Huddersfield Town’s U19s were invited down to Huddersfield Fire Station last Thursday for an intervention and awareness day in which they enjoyed a mixture of classroom and practical activities.
The Town youngsters kicked off the morning with an introduction session where they were made aware of what was in store for the day. This was followed by a presentation in which staff displayed a range of damning statistics and information, particularly around the subject of RTCs (Road Traffic Collisions).
After a period of classroom learning, the apprentices got suited and booted into their fire service gear and were given a tour of a fire engine, shown different pieces of equipment and made aware of their purpose(s).
A brake test followed. This involves a stationary vehicle and a flashing sign. When the sign flashes, the driver is required to hit the brakes as sharply as possible. The driver is then given a time score based off their reaction speed. This test is designed to reiterate how far a vehicle can still travel after hitting the brakes and how reaction speed and awareness can determine the impact of a road collision.
Post lunch, it was out onto the forecourt for some outdoor activities. The U19s were shown the water hoses and were handed the task of unravelling the hoses and then winding them back up. The hoses were then turned on and it was time for some target practice.
The last activity of the day was rescue cutting, with the apprentices using the rescue cutters to dismantle pieces of old cars. This method is regularly used by fire fighters when seeking to rescue people trapped in vehicles following an RTC.
