A group of students visited Burnham-On-Sea’s Coastguard and BARB hovercraft crews this week to find out more about the work they do in keeping our coastline safe.
The 19 youngsters from Bridgwater and Taunton College are part of a new educational scheme called the ‘999 academy’.
They visited the two Burnham-On-Sea organisations and learned about the ue of mud sleds, hovercrafts, rope knots, inflatable rescue paths and more.
“The academy is a tri-service collaboration providing extra-curricular activities for teenagers,” Ruth Burrows, 999 academy course leader, told Burnham-On-Sea.com.
“The aim is to let them visit real-life emergency services to help them make choices about possible career and recruitment opportunities.”
“They have learned all about fire drills, rope rescue work, and police work during visits to local police and fire stations.”
The students, who are aged between 16-19, meet weekly with visits to organisations across Somerset.
One student, Jack Lewis, said: “It’s been a great experience seing the work of the emergency crews here in Burnham – it’s helping me see various roles and understand how the services work together.”
Meme Keevil added: “I’m really enjoying it – I have always wanted to be a part of the services and hope to join the Royal Air Force.”
