Lights, Sirens, Action! SERC Students Visit Comber Fire Station

Level 1 Health and Social Care Students (Skills for Life and Work) from SERC Newtownards Campus had a fantastic opportunity to visit Comber Fire Station on Wednesday, 26 November. The visit was organised by their tutor Susan Annett Coffey and Acting Deputy Head of School Nikki Rainey, with Ellie Madden from Clanrye Group also in attendance.

Comber Fire Station serves a population of approximately 17,000 residents over a 45 square mile area. It is equipped with one appliance and a drill tower and is staffed by an on-call team of 6 firefighters.

During the visit, the students enjoyed a behind the scenes tour of the equipment and facilities at the station, had a chance to try on some protective gear and even got to use the fire hoses! The students also met some of the dedicated fire and rescue services employees stationed there.

SERC Tutor, Susan Annett Coffey said: “It was a great opportunity for the students to develop their understanding of the firefighters’ roles and their commitment to the safety of local residents. Some of the students are set for placement within a caring environment including nursing and residential homes, so this visit highlighted the importance of identifying risks and completing fire and health and safety checks regularly to keep residents safe.”

Susan continued “Many of the students involved in the visit are hoping to progress to a Level 2 Traineeship next year so this has been an excellent opportunity for them to consolidate their year 1 learning and continue to grow.”