Schoolgirls became firefighters for the day when they toured Hamilton Fire Station yesterday.

The Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service welcomed a group of 44 girls from the Bermuda High School, aged from 11 to 14, and taught them how to tackle fires and perform CPR.

The pupils took turns putting out blazing pallets and Steven Caines, the owner of Fire and Life Safety Associates, explained how a fire extinguisher works.

Sergeant Gavin Carter, the fire and life safety instructor, was impressed by the girls’ efforts.

He said: “Their willingness to learn and put themselves in an uncomfortable situation such as extinguishing a fire speaks to the training and education they are receiving.

“We look forward to our schools visiting us ... ultimately, these are the new firefighters of the future.”

He said the pupils were keen to experience some of the jobs tackled by firefighters.

The girls visited the dispatch area and the training tower, where they conducted a search and rescue mission in zero visibility.

The students wore respirator masks and worked in teams of five to find a victim.

They also walked through the heat chamber, designed to prepare firefighters for the extreme temperatures of a major blaze.

The visit was part of the school’s community activity programme.