It is designed to instil character, confidence, self-esteem and self-discipline.

The fire service is this year urging parents and guardians not to only enter their 13- to 15-year-old children for the five-week scheme but also commit them to the full training course.

"Too often we get children starting the project and dropping out after a week or two because their parents have other arrangements for their summer holidays," said fire officer Angela Etienne-Reveira, course co-ordinator.

The programme is scheduled for July 14 to August 15 and the sessions are free and will be conducted Monday through Friday, from 8:45 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.

Students are reminded that entry into the programme is by application form and a follow-up interview. Forms are available at Probyn Street headquarters in Bridgetown or Arch Hall Fire Station, St Thomas, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Friday. They must be returned on or before June 6.

The practical and theoretical exercises planned for the fire cadets include proper techniques for handling and working with fire hoses, nozzles, many of the various fittings and basic first aid. The cadets will be taught about the organisational structure of the fire service; what it takes to become a firefighter and the importance of a sound education.

A water safety session taught by the Barbados Coast Guard is also in the programme.

Instructors will observe the fire cadets on hikes and nature walks intended to test their physical endurance, mental strength and overall survival techniques.

In the classroom, the students will study fire prevention, fire protection, team-building and discipline. This combination of classroom and outdoor training is to impress on them the value of teamwork, regulation, goal-setting and respect for themselves and the community.

The fire cadets are also required to prepare and present group projects of not less than 500 words on community-related topics or issues.

"The Junior Fire Cadet Programme is a training curriculum," said Etienne-Reveira, "and it should not be interpreted as a leisure or casual vacation experience.

"The aim is to provide good work habits and build positive attitudes among all participants enrolled. Anything less is unacceptable in the Barbados Fire Service."

She expressed the organisation's hope that "each cadet will leave this programme with a better sense of responsibility and that he or she will be more accountable for his or her own actions within the family unit and in the community". (BGIS)