Fire station on view
Visitors learn about the work of emergency services
HUNDREDS of people were given a sneak peak into life as a firefighter when Newbury fire station threw open its doors for the first time since the pandemic.
The Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS) family open day on Saturday is expected to have raised more than £1,000 for The Fire Fighters Charity, which supports crews and their families with their physical and mental health.
There were demonstrations by firefighters, including a simulated road traffic collision and a rescue from the tower, and the boat rescue crew from Reading was another highlight.
Crews were also joined by armed response units from Thames Valley Police and a
CPR demonstration by South Central Ambulance Service, which both proved really popular on the day.
Jay Avery, a station manager at Newbury who organised the event, said the day had been a “great success”.
“We were very busy from the moment we opened,” he added.
“The crews and all the volunteers we had here were brilliant.
“It was a very enjoyable day; we haven’t been able to open like that since before the pandemic.
“People are really interested in coming to see what the emergency services do.”
The day was also used to get across some of the service’s key prevention messages, including open water safety, road safety and electrical fire safety.
There were also stands where visitors could find out more about recruitment and the fire cadets.
A wellbeing area saw Indian head massages being offered to help relax visitors and there were also ice-cream and coffee vans to keep everyone wellfuelled.
And just to remind people about the nature of the work the fire service does, crews also rushed off to attend six calls during the open day.