A group of youngsters from Ysgol Emrys ap Iwan, Abergele were all hands on deck last week as another successful Phoenix course came to a close at Llanfairfechan Fire Station.

11 youngsters between the ages of 13-16 took part, completing the course which runs over the course of a week, culminating in a thrilling end of day show in which the young firefighters are required to demonstrate their new firefighting skills in front of an audience made up of parents, North Wales Fire and Rescue Service staff members, and their peers.

During the course, the teenagers experienced a wide range of activities which are essential attributes to every firefighter; teamwork, following orders, quick thinking, bravery, and the ability to learn challenging skills quickly.

The latest course was held at Llanfairfechan fire station under the supervision of the hard working Phoenix team, with the final day of activities being attended by CFO Richard Fairhead, Community Safety Manager Gwyn Jones, Meirick Lloyd Davies; Chair of the Fire and Rescue Authority, and Peter Lewis; Deputy Chair of the Fire and Rescue Authority.

This was the first Phoenix course held under the new course Coordinator Pam Roberts. She had this to say, “Using the disciplined routines and team orientated tasks of a firefighter, our aim is to help motivate young people to feel positive about themselves and their abilities, and to show them the benefits of good communication and team working skills. In turn, hopefully this will have the effect of producing good citizens within our community.

“The Phoenix Project targets young people who may have low confidence and self-esteem, have communication difficulties or struggle with team work, those who find it difficult to engage with school, or youngsters who maybe at risk of anti-social behavior.

“Combined with the practical elements of the course, the young people are also given educational lectures and complete a workbook to which they can achieve an Agored Cymru certificate at level 2. Some of the topics covered include home fire safety, hoax calls, arson, anti-social behavior, and car crime and road traffic collisions and are aimed at helping the group understand the consequences of their actions.”