Two jam-packed days of free festival fun!

We’re ready. Are you?

More details have today (21 Sept) been announced about the UKRO Festival of Rescue in Birmingham, where hundreds of firefighters will compete in front of the public across two jam-packed days of action.

This year’s festival is being hosted by West Midlands Fire Service (WMFS) on behalf of the UK Rescue Organisation. The free spectacular, taking place at Birmingham’s city centre Smithfield site, will be open to the public on Friday 30 September and Saturday 1 October.

Nearly 40 UK fire and rescue services, and some from abroad, will do battle as they’re assessed by expert judges across a range of challenges:

• rope rescue (from height)
• water rescue
• trauma care
• urban search and rescue (collapsed structures)
• releasing casualties from crashed vehicles.

This year’s event will also involve, for the first time, the UK Firefighter Fitness Challenge and a special competition for Fire Cadets.

Area Commander Samantha Burton, who is coordinating the festival for West Midlands Fire Service, said: “We’re super-excited to be welcoming firefighters from across the country and to give our communities a chance to be wowed by their skills!

“A firefighter does so much more than the skilled work of responding to and tackling fires. The UKRO Festival of Rescue throws the spotlight on their rescue skills, enabling them to watch and learn from each other during some friendly competition.

“With just nine days to go, we’re excited to be announcing some more details of the packed programme. We’re looking forward to welcoming thousands of members of the public to the Smithfield site in Birmingham.”

Free for all to watch and enjoy at this year’s UKRO Festival of Rescue:

• rope rescue challenges will take place on The Forum building in Pershore Street
• discounted food, representing many of the cuisines enjoyed by West Midlands communities, will be available from Feast Streat
• fairground rides and attractions such as a Ferris wheel, inflatables, a helter skelter and a climbing wall
• members of the public will be able to try on firefighter kit and explore fire engines
• WMFS instructors will be on hand to show people how to give life-saving resuscitation
• a community village including stands and information from several of WMFS’s partner organisations
• staff from our fire control will be on hand to talk about their work and demonstrate our 999eye tech, which lets callers send live video and photos to help us mobilise the appropriate emergency response
• take to the wheel of mini go-kart, wearing ‘beer goggles’, and get some top road safety tips from our road casualty reduction team
• The Army will also be in attendance, sharing recruitment information, plus the RAF Cadets

A trade village, showcasing specialist fire and rescue service equipment, will also be open to the public.

For more details of the two-day festival, visit: https://for-wmfs.co.uk/