Pingelly to develop the region’s first Youth in Emergency Services Cadets program to teach practical skills

Pingelly’s emergency services leaders have been working together to develop the southern Wheatbelt’s first Youth in Emergency Services Cadets program to teach teenagers practical skills and encourage them to become the next generation of volunteers.

The Department of Fire and Emergency Services’ YES Cadets program — which runs in several regional WA towns — gives children aged 11-17 the opportunity to learn practical skills from volunteers and form friendships.

The program involves a roster of educational training sessions with the various emergency services including volunteer fire and rescue, bushfire brigades, State Emergency Service, St John Ambulance, marine rescue and police.

Pingelly VFRS and Pingelly Central Bushfire Brigade captain Peter Narducci has been gathering expressions of interest to develop and run the southern Wheatbelt’s first YES Cadets program in his hometown.

“The YES Cadets involves all of the emergency services ... and the idea is that each week the cadets will work with a program that is designed by the particular service,” he said.

“For example, the volunteer firefighters might organise for their week’s training to involve learning about rolling hoses and fire extinguisher training.

“The next week the cadets might go to the SES and they will teach them about knots and then the next week you they go to the St John Ambulance and learn first aid.”

Mr Narducci said the program would teach the children practical life skills.

“It gives them a really broad feel for all of the different emergency services through practical learning and activities,” he said.

“It has a great focus on skills, teamwork and leadership — all of the things that we should be teaching kids.

“It’s a very inclusive program, it’s not only for those who are able-bodied, and everyone is more than welcome to join.”

The YES Cadets program has been running in Northam and Quinns Rock where the participants are also involved in Anzac Day and other commemorative services.

In May, the Northam cadets travelled to Perth for a training session with the Marine Rescue Rockingham crew.

“My hope is that after the Pingelly YES Cadets are set up and self-sufficient, one will develop in Wagin, Narrogin or Katanning,” Mr Narducci said.

“It would be great to have these different groups of cadets in the towns and we can organise for them to visit each other.

“It will help get more kids away from the phones and computers.”

Mr Narducci said the program aimed to encourage children to keep volunteering.

“The YES Cadets program will have a far reaching effect and it will help lay the foundation for our future volunteers,” he said.

“These kids might decide they want to become volunteers and they would have already done some of the hard yards towards it.

“Once they register they will have a life-long registration with the emergency services.”

To submit an expression of interest, visit the Pingelly Youth in Emergency Services Cadets Facebook page or email Peter Narducci arvidale@bigpond.com