Learning fire safety from the professionals

The highlight of my transition year was Dublin Fire Brigade's fire safety course. Over 10 weeks, three firefighters showed us how to use a fire extinguisher, identify and treat different types of burns and do cardiopulmonary resuscitation - using mannequins, not each other, writes Rachael Biddulph, Dominican College, Dublin 9

We were horrified to hear that we would have an exam at the end of the course, but we soon realised that we'd be fine as long as we participated in class and listened to our instructors - which was made even easier by the stories they told us about their experiences.

There was an air of excitement on our final day, as we had heard from friends at other schools who had done the course that the sessions finished with a fire drill attended by two fire engines. Unfortunately, this couldn't happen, as we couldn't interrupt Leaving Cert orals that were under way. We are still hoping that in the next few weeks the fire brigade will return for the fire drill. So we have our fingers crossed if they're reading this.

Three of the most important things we learned over the 10 weeks were: always react to a fire alarm; never move somebody who you suspect may have a spinal injury and, most of all, your safety comes first.