South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue(SYFR) partnered up with the Sheffield Young Carers charity to offer young carers from Sheffield the opportunity to take part in a firefighter experience day.
The day was held at the SYFR’s Training and Development Centre on Beaver Hill Road, Handsworth. Ten young carers were selected by the charity to go along for the day and learn some basic firefighter techniques.
The youngsters, all from the Sheffield area, were between the age of 12 and 14 and were all full time carers.
Wearing fire kit, they practiced various firefighting techniques including rolling out the hose, building an improvised dam and casualty extrication from a vehicle.
Nicola Hobbs, Watch Manager in community safety, said “I would like to personally thank the instructors at our training and development centre for making this day happen and making it very enjoyable for the kids. It is important to recognise that everyone has different responsibilities in life, and these young carers are an admirable representation of this. If we can offer some respite as a public service, as well as educate preventing fires, then we are more than happy to help in supporting their fantastic work.”
Sheffield Young Carers is an independent charity that has existed in Sheffield since 1997, dedicated to supporting children and young people aged 8-25 who live in the city and provide care for one or more family members.