Borough fire administration officer Colin Jones said, "One of our colleagues is deaf. She can lipread and we communicate well, but it prompted us to try to learn sign language. It's useful in our own office and when we've been out doing building inspections it has helped communicate with deaf people."

The experience was a real eye opener for the team, and gave them an insight into the deaf world, Mr Jones added.

Mr Jones's colleague Helen McGrath, who sparked the interest, said, "Being deaf, it can be hard at times to join in with, and follow office conversation. The sign language course has shown real effort and commitment on behalf of my colleagues to include me in the working environment."

Assistant commissioner for London Fire Brigade Malcolm Kelly said: "The sign language course supports the fire safety work we do in the communities we serve. But equally as important, it is making our staff more aware of the issues deaf people face and helping them to work more confidently alongside their deaf colleagues."