A program held earlier this year targeting young people for roles as future emergency services personnel has been rewarded with the formation of the Gin Gin Emergency Services Cadet Unit.
At a sign-on last week, more than 25 cadets joined the Gin Gin Cadet unit.
Emergency Services Cadet Program Coordinator Jack Leeson said Operation Ignite, which was held in Gin Gin in February, was largely responsible for the formation of the new cadet unit, the 20th such unit across the state.
The two-day program was aimed at providing background in understanding the roles of the various emergency services providers including Police, SES, Ambulance, Fireys (both rural and QFES) and sought to strengthen community resilience.
Jack said a valuable spin-off from the training and the scenarios the participants encountered is an appreciation of bushfire awareness, storm safety and other emergency preparedness campaigns.
He said through Operation Ignite the participants learned skills and drills and understood the need for using clear and concise language in areas such as two-way radio messaging.
“Understanding how search patterns are organised was another important aspect of the skills day. All these lessons from the skills and drills were put into practice through an orchestrated scenario on day two of the training program.
“While Operation Ignite played a key role in inspiring this group to come together to form a new cadet unit the success has also been built upon the willingness of local emergency services personnel to actively engage with potential recruits.
“That can only be great news for the region with these cadets now on a path to enhance leadership abilities and skills and to become valuable assets when future emergency situations arise,” Jack said.
“The Emergency Services Cadets (ESC) is funded by the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES) and is delivered by PCYC Queensland, with Units located in various areas across the state.”
“Currently we also have units in Childers and Biggenden,” he said.
The Emergency Services Cadets are for youth aged 12-17 who want to learn skills from a broad spectrum of emergency services providers including the Australian Volunteer Coast Guard, Volunteer Marine Rescue, QLD Ambulance Service, QLD Fire and Rescue Service, QLD Police Service, Red Cross, Rural Fire Service QLD, QLD State Emergency Service and Surf Life Saving QLD.
The Emergency Services Cadets program is open to young people aged 12 to 17 years old and is free to all participants.
Following the Gin Gin sign-on event, the Cadets will meet weekly, on Mondays from 4pm to 6pm during the school term and will train out of the Gin Gin State Emergency Service Facility in Flanders Street.
For more information email emergencyservicescadets@pcyc.org.au.
It’s great to see these fine young Australians stepping up to learn the skills in which to protect their community. Their parents, schools and the wider community should be extremly proud and appreciate their efforts.