Dec 23 - GFRS Firefighter Awarded The Silver Axe
Trainee Firefighter John Kaelan Sciortino of the Gibraltar Fire and Rescue Service together with trainees from the Isle of Man graduated on Thursday 18 December after successfully completing their Firefighter Foundation Development Programme (FFDP) at the Fire Service College, Moreton-in-Marsh in England.
At the graduation ceremony, the Silver Axe Award was presented to Firefighter John Kaelan Sciortino for having achieved outstanding results both in the technical and practical aspects and for his overall conduct throughout the course. Firefighter John Sciortino had a tough act to follow since his brother Leading Firefighter Karl Sciortino was also awarded the Silver Axe in March 2007.
The Foundation Development Programme course is a gruelling eight weeks of intensive training which gives the trainees the foundation on which they can build for the rest of their careers in the service.
The Trainees are working in a Fire Station within the Fire Service College and work an actual shift pattern of 2 day shifts and 2 night shifts on with 4 rest days off for study leave. They have to undertake and pass four different modules in order to complete the FFDP successfully.
Amongst the subjects included in their training were firefighting procedures in varied domestic and industrial scenarios, Road Traffic Collision procedures, pumping operations, Ladder rescue, Breathing Apparatus training, Fire Safety work and First Responder training.
The Chief Fire officer Mr Guillermo Mauro said he was very proud of John Kaelan in his achievement and wished him all the best in his future career within the Service and the Gilbert Licudi, Minister for the Fire Service, added his own congratulations.
