Cadets gets frontline direction

Bunbury Volunteer Fire and Rescue Service has won a State award for its support of Grace Christian School's cadet corps program.

Grace Christian is one of 41 schools across WA that has emergency service cadets and has been working with the fire and rescue service.

The school nominated the service for the Department of Fire and Emergency Services' cadets corps unit support award presented at a ceremony on Monday.

One of the school's cadets Reece Ferreira was also given an internal cadet character award at the ceremony.

DFES youth project officer Jo Scardigno said the emergency services cadet corps program involved more than 1800 students and 200 teachers across the State and the award was for outstanding support provided to the school.

"This category recognises a brigade, group or unit that has made an important contribution to the ongoing development of cadets and instructors in the ESCC by providing fire and emergency services technical training, resources and expertise," she said.

"They also foster a partnership between a cadet unit and volunteer brigade for the purpose of encouraging the transition of young people from ESCC to adult volunteering in emergency services."

DFES South West superintendent Rick Curtis believed training cadets was important in the long term.

"Emergency services volunteers in regional WA provide the backbone for our response capabilities," he said.

"The recruitment and retention of these volunteers can be challenging.

"The key goal is sustainability and cadets are a key part of that."