Lifesaving crews from across the north are joining forces next month to host Inverness’s first Emergency Services Day.
The one-day event will be the first of its kind for the Highland Capital with festivities due to commence at Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC on Saturday, August 24.
Members of RNLI’s Kessock Lifeboat were the masterminds behind the event aimed at raising awareness of the work undertaken by the various agencies whilst “offering something to Inverness that the town doesn’t currently have.”
Dan Holland, volunteer press officer for Kessock Lifeboat said: “At all of our previous lifeboat station Open Days at Kessock we’ve seen the interest that the public have, not just in what the RNLI based at North Kessock does, but what all the other emergency services who join us for the day do.
“This led the volunteer crew at Kessock to think how can we offer more back to the community that support us so strongly. Gathering all the local emergency services together in one place at one time seemed like the best way of doing that.”
He added: “Just about all the agencies involved in the day work together in one capacity or another when we respond to calls for help, so for us it’s important for the community to see all of us together.”
Various agencies will be in attendance throughout the day alongside the local lifeboat crew including, police, fire and paramedics and members of HM Coastguard, Highland and Islands Blood Bikes, the British Red Cross, Highland 4X4 Response and the Dundonnell Mountain Rescue Team.
Martin Hier, senior coastal operations officer for HM Coastguard said the event was a pivotal way to highlight the roles and objectives of the Highlands top agencies.
He said: “It’s a brilliant opportunity for all the agencies to come together to promote their safety messages and really show the community what we do and what it is that we are trying to promote.
“People probably will see the pick-ups and the vans and the lifeboat but they might not see actually the capability of the team and what we do and if they get into trouble. Through this they will know who to call and what emergency services to look for and that’s half the battle.
Everyone knows what the lifeboat does and the coastguard helicopter but you maybe don’t see the teams with their water rescue capability and their rope and mud rescue capability. It’s about getting that out there and teaching people those lessons.”
