Students from five Warwickshire schools have been learning more about what it takes to be a firefighter, in a series of week-long citizenship courses organised by Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service.

50 students, in Year 8, from Polesworth School, Nicholas Chamberlaine School, Kingsbury School, Etone School and St Thomas More School in Warwickshire, have completed the courses where they spent time at active fire stations working with fire fighters. They took part in practical exercises that involved running hoses, rescuing an injured person from a building and extinguishing a tower fire.

The courses have given students life skills, and helped them develop their first aid skills, such as practicing CPR and learning how to use an AED machine.

The students also learned more about social issues such as arson and county lines drug-trafficking, that can have a severe impact on local communities. Warwickshire Targeted Youth has worked in partnership with WFRS to deliver talks and workshops on social issues.

The students completed an ASDAN qualification, which this will help them as they consider future career options. The Chief Fire Officer for Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service and Assistant Chief Fire Officers have been in attendance on the final day of the courses where the students completed their final drills and awarded them their certificates as evidence of their achievements.

Chief Fire Officer for Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service, Ben Brook, said: "It's great to be able to offer these young people opportunities to develop themselves, learn new skills and a taste of life as a firefighter. I was impressed with their commitment and willingness to get stuck in when tackling the firefighter drills and perhaps we may see some of them return in the future for a career with us."

Cllr Andy Crump, Warwickshire County Council's portfolio holder for fire and rescue and community safety, said: "Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service is a trusted role model for many of our young people and these courses are invaluable in helping to instil the service's values in our community.

"The young people who participated did so fully and with great enthusiasm and should be congratulated. We will now look for them to take what they have learned into their communities and help us to get the important messages out around some of the social issues they learned about. Of course, if in a few years they choose to join the service, we will look forward to seeing them again."