Hove firefighters cut Sussex and England cricketer Luke Wright from a car in a rescue demo for the all rounder and his team-mates.
With the new domestic cricket season just weeks away, Wright and the Sussex squad visited Hove Fire Station where they were given a glimpse of the nature of the job.
East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service said: “Firefighters demonstrated how they cut people free from wrecked cars, how to use fire extinguishers, how crews use breathing apparatus while rescuing people from fires and the dramatic results of putting water on a chip pan fire.”
Matt Lloyd, the station manager for Hove and Roedean, said: “It was great to be able to spend time with players from Sussex County Cricket Club.
“We hope that they will be able to spread the word about fire and road safety.
“Even simple things like reminding friends, family and fans to test smoke alarms regularly can make a real difference in saving lives.”
Andy Cornford, Green Watch manager at Roedean, said: “These players are in a high-risk group when it comes to road safety because of the nature of their work, the distance they travel and their age.
“We wanted to give them an insight into our job and educate them about the importance of road safety.”
Wright, who turned 30 last weekend, was cut from the wreckage of a car as part of a demonstration.
He said: “The reality of what can happen has hit home. We have a lot of respect for the fire and rescue service and when you see first hand what they go through, it puts things into perspective.
“It was very uncomfortable being cut out of the car, even in a controlled environment – really not nice at all.”
He added that he hoped that supporters would take extra care and slow down on the roads.
He said: “We’ve all got families we want to get home to safely. It really doesn’t matter if you are five minutes late. It’s really not worth it to go that few extra miles per hour.”
The fire service has uploaded a selection of photos from the visit on Facebook.
