Firefighters don’t just fight fires

Union Learning Representative Shaun O’Neill, along with Rob Joyce, Andy Bolton, Nick Wharton, Pete Taylor, Des Pritchard, Ben Calvert and Dave Harrison from Green Watch at Rochdale Fire Station

Firefighters, thankfully, spend most of their time doing work other than putting out blazes. Today's firefighter also works closely with the community to increase their level of awareness and so prevent incidents from occurring in the first place. Being able to communicate effectively to schools, community groups, voluntary organisations and others is central to their role. It is therefore very important that firefighters training doesn’t simply begin and end with firefighting.

Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue Service has therefore teamed up with Orchard Training Solutions to provide on going staff development for crews across Greater Manchester. Courses that their firefighters have completed include an NVQ in ‘Information Advice and Guidance’- a prefect course for helping them with their important community work.

Staff based at Stockport Fire Station have even achieved qualifications in British Sign Language to help them communicate with the deaf community.

The crew of Green Watch at Rochdale Fire Station is embarking on an IT course which has numeracy skills embedded with it to help them with their office-based work.

Union Learning Representative Shaun O’Neill, who has coordinated the provision, commented “The Fire Service is committed to lifelong learning to help its staff develop their personal and professional skills so we can provide a first class service to the people of Greater Manchester, and teaming up with Orchard Training Solutions is helping us achieve this by providing us with tailored training that staff can undertake without leaving the workplace."