Bases firefighters undergo gruelling training

A total of 117 fire fighters in the British Bases have undergone gruelling Breathing Apparatus Training, defence fire and rescue officials said on Friday after the courses ran throughout October.

The successful trainees were put to the test by operating in temperatures of up to 500 degrees at the fires’ highest point, in a dark and claustrophobic environment.

Using thermal imaging cameras to guide them through the smoke-filled purpose-built container, fire fighters worked in pairs to ensure the blaze was contained in the safest way possible.

“The training we provide here in British Forces Cyprus is very realistic and that is key to the success of the training. By working the fire fighters hard, we try to recreate what they could be faced with in a real-life environment,” Episkopi station and development support manager Aristos Aristeidou said.

“Of course, you can never truly replicate what a particular fire will be like, but this way we can ensure it is pretty close to how it would be.”

During the course, the DFR department was able to call on the expertise of its own in-house, qualified trainers, a hugely significant resource for the force.

“We now have six fully-qualified Fire Service Instructors on our team that all attended the Fire Service College back in the UK,” DFR area manager Jim Gray said.

With DFR’s training up to the very highest of standards, Aristeidou also said it guarantees that when called upon, his fire fighters can offer the best possible support to the Republic of Cyprus fire service.

“We work so closely with our colleagues in the RoC fire service and it is so important that we are ready and prepared when we are called to assist them in tackling a fire,” he said.