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NBSC Manly Campus

NBSC Manly Campus

The selective campus of Northern Beaches Secondary College

Telephone02 9905 3982

Emailnbscmanlys-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au

Cadets solve real life problems

 
fire extinguished 

Do the Manly Selective SES cadets have the most fun of any of our groups?

Our SES cadets demonstrated their problem solving skills in real situations, undertaking flood and fire management activities at Manly SES and Terrey Hills RFS headquarters.

During their visit to Manly SES headquarters, the students were literally thrown in the deep end. With the premise that the ceiling cavity was full of water and about to explode, the cadets were given 10 minutes to create a water diversion using tarps, sandbags and gaffer tape to ensure the water was redirected from the top storey room into an external drain. This water was not imaginary; after 12 minutes, water was pumped through the window and down their flood diversion, providing a clear and wet indication of any problems. The cadets were hugely successful, with almost all the entire waterfall making it down the stairs, around the corner, out the door, and into the drain.

In a second activity, the cadets were shown how to create a rope system that created a "3-1 mechanical advantage", which makes it easy to lift large weights to great heights. Special mention must go to Emma in year 9, who knew exactly what was required, and with almost no instruction, constructed this Z-Rig herself and extended it to create a 5-1 advantage.

Under management from the Rural Fire Service, the cadets watched a demonstration of why cooking oil should never be left on the stove. They worked with different materials to discover what methods they could use to put out the fire, quickly discovering that water made it worse.

In coming weeks, the cadets will be learning to use correct radio protocols, and use these to undertake a treasure hunt around the school.