Local Intervention Fire Education (LIFE)

Local Intervention Fire Education (LIFE) is an intensive five-day course offering young people the opportunity to learn firefighting skills alongside real firefighters.

The Brigade’s LIFE programme was introduced in 2002 and there are now nine teams across London taking referrals from most of London’s boroughs.
During the course, young people are given personal responsibility for the management and maintenance of a fire engine, firefighting equipment, the fire station and their own personal protective equipment. During workshops they discuss issues such as fire safety, first aid and the consequences of making hoax calls and starting fires deliberately.

Working with a LIFE trainer participants are encouraged to:

• Adopt a new set of values. 
• Work co-operatively with others. 
• Gain self-esteem and self-confidence. 
• Improve communication skills.

We have now run 260 LIFE courses across London, to the benefit of around 3000 young people.

LIFE achievements

• Because of the success of LIFE in London, several other Fire Brigades in the UK are now using the scheme. It is also being adopted by New Zealand Fire Service. 
• Two young people who attended LIFE courses are now serving firefighters in their local communities. 
• Evaluations have shown that participants with a history of offending or anti-social behaviour are less likely to engage in this behaviour after taking part. 
• Hoax calls and deliberate fires are decreasing across London, and LIFE has helped drive those figures down.