Display of Firefighting Skills Part of Council Award to NIFRS

Ards and North Down Borough Council will confer its highest honour, the Freedom of the Borough, on Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service (NIFRS) on Saturday 12 October 2024.  As part of the celebrations there will be a fun afternoon and public display of firefighting skills by local Firefighters at Bangor City Hall from 3pm to 5pm.

NIFRS responds to fires, road traffic collisions, and specialist rescue incidents, as well as delivering a range of community engagement initiatives and advice on how to stay safe in your home.  Families will have the opportunity to see and learn more about all of this at the public display where Firefighters from all seven local stations will be participating in demonstrations. 

Mayor of Ards and North Down, Councillor Alistair Cathcart said: "The Freedom of the Borough is our highest honour, and we bestow it on organisations and people who make a very significant impact on our local community.  The Fire & Rescue Service is extremely deserving, and I know many local people will have a personal story to tell about how the men and women of the Service have saved lives and property in their family or community. 

"I am therefore delighted that as part of the celebrations the Fire & Rescue Service is providing this opportunity for local people to come to City Hall in Bangor, to meet with serving officers from the area and to see a little more of the variety of services they deliver.  I know many people will want to support the event and hope in particular families will join us in the afternoon so that children and young people can gain a better insight into the critical role the Fire & Rescue Service plays in our community."

As part of the afternoon session the Council is putting a special call out to local Scout groups who can earn their FIRE SAFETY Badge if they attend.  Scout groups can come as a collective, or individual Scouts are very welcome and all with be assisted to complete their badge on the day.     

NIFRS Assistant Group Commander, Jonathan Gamble commented: "The award of Freedom of the Borough is a great privilege for our Fire & Rescue Service as recognition of our contribution to the local community.  It's a further privilege for some of our local Firefighters to participate in the public display and to engage with local people in a fun and relaxed environment that they would usually be afforded.  We are really looking forward to the afternoon and hope that the public join us to find out more about what we do.  We will have specialist equipment on display and will deliver live demonstration of firefighting skills.  There will also be some opportunities for visitors to try firefighting activities for themselves."

After the public display, a formal conferment ceremony will be held in City Hall Bangor for invited guests including serving and retired Firefighters from the local area.