A journey from FireBreak Student to Firefighter: Dewi Kaylene’s inspiring story
In celebration of Youth Work Week, Dewi Kaylene, a dedicated firefighter and Cadet Instructor, shares his transformative journey through the FireBreak scheme, which laid the foundation for his successful career at Essex County Fire and Rescue Service (ECFRS).
Youth Work Week is an annual celebration of all thing’s youth work. This year it takes place from Monday 4 until Sunday 10 November. The theme this year is ‘A right to youth work for all – delivering positive futures for young people’.
Dewi’s career at ECFRS began when he was just 13 years old and invited to take part in the FireBreak scheme at Maldon Fire Station.
FireBreak is an intensive 5-day intervention programme that provides a positive alternative learning environment. The programme is carried out at fire station and combines classroom-based learning with practical activity.
Young people develop skills around team work and relationship building; focusing on reaching their potential and becoming an active and contributing member of their community.
Reflecting on the scheme, Dewi highlighted that working as a team and giving back to the community is what inspired him to apply to be an on-call firefighter once he turned 18: “FireBreak changed my life, and I knew that firefighting was my calling. So, I applied to become an on-call firefighter at Maldon, as this was the station which was local to me.”
After four years of service as an on-call firefighter, Dewi’s passion for the profession led him to pursue a full-time role, successfully applying to become a wholetime firefighter in 2022.
His commitment and dedication were recognised during training, where he was awarded the title of best recruit in his squad. Dewi was stationed at Brentwood, which is where he currently serves.
Dewi added: “I love my job, because I love giving back to the community and helping people. This is what I was taught on the FireBreak course and those values have never left me.”
In addition to his firefighting duties, Dewi serves as a Fire Cadets Instructor and leads the Duke of Edinburgh course for cadets at Clacton Fire Station.
He said: “Helping out with Fire Cadets is a real passion of mine. It’s going back to my roots and remembering what this course did for me which is why I want to help out as much as I can.”
Aileen Wilson, Education and Specialist Intervention Manager for the Service said: “In celebration of Youth Work Week, we see how important programs like FireBreak and Fire Cadets are for young people. Dewi’s journey perfectly captures this year’s theme and shows the impact it had on him when he was growing up. It’s inspiring to see that can now give back to young people on the course and shape their futures.”
If you are interested in the FireBreak course, more information can be found here: https://www.essex-fire.gov.uk/firebreak
Applications for the Fire Cadet scheme are currently closed, but will re-open next year. For more information visit: https://www.essex-fire.gov.uk/fire-cadets
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