KEEN fire fighters of all ages are invited to join a group at the forefront of keeping our communities safe.
The Bunbury Volunteer Bushfire Brigade, located in Davenport, is now recruiting new cadets aged 12 to 16.
Commencing on May 4, cadets can immerse themselves in fortnightly training every Wednesday evening to learn how to make decisions under pressure, how to work in a team and of course, how to fight fires.
Bunbury Volunteer Bushfire Brigade captain Terri Kowal said the program ran annually from May to October with around 20 cadets.
"We've been training cadets for about 15 years and in that time have found there are so many benefits for the kids," Ms Kowal said.
"It's really good for kids that lack a bit of confidence in particular because it teaches them life skills like how to do first aid, as well as communications using radios, map reading and basic fire theory.
"And of course it teaches them to be community minded and how to think of others and be thoughtful to other people."
Ms Kowal said in addition to being part of the brigade, cadets could expect to attend state camps and leaderships camps, as well as have the opportunity to attend the next Australian Cadet Championships held in NSW.
In the time she has been involved, Ms Kowal said she had seen many cadets "come out of their shells".
"We have one cadet in our brigade who is going into her fifth year who when she came in was a very shy kid who had some challenges at school with bullying.
"Fast forward a few years and we awarded her as our Cadet of the Year because of how impressed we were with how far she had come during her time in the brigade.
"Her mums exact words were, I'm so glad she's found her people."
Interested in getting involved as a cadet?
Contact Terri Kowal at bunburybushfire@bigpond.com or on 0419818013.
It's really good for kids that lack a bit of confidence...
- Terri Kowal