The Airport Fire and Rescue Service recently welcomed two new Firefighters to its ranks following their successful completion of an eight-week Firefighter Foundation and Development Programme  (FFDP), at The Fire Service College in Moreton-in-Marsh, UK.  

A statement from the AFRS follows below:

Firefighters Eric Casciaro and Ernest De Torres completed the intensive programme designed to  prepare new recruits on all the essential core firefighting and rescue skills, breathing apparatus  operations, experiencing and understanding exposure to Compartment Fire Behaviour Training.  Their course also included instruction on how to deal with the extrication of trapped casualties  following a Road Traffic Collision and the subsequent application of emergency first aid.  

On completion of the FFDP the new Firefighters undertook a further two weeks of aviation  firefighting and rescue training and are already enrolled into their structured and local specific  development programme, which will entail gaining other diverse skills such as Working at Height and  Confined Space Rescues. Firefighters Casciaro and De Torres have already joined their respective  Watches and will undoubtedly prove themselves to be valuable additions to the AFRS. 

Also recently, Firefighters Julian Lopez and Alain Pons completed an Incident Command Level 1  course at the Fire Service College. Achieving this qualification serves as an initial step into Incident  Command training by developing and continually assessing the candidates on their knowledge, skills and understanding of the UK Incident Command System. 

During the week long course FF Lopez and FF Pons had the opportunity to perform several  operational and command roles encompassed within the Incident Command System. This included  assessments of their practical command skills performance in a number of different scenarios and in  a variety of roles comprising; Incident Commander, 2nd Incident Commander (2IC), Command  Support Officer (Level 1), BA Entry Control Officer and BA Team Leader.  

Despite having trained extensively to prepare for this course, the facilities and level of experience  available at the Fire Service College allowed both FF Lopez and FF Pons to further enhance their  understanding of all the Incident Command elements. After a challenging and extremely productive  week both Firefighters successfully completed this ICL 1 course and are already putting their newly  acquired skills into practice locally in order to continue developing and furthering their careers. 

The Minister with responsibility for the AFRS, the Hon. Leslie Bruzon, expressed his congratulations  to all four firefighters for their achievements. He welcomed Firefighters Casciaro and De Torres to  the AFRS, expressing confidence in their ability to excel in their chosen profession. Additionally, he  extended his congratulations to Firefighters Lopez and Pons for successfully completing their  Incident Command course, highlighting their importance as valuable assets to the AFRS.