CESV great leap of faith
This week the Civil Emergency Service Volunteers were given 2 day training from the members of Girne Civil Defence (Sivil Savunma) on Monday and Tuesday the 11th and 12th of November.
Training on Day 1 was at Girne Castle where a team of 17 members from the CESV plus one Cyprus Today photographer abseiled from the castle wall. Some members had abseiled before but it was a new experience for a couple of the new recruits.
There were three instructors from Sivil Savunma taking care of the group’s safety on the ropes and those descending 
all managed to reach the ground safely with a combination of smiles and sighs of relief when they touched the ground.
The second part of the event was lowering patients from the top of the walls to the ground and two new recruits volunteered. The first and youngest member, Josh SEAR was strapped to a stretcher and lowered to the ground, the second, another new recruit Brigitte MARSTON, soon followed with great cheers from those watching.
Josh is at the English School of Kyrenia and was allowed a day off school to attend the day but had to write about his experience and this should be a source of great interest and entertainment for his pals.
All of this training given to the CESV volunteers was to teach them the use of the equipment so that in the event that the volunteers are called upon to help out in an emergency, they will be ready.
Day 2 the group were taken to a reservoir and were trained in the use of flooding equipment. The team put together all of the large pipes connecting to the pump and then to the outlet hoses and watched in wonder as the wet stuff gushed out.
This training was given by Sivil Savunma so the volunteers would be trained and ready when flood conditions exist in buildings or basements and need draining.
They also had experience of using various fire hoses and learned about their uses. The CESV volunteers are a back-up group that is willing and on standby to assist the professionals in the event of an emergency or major disaster.
Other training sessions will be held and those readers who would like to learn more of CESV and perhaps join them, should call Steve Collard, the CESV Operations Director on 0548 845 5927 or visit the group’s website by clicking here
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