QUEENSLAND’S first Emergency Services Cadets unit will be offered at Brisbane Catholic secondary school St Laurence’s College.
The cadet unit will be offered to students between the ages of 12 to 17 and provide opportunities to work with a number of partners.
Confirmed partners for the first round of cadets include the Police Citizens Youth Clubs Queensland and Queensland emergency services including the Queensland Fire and Rescue, Queensland Ambulance Service, Queensland Rural Fire Service, Queensland Police Service, State Emergency Service, Emergency Management Queensland and Volunteer Marine Rescue Queensland.
St Laurence’s College emergency services local cadet controller Andrew Kendall said the new unit was an exciting program, which offered an opportunity for young people to build a career within emergency services.
“It gives young Queenslanders an opportunity to experience a wide range of emergency service skills to really give them a taste of the roles available to them and greater interaction with current serving staff,” Mr Kendall said.
“It also serves well to complement the Service Learning program offered to all our students and the ‘helping the community’ ethos at St Laurence’s College.”
College principal Ian McDonald said the program was a “ healthy exercise” in community service and volunteering.
“We hope that the students who join the program learn and grow as individuals, and ultimately, make valuable contributions to the wider community now and into the future,” he said.
Student cadets are provided with a uniform, training and actively seek to provide community service each week.
Each cadet will also have the opportunity to complete units towards a Certificate II in Public Safety and obtain their first aid credentials.
