The coolest crew in town!

Young people in the south west of the city teamed up with local community safety staff and Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service in May to become part of the Cooldown Crew.

As part of the project, eight young people between the ages of 12 and 14 got to grips with fire safety, learning everything from setting up ladders to cardio pulmonary resuscitation (CPR). They also took part in talks by community safety staff on issues such as drugs and antisocial behaviour.

Mike Jaffrey of Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service has seen first hand the positive effect the week had. “Cooldown Crew is designed for young people who will benefit from the positive experiential learning opportunity offered during the week-long programme,” he said. “It has been very successful in the past and we hope that everyone who attends takes away a sense of achievement.”

Chief Inspector Andy Gilhooley, of Lothian and Borders Police added: “The aims of the course are to raise awareness of the impact offending has on communities and public services and to ultimately reduce offending.”