College has raised more than £9000 for CHAS
Firefighters climbed Everest — by ladder
 David Lockhart, Development Delivery Co-ordinator at the college while on secondment from Lothian and Borders brigade, explained, “One of the skills recruits need to acquire is that of climbing the ladder efficiently.
“To encourage them to learn this and raise money for charities we do a sponsored ladder-climb.
Safety in mind
“It builds their skills and it also allows us to give money to communities across Scotland.
“It has nothing to do with who can climb the ladder the quickest, just the most efficiently. We have to bear safety in mind at all times so it’s to improve their skill.
“There’s no winner, it’s a joint effort and that’s what the fire service is all about, working as a team to achieve the task.
“The trainees have to pitch the ladders, climb them, and, once they get to the top, come down the inside of a tower.”
David added, “We split the height of Mount Everest among those taking part, so in this instance they’d have to do 17 climbs of the 13.5-metre ladder each.
“They take it in turns in a kind of relay, and there’s more than one ladder pitched.
“It’s hard work. I did it myself many years ago.”
Every 12 weeks a new group of recruits starts training. The intensive course teaches them to work together as a team and prepares them for the demands life in the fire service will throw at them.
The trainees pick the charities they’d like the money to go towards and the college makes the contacts and gives out sponsor forms.
David said, “The recruits raise the money themselves and we have a charity evening where we invite the charities and present the cheques.
“We do this with every group of trainees, so every 12 weeks over the past 10 years we’ve raised thousands of pounds.”
Beneficiary
Five squads took part this year. Oscar squad, led by David Rowley, currently seconded from Lothian and Borders brigade, chose CHAS as their beneficiary.
Martin McRoberts, Andrew MacLeod, John Curran, Stuart Elder, Christopher Casey (all from the Strathclyde district), Paul Campbell (Tayside), Ewan Cameron and Graham Doig, (both from Lothian and Borders) all climbed the 13.5 m ladder 17 times for CHAS.
Guide Dogs for the Blind, DeBRA UK, Alzheimer’s Scotland, and MacMillan benefited from the other four squads.
Volunteers Ken Adams and Jenny Ritchie-Campbell received the cheque on behalf of CHAS on Wednesday night.
Aileen Murray, Fund-raising Administration Manager for CHAS, said, “Children with life-limiting conditions and their families, throughout Scotland, have benefited from the wonderful support the Scottish Fire Service college has given to CHAS.
“Recruits have enthusiastically supported CHAS since 1994.
“This much-valued support means we can continue to provide the specialist care the children and their families need.”
On Friday 39 recruits graduated from the college before starting their fire-fighting careers in brigades across Scotland.
Good luck to them all!
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Top of ladder Martin McRoberts, with 
