Fire Stations invite everyone along to summer holiday open days

Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service is holding two FREE summer open days at its stations in Croxteth, Liverpool and Southport – and everyone is invited along!

On Friday, August 11 the Service will celebrate 50 years of the Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service Training & Development Academy opening at Storrington Avenue in Croxteth.

Serving as the main training base for wholetime and retained firefighters in Merseyside, the Academy has seen generations of firefighters successfully graduate from its training programmes since it opened its doors in 1967.

To celebrate its 50-year milestone, a special open day will be held at the Academy from 11am to 4pm on August 11 featuring live action demonstrations from firefighters and urban search and rescue teams.

Highlights will include hot fire demonstrations, a simulated road traffic collision rescue, displays featuring the Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service hazardous materials response team and exercises involving combined platform ladders and a portable gas rig. Firefighters will also perform a simulated rescue from height.

Merseyside Police horses will also be at the event, and a climbing wall will be available to anyone daring enough to scale it.

On Saturday, August 12 a ‘Community Blue Lights Day’ will take place at Southport Community Fire Station on Manchester Road in Southport from 11am to 4pm.

Representatives from all the emergency services will be at the event, with vintage ambulances, police vehicles and police motorbikes on hand to admire.

Firefighters will showcase how they use pumps, hoses and an aerial appliance and North West Ambulance Service will give a display of their life-saving skills.

Volunteers from the British Red Cross will also be available to talk about their vital work responding to emergencies at home and abroad, and volunteers from the Salvation Army will be in attendance to talk about their humanitarian and charitable work.

Simon Ryan, non-executive director at Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service, who helped organise both events, said: “We are really excited to be running these events and we encourage everyone to come along.

“It’s a great opportunity to see behind the scenes and find out about the techniques and equipment blue light workers use in emergency situations.

“For us, it’s a chance to meet our communities, share insights in to our work and celebrate our proud history so far.

“Everyone is welcome to attend both events to find out more about Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service and our partner emergency services, meet their local firefighters blue light workers and have a fun family day out.”

Entry is free for both events.

For more information visit www.merseyfire.gov.uk