As part of our International Women’s Day celebrations, 17 female students from our school visited the Merseyside Fire Station and Training Academy on Long Lane. It was an engaging and informative event, and we are grateful to have had the opportunity to attend.

Throughout the day, our students were well-behaved, showing good manners and representing the school in a positive way. They approached all activities with enthusiasm and interest.

The students participated in a tour of the station and its facilities, as well as hands-on activities such as the "rat run" challenge, where they wore full fire kits. Some students chose to complete the task blindfolded, while others did it without, giving them a sense of the difficulty involved in navigating the route.

The facilities at the academy were impressive. Students had the chance to explore a variety of training environments, including a mock housing estate with conservatories and back gardens, and a high-rise block of flats. These setups are used to help firefighters practice dealing with fires in different types of buildings, such as a jail, hospital, warehouse, and residential areas.

The academy also features a man-made motorway designed to simulate the M57, complete with car crash scenarios. Staff explained that this area is frequently used for training due to the high number of accidents in the region. There were also rubble areas for practicing confined space rescues and a man-made river for water rescue training.

A highlight of the visit was the chance for our students to use the fire truck’s water hose and spend time in the control room. In the control room, students observed live calls, learned about the location of incidents, and familiarised themselves with the fire service’s colour-coding system for different types of emergencies. They also had the opportunity to witness an RTCT (Real-Time Communication Transmission), where they saw how immobilisation and MDT messages to the crew are handled, and how everything is documented for legal purposes. The control staff even allowed students to make official calls to other fire stations, which they found enjoyable.

During the visit, we also learned that it was the Chief’s 55th birthday and his retirement day. Our students marked the occasion by singing "Happy Birthday," which he appreciated.

It was an enjoyable and educational day, and we received positive feedback from the fire station staff, who noted that our students were a credit to the school.

in addition Alsop was one of only three schools selected in Liverpool to take part in Merseyside International Women's Day, organised by the Fire Service for Year 7 and 8 students, who were invited to take part in two days of exciting activities. The pink fire truck arrived at Alsop for an afternoon of fun, where our students had the chance to be firefighters for the day. They explored the fire truck, used the equipment, and spoke to female firefighters about their experiences.

The students also visited the new fire station on Long Lane, where they engaged in more fun activities, including climbing walls, working in the response room, and taking a tour of the building. This was an excellent opportunity for the students to participate in resilience training, team-building exercises, and develop a sense of cohesion.

Feedback from the Fire Service was superb. They said, "Each and every young person we came into contact with was polite, engaging, and an absolute pleasure to have involved. We wanted to give them a day to remember, and I think we managed to do just that! Your pupils are a credit to you and your school, and we hope they are really proud of everything they achieved".