Celebrating the vital work our emergency services do

A special event held in Old Hunstanton to highlight the work of those who keep people and wildlife safe around our coastline.

“I want to be a police officer daddy,” I overhear a boy say - as his dad tries on the hats which makes him laugh. This is Hunstanton’s emergency services day, to highlight the vital work they do. Volunteers from the RNLI joined by colleagues from HM Coastguard, the National Coastwatch Institution and British Divers Marine Life Rescue, along with police, fire and ambulance services.

All the vehicles are out, some with sirens and lights going. Kelly, from Cambridge, who’s with her two children, is taking a photo of her 11 year old daughter Isla with the RNLI’s tractor, “I think this is fantastic, it’s brilliant for the children to be able to talk to all these different services and for them to understand what they do - and for me to learn more too.” Isla says she’s enjoying it adding, “It would be a great job to do to save lives.”

I chat to Chris Robson, from Hunstanton Coastguard rescue team, “We deal with many different types of incidents, Unexploded Ordnance, missing children, today is really brilliant, it lets the public know what we all do. It’s very interesting to watch how all the teams come together in an incident, we all have our different specialities and we work together very closely.”

And as if to make a point about how vital the teams are, a few are called out for a rescue nearby in Snettisham. 

I spot MP for North West Norfolk James Wild chatting to the Environment Agency, “I’m here to support the RNLI, the coastwatch and the other local services and agencies who do so much to protect our coastline.”

MP James WIld chatting to the EA

“Not many people appreciate the agency’s a category one responder,” says Jen Woodward, “For example we work with the fire service, if they go to a big fire we’ll be there to make sure the fire water runoff doesn’t get into any water courses - and it’s properly maintained and managed.”

There’re stalls, displays and activities and Kayleigh who’s been a firefighter for a few years says, “Events like this are useful for recruitment as well - it’s good to get a face out there.”

On the beach the RNLI’s hovercraft the ‘Hunstanton Flyer’ does a short display, to the delight of children (and adults). Jess from Peterborough says, “We didn’t know this was going on, we came for a day out and to see the children’s faces when the hovercraft started up - is just brilliant.”

A successful event celebrating the work our emergency services do.  As I leave I see Isla talking to the hovercraft's team, so perhaps some new young recruits too.