SIXTEEN students from Exeter College’s Reach Academy for gifted and talented students will be spending this weekend with police officers and firefighters as they learn more about future career options available to them with emergency services in the South West.

Numerous activities for Saturday and Sunday have been jointly-arranged for the guests taking part by Devon & Cornwall Constabulary and Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue Service. The two-day residential has been organised as part of the Reach Academy’s ongoing programme of challenging experiences for some of the area’s top students.

Tomorrow, at Fire & Rescue headquarters in Clyst St George, students will learn more about issues such as Community Fire Safety, Fire Investigation, Breathing Apparatus (BA) and Urban Search and Rescue (USAR), before being given an overview of the Police service. Later, for homework, they will be asked to review emergency incident stories in the day’s newspapers.

On Sunday, activities at Police headquarters in Middlemoor will include an Introduction to Major Emergencies and Incident Management, and the chance to take part in a Command and Control exercise – one of several exercises which have been organised by the Police.

Head of the Reach Academy, Judith Betney, says: “Staying in accommodation at Police headquarters in Middlemoor and at Fire & Rescue headquarters in Clyst St George, this weekend’s residential will offer Exeter College Reach Academy students a unique opportunity to engage in some intensive team-building and leadership training work.

“Both of these qualities will prove invaluable to them, not only as they go on to some of the UK’s top universities but also in their future careers.

“At the same time, I’m sure the experience will inspire some of them to think about a future in the emergency services.”