CHILDREN from West Cumbria have had the opportunity to live a week as a fire fighter down to a Cumbria County Council scheme.

The Fire Fighter Experience, ran as part of the councils holiday programme had its first lot of recruits this week at Workington Fire Station.

Children were given the opportunity to don helmet and boiler suits spending four days learning about what it really takes to be a fire fighter in Cumbria.

They completed sessions in vital skills such as CPR and learning how a search and rescue operation works as well as having some fun with the hosepipe and learning how to put fires out in different scenarios.

The course was aimed at showing the children how firefighters work as a team and] as the course is all about participation.children were given the opportunity to take part in fun, problem solving activities and try a range of practical firefighting skills, using real equipment.

All the children who took party in the four days were given a certificate to congratulate them for partaking.

A spokesman for Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service said; "Congratulations and well done to all involved in the fire fighter experience course at Workington fire station this week.

"The children have learnt a range of new skills and we definitely have some fire fighters in the making.

"There are numerous courses available throughout the summer holidays for children and young people as part of the county councils holiday activity programme."

The county councils holiday activity programme will run throughout the summer holidays and has a range of courses from the fire fighter experience course to a two-week circus school programme put on by Euphoric circus.

For more details or to book on to one of the courses over the holidays, you can visit: https://cumbria-risk.oncreate.app/w/webpage/summer-activity-list.