Caithness army cadets are firefighters in the making
CAITHNESS army cadets have been getting an insight into the work of local emergency services.
The cadets from 1st Battalion The Highlanders’ Thurso and Castletown detachments visited Thurso fire station on their latest training evening to learn about the role of the fire service within the community.
The visit was organised as part of the Cadet and the Community section of their training syllabus, which aims to promote citizenship and develop better individuals in the future.
Staff at the station – which is the most northerly on the UK mainland and manned by mostly retained personnel – showed the cadets round and explained some of the equipment they use, as well as giving them the all-important chance to sit in a fire engine.
The cadets were also given a demonstration on the use of fire hoses, and some of them even had the opportunity to roll the hose out for it to be used.
With the station being staffed by retained firefighters, some having full or part-time jobs, the cadets were also told what the procedure is for when their pagers go off.
Following the visit the Thurso detachment commander, Staff Sergeant Instructor Stuart Taggart (30), said: “We learned all about what happens at the fire service. A massive thanks to Kev, Mark and Carl for giving up their time.”
The 1st Battalion The Highlanders ACF is a youth organisation which provides challenging adventure, sporting and community activities seeking to inspire young people to achieve success in life while having fun at the same time.
The Army Cadet Force plays an active role in the community. A major part of the training for any cadet is citizenship training and the topic forms part of the cadet syllabus.
Through participating in community projects the cadets build an understanding of how a community functions and the difference they can make.
