on through the many obstacles and zip lines, they became more and more determined to complete the course and finish together. One of the instructors from Go Ape did comment on how well they pulled together as a team and how loud they were shouting words of reassurance from the trees and the ground watching.

The course was completed by a lot of smiling faces including myself. After the equipment was returned, the group relaxed with a BBQ and a few games of Giant Jenga and Connect Four. I thought that everyone had come away after trying or learning something new that will benefit them in the future, whether it is team building or leadership skills. Clearly this was a great team building exercise for the ambassadors and a fantastic program we are supporting.

After coming through the Princes Trust course and the help it has given me to get to where I am now, I feel that it is essential to highlight the things that we do as an organisation to support younger people. Thank you to the team for giving me the opportunity to come with you, I look forward to doing more work with the Tameside Fire Safety Ambassadors and all the new challenges it brings.