Keep an eye out on TV3 tonight at 7pm! Fire Risk Management Officer Nick Linton will be on The Project for Loud Shirt Day to talk about his experience as a firefighter, with hearing loss and a cochlear implant.

As a teenager Nick suffered an accidental hit to the ear during a water polo game, which caused serious blunt force trauma to his eardrum. He never regained hearing in his left ear, and also suffers from severe tinnitus.

Nick works very closely with people who are Deaf and hard of hearing. His unique perspective allows him to specialise in fire safety for people with disabilities.

“The reality is, if you are Deaf, hard of hearing or have a disability, you are more vulnerable in an emergency. It's a fact of life,” says Nick. “I just try to make them feel less vulnerable by getting them prepared, so they've got a chance to get out if a fire occurs.”

Jasmine Fair, who was supported by the Hearing House while she was getting a cochlear implant, will also be on The Project with Nick to tell her story. She is the daughter of Volunteer Station Officer Martyn Fair from East Coast Bays Volunteer Fire Brigade.

Loud Shirt Day is the annual appeal of The Hearing House(external link) and the Southern Cochlear Implant Programme(external link), to support children, young people and adults with hearing loss and give them access to speech.

You can read more about it on the Loud Shirt Day website(external link).

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