Firefighters have signed up to take part in a training course with a difference.
14 crew members based in Bispham have decided to take part in the free session that will be run by Fylde Coast British Sign Language (BSL) Centre volunteers. They are hoping that the classes will help them reassure deaf people involved in emergency situations.
The crewmen learnt the British fingerspelling alphabet.
John Taylor of Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, said: “Sign language is not needed if we’re rescuing people – we go in and just grab them if need be.
“But it is something we can do afterwards to help reassure people, or if we have been called out for any matter.
“Conceivably, if they manage to grasp more signs, they will be able to do things like a safety check without the need for an interpreter.
“All credit to these firefighters – the lesson went down very well with them.”
Michael Spooner, watch manager, said that the crew had found the new skills useful within weeks of the first session.
He said: “With a skill like this you never know when you are going to need it but within a few weeks we were called to an alarm in Bispham and it was a profoundly deaf man. One of the crew was able to tell him his name and reassure him that it was just an alarm. The man was very surprised someone could communicate with him.
“It’s funny to watch the crews now, sat around the brew table trying to work out various words.
“Who knows when we’ll need to use it next? It could be in 20 years or the next call out.”
Janice Crossland-Jones, deaf awareness tutor said: “Our objective is to teach the BSL alphabet to as many people as possible in our area.
“We are doing this by offering free finger spelling – and a few basic signs – tuition to local businesses, schools, hospitals and medical centres.
“The tuition takes the form of a one-hour lesson which is held in the workplace for example during lunchtimes to minimise disruption to the working day.”