Freedom for Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service

MERSEYSIDE Fire and Rescue Service is to be awarded the Freedom of Liverpool at a special ceremony, on Friday 11 March 2022. Formed in 1836, the service was a division of the Police force until 1941, and in 1974 it became Merseyside County Fire Brigade. It has of 10 been at the forefront of innovation and new technology, using the world's 1st steam fire engine; decades before other Cities. Its work does not just include fighting fires and attending road traffic collisions, but also marine rescue and the safe removal of hazardous materials. The Home Office has also designated MFRS the lead fire service for National Resilience, preparing for and responding to major incidents. It serves a population of 1.43 million people across 252 square miles from 23 fire stations located across the Region, attending 15,884 incidents in 2020/21. Its world leading prevention work has seen fire deaths reduce from 25 pre-2000 to 4 in 2021, the lowest ever recorded. In addition to this work the Service's protection team has audited every residential high rise block in the City in response to the concerns following the Grenfell Tower fire; safeguarding our residents. Lord Mayor, Cllr Mary Rasmussen, will present Chief Fire Officer, Phil Garrigan, with a Freedom scroll during the ceremony at Liverpool Town Hall.

Lord Mayor of Liverpool, Councillor Mary Rasmussen, said:- "Every day, firefighters across Merseyside stand ready to be called into action to tackle major incidents and save lives. They never know what they will be faced with when they come on shift, so we all have reason to be extremely grateful for their work - whether installing and checking smoke alarms, their community safety programme or responding to 999 calls. It is an honour to be able to award Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service the Freedom of Liverpool on behalf of the people of the City."¯

Chief Fire Officer, Phil Garrigan, said:- "It is a tremendous honour for Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service to be given the Freedom of Liverpool. I am thrilled that we have been recognised for the work we do "our firefighters, protection Officers, prevention teams and our wider support staff work tirelessly every day to keep our communities safe. It is a proud day for everyone who has an affiliation with the service, those serving now and those who have served the City in the past. We have a long and proud history dating back through the ages "and we remain as committed as ever in the protection of our people, our City and our heritage "we will continue to keep residents safe no matter what the future brings. It is a huge privilege to accept this honour on behalf of all the staff and volunteers of Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service past and present who have always put their communities 1st."¯
 

Liverpool based hotelier launches rapid Ukrainian Ambulance Appeal

AS communities unite and come together to provide practical support for the people of Ukraine, Liverpool based hotelier and entrepreneur Peter Schriewersmann is launching and coordinating an appeal to get vital and much needed Ambulances to the Polish / Ukrainian border, which is a focal point of providing sanctuary and resources to refugees fleeing across the border.

As an adopted Scouser, Peter, Co-owner of the hugely popular Hotel Anfield, is massively passionate about providing support as swiftly as possible. His wife, Joanna, is from Poland and is already involved with the regional Polish relief effort. It was Joanna who inspired him and told him about a shortage of Ambulances.

Peter has business and personal contacts across the continent including his cousin, Thomas, from Reitburg in Germany, who works in a closely related industry and has been able to source 11 Mercedes and Volkswagen Ambulances up for sale through his own personal contacts.

Peter Schriewersmann, coordinator of the Ukrainian Ambulance Appeal explains:- "After watching events unfold over the last fortnight in particular, I have never felt so committed to a cause as I do to this one. I am struggling to comprehend what is happening to this proud European country of Ukraine. Straight away, I felt it was important to act, and in a way that will have a tangible impact. My wife, Joanna, who is working tirelessly, has provided such inspiration for me. When she informed me of the shortage of Ambulances. I felt compelled to contact my cousin Thomas, who luckily for us works within the industry and has many useful contacts. Through his tenacity, we have been able to source these Ambulances via a Dutch connection. While some donations of emergency vehicles have been made to the cause, there is much work to do and as a family we feel well placed to provide assistance. We are also privileged that the vendor of these Ambulances has dropped the price for us to ₤150,000 for all eleven vehicles, which are technically 100% and ready for deployment. This is a saving of ₤30,000 on the list price. It will then also be down to us to raise enough funds to cover their transfer from the Dutch coast to Poland, including accommodation, food and petrol for a team of drivers; including myself. After some wonderful initial support from other businesses and key individuals, the logistics for our operation, including all necessary paperwork and route handover, are all mapped out. Our plan is to drive them from Leeuwarden in the Netherlands, to Krakow in Poland, either next week or the week after. From here, the Polish Authorities will take over, and will liaise with their counterparts in Ukraine for a swift handover. This is a fundraiser where anyone who donates will be able to see the support they are providing. I will provide regular updates via my personal social media on LinkedIn and the fundraising page. However, it is also important that we raise funds as swiftly as possible, as it is a timely pressure to provide assistance. I would like to thank everyone in advance for their support. I know that the people of Liverpool are hugely generous and empathetic, as is everyone in the region. Their contributions to this appeal on every level are much needed and so much appreciated. I look forward to us hitting our fundraising target, and providing you all with details of the successful handover of these Ambulances. To put it quite simply, any contribution will save the lives of people, just like you and me, who urgently need our help. Us ordinary people have the power to make an extraordinary difference."

Peter and his team are already working to get this appeal and project underway, and appreciate any support that comes their way. You can donate directly to this appeal please go to:- InvestorsInCommunity.Org.