Darwen 999 Emergency Services Day 2012. Darwen Town Centre, Lancashire

Today half of the team was present at this years annual Darwen 999 Emergency Services Day (The other half being present at GMFRS Farnworth Fire Station Open Day)

This annual event, organised as ever by our friend PCSO Nick Gisicz at Darwen, aims to bring together every year all the emergency services operating in Darwen, and showcase them to the townsfolk of Darwen.

Even as todays event was taking place, LFRS in conjunction with Lancashire Constabulary and other agencies were involved in emergency works in Darwen as a result of recent heavy rains undermining some properties.

There follows an account of today by our Team Secretary and Support Group member Gillian Gregory.

“On a rare sunny day with blue skies in this dismal wet summer, seven team call out list members and Support Group members Gillian Gregory, Sarah Hindle, Laura Tunnicliffe and Andrew Keyworth, attended the Darwen 999 Emergency Services Day, displaying our 3.5m semi rigid inflatable SAR Boat, team mini-bus and two of our Land Rover Mountain Rescue Ambulances, alongside vehicles from Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, (Including the Darwen Fire Station Pump Appliance) Lancashire Constabulary ((Including a 4WD vehicle) and the North West Ambulance Service (Lancashire and Cumbria Area), who brought an Emergency Ambulance and a Patient Care Transporter.

Our Support Group ran our usual second hand book stall (All donations accepted) and our ‘Guess the Name of the Meerkat’ competition.

The closure of a Darwen town centre car park as a result of recent floods making a nearby building unsafe, may have affected the number of members of the public in the vicinity which seemed less than in previous years. Despite this, thanks to the generosity of those who did visit our vehicle and equipment displays and fundraising stall, the grand total of £145.56p was donated towards Team funds. A young man called Ben from Darwen won the ‘Guess the Name of the Meerkat’ competition, with his prize, the Meerkat doll, being delivered almost immediately to his home by members of the team at the end of the event.

We also received a visit from Councillor Eileen Entwistle, Mayor of Darwen, and her Mayoress/Daughter, Barbara Entwistle, who both showed great interest in the work of the Team.”

The team welcomes this annual event to showcase our vehicles, team kit and the voluntary Search and Rescue work we carry out within the local community, and we thank PCSO Nick Gisicz for continuing to organise this event and his invitation for us to attend.

We would also like to thank the townsfolk of Darwen and visitors to the town centre today who came to have a look at our displays and gave their support and thanks to our work.