Page 35 - Cadet Review Spring 2025

Assembled cadets during first
visit, with Watch Commander
Darrell Sturgeon on the right
MIRFIELD CADETS VISIT
THE LOCAL FIRE SERVICE
Over a period of two weeks during October, all
cadets from 868 (Mirfield) Squadron had the
opportunity to visit Mirfield Fire Station.
This West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service
establishment is manned by retained firefighters,
who volunteer their time for extra "on-call" duty over
and above their regular work at other fire stations in
the area.
Organised by Watch Commander Darrell
Sturgeon, these visits provided a thoroughly
enjoyable experience for cadets, who learnt
about fire and water safety, together with
an insight into the job as a firefighter
and the equipment used by the Fire
and Rescue Service. They came to
understand that firefighters are
trained and ready to cope with a
whole range of emergencies,
not just fire, but including
road, rail or air crashes,
floods, chemical spills and
even terrorist attack. The
firefighters hosting the visits
were able to explain to cadets
some important aspects of
their work and illustrate them
with personal experiences of local
emergencies relating to life-saving
rescues in the nearby canal and river
in addition to the more obvious response
Cpl Lexi Foggo models safety equipment
to fires – including support for major incidents like
the wildfire on Meltham Moor during the summer.
Also, delivering training on subjects including
domestic fire precautions and water safety to
schools and groups in the local area.
Cadet Cameron Sowerby said: “I really liked it
because I have thought about going to be a fireman
in the future, so I thought it was a good experience.
We learned about what tools they use and how
they get people out of floods and fires, also
we learnt about what there is inside the
fire truck and how they are used.”
Flight Lieutenant Peter Doubell
commented “we are very
grateful to Darrell Sturgeon
for arranging these visits
and committing to two
weeks so we could make
the opportunity available
to all our cadets. It is
important for cadets to
be able to engage with
other community-based
organisations, and all the
more so when it provides the
opportunity to enhance their
life-skills and teaches them about
the work of the various emergency
services on which we all depend –
throughout society.”
CADET REVIEW SPRING 2025 35