Fire Rescue Hero Squad

These wannabe heroes are working together to perform daring rescues.

Over the toughest terrain.

Experiencing the highs...

..and the lows.

There's a new emergency crew in town.

I'm Rav Wilding, and this is Hero Squad.

Six ordinary school kids.

Their mission? To learn how to save lives.

But do they have what it takes to become real-life heroes?

Last time, the cadets had to rescue a Hero Squad casualty

trapped in quicksand.

Arguments between the cadets made it tough for their squad leader.

We need to sort out this leg first, Myles.

But Lily's driving skills got the cadets back on track

-and won her Hero Of The Day.

-It's freezing!

This time we're really turning up the heat

on our six courageous cadets.

They have just 24 hours to become expert firefighters

and then they will be facing a truly explosive Hero Squad challenge.

A ferocious fire has broken out on an industrial oil refinery.

Two engineers are trapped

-and they are surrounded by highly flammable substances.

-Help!

The Hero Squad cadets must take control of the raging fire

and get the two workers to safety.

To do that, they will have to work fast, safely and as a team.

Their base for the next 48 hours is this place -

a specialist emergency response training centre in Gloucestershire.

For almost half a century,

firefighters have been coming here to learn vital life-saving skills,

and there's a whole lot more than just flames and fire engines here.

They've got old cars, trains and planes to practise on.

This place even has its own mocked-up motorway -

perfect for teaching firefighters

how to deal with serious road accidents.

It's an area around the size of 240 football pitches,

dedicated to teaching people how to save lives.

-Good morning, cadets.

-ALL: Good morning.

Welcome to Gloucestershire, and as you've probably guessed,

you are going to be learning to train with the fire service

over the next few days.

You are going to become part of an elite firefighting team.

But the first rule about being firefighter

is to expect the unexpected.

Good morning, cadets. My name is station manager Robertson.

I will be your mentor.

Former soldier Robbie Robertson has been a firefighter

for almost 20 years.

He has saved countless lives and has even won a bravery award

for risking his own life trying to save others.

Being a firefighter means everything to me.

Every day is a new challenge.

I get to go home happy, knowing I've helped other people.

Robbie has also trained thousands of other firefighters

from all over the world, but this is going to be the first time

he has ever put a group of 12- and 13-year-olds through their paces.

To be effective firefighters, cadets need to be courageous,

they need to work as a team.

It won't be easy, but if they listen to me, I'll get them through this.

Before they set off on their Hero Squad adventure,

-every cadet was given a rucksack.

-What's inside here?

Each one contains a collection of cunning clues

designed to help the cadet guess

what kind of rescues they might be performing.

Am I going on a boat trip?

Not this time, Josh.

In fact, it's Sam that's holding the key to today's rescue.

That's heavy!

In your squad rucksacks, you should have found one of these.

-Who can tell me what this is?

-A fire extinguisher.

We need to know how to use this properly.

The first thing you're going to learn is different types of fire

and how you are going to put them out.

Our cadets have got less than 48 hours

to become fully fledged firefighters,

so it's straight into the classroom where mentor Robbie

has prepared a very special science lesson.

Put your safety glasses on, please?

This morning we are going to learn about fire.

First of all, Sam and Maria find out how easily different materials burn.

See how it glistens and there is a sparkle?

And then Josh and Lily learn which liquids are used

to put out different kinds fire.

For example, you can't put out a petrol fire with water,

so foam is used to smother the flames instead.

That's something that could be well worth remembering

for tomorrow's rescue.

And it's not just flames that firefighters need to be aware of.

Invisible gases such as carbon monoxide can be deadly.

You wouldn't want to breathe that in.

Now, it might look a bit like a chemistry lessons in school,

but if they get it wrong, there's a lot more than detention at stake.

The skills they are learning now

could really keep them out of danger in tomorrow's challenge.

And now the cadets are about to learn one of the most

important lessons of all -

that a small amount of gas can lead to a pretty big explosion.

-This is scary!

-LOUD WHOOSH

CADETS GASP

The cadets clearly weren't expecting that.

-See how real this is now?

-BOTH: Yeah.

That has got to be one of the best chemistry lessons I've ever had.

That was epic!

Even though it gave me a massive fright, it was still so much fun.

I think that lesson was really important,

cos when you are going out to a house fire,

you have to understand the chemistry of it,

or you could cause an even bigger accident and hurt even more people.

The cadets have learned the theory, and it's now time to kit up.

Firefighters wear protective suits

that can withstand temperatures of up to 800 degrees Celsius -

that's over three times hotter than the oven in your kitchen.

Now you're Fireman Sam, Sam!

Looking good, guys.

As well as wearing protective suits,

the cadets need to put on specialist breathing apparatus,

or BA for short.

These tanks are full of compressed air

and allow firefighters to breathe when they are in smoke-filled rooms.

Each set weighs 15 kilograms -

that's the weight of two of these bowling balls strapped to your back.

They are heavy and they are uncomfortable,

but that doesn't seem to be bothering the cadets.

-OK. Take a deep breath.

-Hello. Can you hear me?

I can hear you.

Everything seems to be going well...

..when suddenly Josh seems to be in a spot of bother.

-Put it back on again.

-Oh, no. That's scaring me.

-Are you all right, Josh?

-OK. Get it off.

-That's all right.

He didn't put his mask on correctly...

..and when the air rushed in around his face, he panicked.

Football fanatic Josh loves open spaces and being outdoors,

so it's understandable that he's not keen

on wearing a tight-fitting facemask.

When I'm in small spaces, I feel like I'm going to suffocate

and not be able to breathe.

It's all a bit too much for Josh,

so he goes outside for a bit of fresh air.

The plan is I'm going to take a couple of minutes

and then I'm going to go back in.

OK, mate. Join the others.

Everyone all right? Give me a thumbs up if you are. It's heavy, I know.

It's uncomfortable, but it's part of the training and part

of what these guys have to wear when they're doing this job for real.

Another vital part of firefighter training is

finding your way around a building using just your hands and feet.

It might look a bit funny, but when it's done in a dark and smoky room,

the "BA shuffle" becomes a life-saving technique,

and it's time for the cadets to give it a go themselves.

Kyra certainly seems to have got the hang of it,

and Lily is really busting some moves.

In fact, all of the cadets seem to have mastered it,

so it's time to raise the stakes.

The cadets may be a dab hand at the BA shuffle in a big open room,

but I've been preparing something a bit more challenging -

a room full of furniture. Oh, and the lights are going to be out, too.

Film fanatic Lily is happy enough to sit in a dimly-lit cinema

munching popcorn with her pals,

but it's a different story when the lights go out completely.

I think the toughest thing I'll probably face is rescuing someone

in the dark, because you can hardly see,

and I would hate to get trapped somewhere that's dark and cold.

It's crucial that Lily and the other cadets perform well in this task.

Today is just a practice, but tomorrow,

they will be doing this for real.

In the next hectic Hero Squad rescue,

they'll need to enter a smoke-filled room

at a local oil refinery.

An electrical fault has sent the whole place up in flames,

-and an engineer is trapped inside.

-Help!

It's going to be a job for our firefighting heroes to get her out.

Cadets. Well done with the first part of your training.

Really good so far. However, things are about to get a lot tougher.

The cadets will need maximum concentration in here.

There are lots of tricky obstacles to get in their way,

and they might be completely in the dark but we will be able

to watch every move they make

thanks to some high-tech night vision cameras.

For poor old Lily,, there's a nervous wait ahead

because first up, it's Kyra, Josh and Maria.

It's so dark!

It's a strong start from the first team.

Josh certainly seems to have put his earlier worries behind him.

-Josh?

-Josh, around here.

-Josh, where are you?

-I'm up here, on the wall.

Slowly but surely, the cadets use the BA shuffle

to navigate their way through the room.

-CROCKERY RATTLES

-Be careful.

-And Kyra thinks she's found the casualty.

-I've got him!

Not quite, Kyra.

What you are trying to rescue there is actually an old sofa.

So it's back to the BA shuffle, when, completely out of the blue,

Josh starts to panic.

I'm a Hero Squad cadet, get me out of here!

-Josh! Are you sure?

-No, no. Let me get out. I'm sure.

-OK, lights on.

-He wants to come out.

-This is a real shock for everybody.

-You OK, darling?

What we just heard there, obviously we could hear Josh.

He got a bit concerned and said, "I want to get out."

We've taken him out for his own safety, just to calm him down.

It's true. It is very, very difficult.

You can't see anything

and it's very hard for you, let alone a 12-year-old.

Definitely.

Even putting the mask on can be claustrophobic.

We get a lot of people who want to be firefighters,

and it's maybe been a dream all their life,

and they get the chance to do that,

and the first time they do it,

it freaks them, and they leave the job.

With the Hero Squad rescue just found the corner,

this could be a major setback for Josh.

-Next up, it's the turn of Myles, Lily and Sam.

-In you go. Good luck.

Remember, Lily is no fan of the dark.

The fact that she's even entering this room shows real courage.

-Where are you?

-I'm here. I'm in front.

Remember, it's absolutely pitch black in here.

We need to move faster.

The second team are racing towards the casualty,

but it's not just a speed that's impressing Robbie.

There is good communication going on, and they are making good progress.

They seem calm so far, which is good.

-I've found a person.

-Have you?

-Yeah. Here.

-OK, great.

In fact, they're doing so well, they've got the dummy

and they are already making for the door.

Great communication, brilliant teamwork and one rescued casualty.

-Well done, you three. How was that?

-Hard.

-Good.

You've got the casualty. Off you go and well done.

I'm so glad to be out of there, because it was dark,

and it was, like, you couldn't see anything at all

-and you were relying on what you could feel.

-Where are you?

Here. I'm in front.

Just the atmosphere in there was horrible.

The cadets have now learned how to rescue the casualty from a dark

and potentially smoke-filled building,

but before any firefighter enters a room,

they have to make sure it's as safe as possible, and that often means

putting out a fire and that is where these beauties come into their own.

A modern fire engine will hold almost 2,000 litres of water.

That's enough to fill 25 family-sized bathtubs

and will keep firefighters busy for up to 20 minutes.

And to get the water off the appliance and onto a fire,

each engine carries over 250 metres of hose.

These appliances carry everything the cadets need

to fight a ferocious fire. Now they just need to learn how to do it.

The first job is to roll out the hoses.

Get to work.

But it isn't as easy as you might think.

Each of these hoses weighs as much as 15 bags of sugar,

but the cadets are making light work of them.

Keep going. Keep going.

Next, the nozzles - or branches - are attached.

Then it's time for the important bit. Hold on tight, cadets.

The water pressure from those hoses could easily knock a person over.

Three, two, one, move.

Three, two, one, move.

In no time at all, they have mastered the art of hose handling

and, what's more, they look like they're really enjoying themselves.

-Three, two, one, move.

-Then, suddenly, disaster strikes.

Kyra has injured her wrist and is in a lot of pain.

I was pulling on the hose, and it felt like my wrist clicked

and now it really hurts when I move it.

If the injury is serious,

this could be the end of Kyra's Hero Squad journey.

Fearing the worst,

she is taken to a nearby hospital to have it checked out.

It's an abrupt and emotional ending to a busy day.

And a stark reminder of the dangers

of working for the emergency services.

The other cadets are clearly shocked

and can only hope that Kyra will be fit enough to rejoin them soon.

The cadets' training is now over.

They've had a blast in the classroom...

..and successfully navigated their way through the BA shuffle.

-There were times when the going got tough...

-I want to get out.

..but when the pressure was on, they pulled together

and worked well in their teams.

And they will need to put all their new skills into practice tomorrow,

because I've got an explosive Hero Squad rescue lined up for them.

The transformation from cadets to firefighters is almost complete.

You don't have to be in extreme locations

to be part of the Hero Squad.

Head to the CBBC games page now to find out more.

First, mentor Robbie and I need to choose a squad leader.

They have all been good today. They have all worked really hard.

I would say there are probably three that have stood out

more than others, and that would be Maria, Myles and Lily.

Maria coped brilliantly with the heavy BA kit.

When it came to working with hoses, it was Myles who really stood out.

And last but not least was Lily.

Despite being afraid of the dark,

she performed fantastically well in the pitch black room.

-I've found a person.

-Have you?

-Yeah.

With three strong cadets to choose from,

it's an incredibly tough call to make,

but Robbie and I have come to a decision.

OK, cadets. Well done for today.

You've had a lot of information to take on board,

and I think you have all done very, very well.

We think the person who should be awarded this

for tomorrow's challenge is...

-..Lily.

-THEY CLAP

When Rav announced me squad leader, I was very surprised.

I never thought in a million years that I would be able to do it,

but I'm really excited for the challenge that lies ahead.

Well done, all of you.

Going to have to keep calm, going to have to make decisions.

If they get those decisions wrong, we could have a disaster on our hands.

If they get the decisions right, everything will go to plan.

Early the next morning,

and the Hero Squad cadets are on station and raring to go.

And the good news is that Kyra has been given the all-clear

and has rejoined the team.

-How is your hand feeling?

-Fat and swollen.

Is it still hurting?

It's better when it's in the splint, but it still hurts my finger.

The junior firefighters are now on stand-by,

waiting for an emergency call to come in.

Right now, their biggest dilemma is what to have for breakfast,

but very soon, every decision they make

could have life-changing consequences.

A few miles away at the Hero Squad oil refinery,

an engineer is finishing his shift

when he sees smoke pouring from a locked door.

-BANGING

-Help! Help!

A colleague is trapped inside,

so he heads off to get help when suddenly,

the whole building goes up in flames.

The alarm is triggered, and the call goes out at the fire station.

OK, guys. We've got a fire. Come on, let's go.

-ALARM SOUNDS

-In a situation like this,

a fire crew needs to be on the road in a matter of minutes.

Life is at risk here, so every second counts.

The cadets are just moments away from the fire,

but they still don't know what to expect.

-When suddenly, Kyra spots the flames in the distance.

-Wow!

-That is big!

-That is big flames.

Serious big flames.

As soon as the fire engine stops, the cadets spring into action.

Hoses are unrolled, and BA kits are put on.

The cadets learned these skills less than 24 hours ago,

but right now, they look like they have been firefighters for years.

Their Hero Squad training has really paid off.

Come on, guys. Let's get a move on.

And just minutes after arriving, they are ready to tackle the flames.

-Got it.

-Do you want it on?

-Yeah.

Our three cadets on the hose.

They are just about to release the water and it's on.

They are attacking the flames. This is brilliant.

Visors down.

INDISTINCT SPEECH

Turn it off.

The fire is out,

but now the team with the breathing apparatus has to go up there.

You can see smoke coming out of the building.

-They've got to go up and get the informant away.

-Can you hear me?

-Are you OK?

-I'm OK. Somebody's trapped.

Somebody is trapped at the back of the building.

Thanks to Josh, just speaking to the informant,

he has just found out that someone is trapped in the building.

He's now telling the others.

BAs, someone is trapped at the back of the building. You need to get in.

The flames may be out,

but the building could still be dark and smoky.

This is a scary situation.

Remember all of your training, OK?

Safety first. All right? OK.

Three very nervous but very brave cadets.

The engineer's breathing in potentially toxic fumes.

This is a really dangerous situation,

and the cadets need to act fast.

It's a strong performance from squad leader Lily.

-She's really taking control.

-Hammer, please?

Give it a good whack there, Sam.

Pull it. Sam, can you get it?

The door's open,

and it's a brave Maria who leads the team into the unknown.

-Help!

-Can you hear me?

And on the outside of the oil refinery,

things have just got very scary.

The fire wasn't out. They thought it was, and it's just kicked off again.

Lily, Sam and Maria have remembered the BA shuffle

and are now actually performing it inside a burning building.

Let's hope their firefighting friends can put the flames out

so they can escape to safety.

-HEAVY BREATHING

-We will get you out.

Regardless of the danger, the BA team remain incredibly focused.

We have found the casualty. Over.

This is an amazing display of bravery and determination.

The rescue is over.

The Hero Squad casualty is safe,

-but Josh isn't taking anything for granted.

-Can you hear me?

-Yeah.

-Is there any other casualties inside the building?

-No, just me.

-Right. You're going to be OK.

-Thank you.

The casualty is on her way to hospital, and at last,

the cadets can relax.

-Well done, Sam.

-Good effort there, mate.

Well done, Sam.

But suddenly, the heat from the first fire

ignites a tray full of diesel.

The cadets need to put their helmets on again

and get straight back to work.

They are now dealing with a liquid fuel fire,

but will they remember what they were taught in the chemistry lab?

That's smoke. It's liquid. We need foam.

Nice one, Josh.

Pouring water onto a fire like this will only make things worse.

-Foam is definitely the way to go.

-We are going up the stairs.

We are going up the stairs.

Visors down, everybody.

Lily, Josh, Sam and Kyra head towards the blazing diesel pan.

Don't get too close, in case it spreads.

And Myles and Maria stay with the pump.

It's going to take a steady flow of water to create enough foam

to put those flames out.

-Are you ready for the water?

-Stand by!

This is incredible.

A team of 12- and 13-year-olds are tackling a raging fire.

And thanks to the foam, they make short work of the flames.

Hero Squad cadets - 1, diesel fire - 0.

Turn off!

They've done it.

All the fires are out, and everybody is safe. Nice work, cadets.

-We did really well. Everyone participated.

-Best rescue so far.

In less than 48 hours, the Hero Squad cadets have transformed

themselves from rookie rescuers into fully fledged firefighters.

Cadets, well done.

Well done, that was a tough challenge,

and I think all of you did extremely well.

And not only did you get up there against the fire and the smoke,

you tackled the blaze, you rescued not one but two casualties,

so you should all be very proud of yourselves.

The time has come for Robbie and myself to choose Hero Of The Day,

and this has been a very tough decision.

Three cadets really caught our eye in today's rescue.

Maria has impressed from the start.

She coped brilliantly when it came to wearing the heavy BA kit

and didn't hesitate when entering the dark, smoky oil refinery.

Myles also worked well.

Where others were quick to attack the fire,

he understood the importance of the less glamorous roles

and worked hard to keep the water flowing. And finally, Josh.

After a shaky start, he came back in a blaze of glory.

He communicated well, he remembered his training

and he remained focused throughout.

But we can only choose one person.

The Hero Of The Day that we have decided is...

-It's you, Josh. Josh, well done.

-THEY CLAP

I'm feeling really good, cos I just got Hero Of The Day.

And Josh's reward is to boss the other cadets around

as they tidy up hundreds of metres of heavy hose.

-Faster!

-You try doing this sometime!

I think firefighters do an amazing job,

because they save people's lives, doing what they do.

This experience has just been awesome.

I loved doing this fire rescue. Yeah!

Next time on Hero Squad...

The sky is the limit for the six cadets

when they team up with London's air ambulance.

A badly injured builder needs urgent medical attention,

and it's down to our high-flying helicopter heroes to help him out.

No slacking!

Get back to work!

No slacking!

Ah!