On Tuesday 10th February, students from Hazel Court Further Education Department in Eastbourne visited Battle community fire station.

The visit followed a series of sessions undertaken by Steve Budd, Educational Advisor - Secondary Schools, East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service, on behalf of the Children's Services and Education Team (CSET) and as part of an initiative to engage with the more at risk and hard to reach groups in our community.

The purpose of their trip was to meet the station's firefighters to discuss essential fire safety messages and to watch a rescue demonstration.

After the sound of a fire alarm was demonstrated, the eight students aged between 14-19 years watched as firefighters, dressed in full breathing apparatus, simulated a rescue exercise which saw them arrive in a fire appliance. With the help of some synthetic smoke and burnt toast, the Battle crew proceeded to show the students what happens during a call-out.

 

 

Steve Budd said,

"The experience of being rescued from a burning building can be very daunting and frightening; this exercise helped to prepare the students to remain calm should they ever be involved in a real emergency situation."

Hazel Court is designated as a school for children with complex needs, including autism and moderate to profound learning difficulties. Hazel Court has a well-deserved reputation for providing it's pupils with both an outstanding education and superb opportunities for integration.

Pete Easter, a teacher at Hazel Court, said,

"Despite the cold, the students were really happy. They enjoyed looking around a fire appliance and trying a firefighter's helmet on for size! More importantly, the safety messages were well pitched and the students took them all on board."

CSET are grateful to the crew at Battle for their assistance in bringing safety education to the wider community and are excited to continue working with students and staff at Hazel Court Further Education Department.