Norfolk Fire & Rescue Service's fourth cadet unit opens in Fakenham

Twelve young people in Norfolk joined the Norfolk Fire & Rescue family this week, as the service formally opened its fourth fire cadet unit at a presentation evening at Fakenham Fire Station.

The 13-17-year-olds were welcomed into the service by Norfolk's Deputy Chief Fire Officer Scott Norman in front of their families, members of the community, and current members of the Fakenham on-call crew.

The new recruits applied to join earlier this year and were accepted after they had completed team building tasks and an informal interview with the unit leaders.

As part of the evening held at the Fire Station, they paraded in and out of the presentation, tried on their new uniforms, and were presented with their fire cadet helmets by DCFO Norman.

The Fakenham fire cadet unit will be the service's fourth in the county, with the other units located in Diss, Hunstanton and Wymondham.

Group Manager Terry Pinto, who oversees the Fire Cadet Programme for NFRS, said: "It was a really fantastic night and like to thank everyone who came out and supported us. We reflected on the fact that it's been 40 years since the first fire cadet unit in the UK was opened up in Norfolk, so to be growing our scheme on that anniversary was really special.

Being a fire cadet provides an opportunity for young people to get a taster of the life of a firefighter by attending weekly drill nights at a fire station. While serving as a fire cadet, young people are able to learn the practical skills needed to become a firefighter, such as hose running, ladder safety and first aid, as well as qualities such as self-discipline, teamwork and citizenship.

Chris Smith, Fakenham Cadet Leader and on-call firefighter at Fakenham, said: "All our crew at the station are really excited for the group to get started, and I could tell by the looks on the faces of our cadets on the night that they are too. It'll be a great experience for them to learn about team building, and exactly what is required to be a firefighter."

The opening of the new Fakenham unit was thanks to an investment from the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) as part of a wider £500,000 grant from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to increase the number of fire cadets nationally. The £28,000 funding for Norfolk was the largest award issued from the grant for a single cadet unit in the UK.