The Summer of Rescue will give members of the public in each part of the West Midlands an opportunity to see their local crews practicing and training for each of the five challenges which form part of the UKRO Festival of Rescue. There will also be opportunities to learn more about the work of the Fire and Rescue Service as a whole, including our important prevention and protection work, and what it takes to work for WMFS.

We're kicking off our Summer of Rescue at the opening of our new Technical Rescue Station at Sutton Coldfield on 14 May 2022.

Mat Ward, Station Commander at Sutton Coldfield fire station, said: “It’s an exciting year ahead for West Midlands Fire Service. We’re really proud to be launching our third Technical Rescue Unit. It’s a long time since we’ve been able to stage our popular open days, so we’re proud to be launching our ‘Summer of Rescue’ at Sutton.

"We’re expecting big crowds. We’re looking forward to throwing open the doors so members of our local community can come and meet some of the firefighters now based there. It will also be a great opportunity to see the equipment, vehicles and skills for which the station is now base.”

Find out more about the Sutton Coldfield open day on the WMFS website.

Alongside these public events, we're also holding "Wildcard" qualification events for two additional West Midlands crews to join the Trauma and Extrication challenges at the main Festival of Rescue in September. These will be an excellent opportunity for improving your knowledge, skills and confidence when dealing with extrication and trauma. We are encouraging entry from all staff within WMFS, regardless of experience. We'll share the results and pictures from these qualification events soon!