First Ever Online Open Day For West Sussex Fire And Rescue Service

The first-ever online open day for West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service takes place later this month (August).

Families of all ages can attend the virtual event has been organised in place of a number of the service’s popular annual fire station open days, which were cancelled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The online open day will take place from 11am on Saturday 15 August on the West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service Facebook page, starting with a message from the Chief Fire Officer Sabrina Cohen-Hatton.

The videos will be posted throughout the day until 4pm, each one with a different theme.

Those who have attended the annual open days normally enjoy hearing from fire and rescue service staff, watching firefighter displays and seeing behind the scenes at a fire station.

It will also provide important safety tips by watching the online firefighter videos and demonstrations, the service’s education team and even a fire fit PE lesson.

Chief Fire Officer Sabrina Cohen-Hatton said:

“I know how popular station open days are among residents, and our crews are incredibly proud to welcome people onto their station to show them the work they carry out on a daily basis.

“But like so many other public events this year, we have had to take the difficult decision not to hold any station open days.

“However, that doesn’t mean that everyone should miss out, just because we can’t all be in the same place at the same time.

“So instead, we will be doing things a little bit differently this year and will be holding a Virtual Open Day on Saturday 15 August between 11am and 4pm on the WSFRS Facebook page.

“Throughout the day, we will be posting videos showcasing the huge variety of work we carry out – everything from putting out fires, rescuing people from vehicles, as well as showing you around our fire engines and some of the amazing pieces of kit stowed away in their lockers. There will even be a virtual PE lesson, so you can see if you are fire fit.

“It is already shaping up to be a fantastic day, and I do hope you will be able to join us.”

West Sussex County Council Cabinet Member for Fire & Rescue and Communities, Duncan Crow, said:

“I am delighted that in these highly unusual times we have been able to find a way to ensure our popular station open days are able to go ahead, albeit in a virtual format with people watching along and learning at home.

“Learning vital fire safety advice is still incredibly important- especially with more people at home during this time cooking, using electricals and having BBQs. I do hope you’ll save the date and tune in on the day to enjoy the event created by our firefighters and support staff - it’s going to be great fun!”

The agenda for the day can be found below:

11am: Welcome! Meet our Chief Fire Officer and Cabinet Member

11.30am: Fire safety advice from Angela and Billy the Bear

12pm: Take a tour of our appliances

12.30pm: Rescue from the drill tower with Crawley Fire Station

1pm: Kit tour with Littlehampton Fire Station

1.30pm: Road traffic collision demonstration with Storrington Fire Station

2pm: Chip pan fire demonstration with Worthing Fire Station

2.30pm: Rope rescue demonstration with our Technical Rescue Unit

3pm: Stay firefighter fit! With Midhurst Fire Station and the service’s Personal Trainer

3.30pm: Top fire safety tips for businesses

4pm: Fire safety quiz with Burgess Hill Fire Station