A family fun day out was had by all as Chichester Fire Station opened its doors to the public for their open day.
Visitors enjoyed a whole host of activities on August 18, including a number of firefighting and rescue displays, a display of specialist fire engines as well as ladder drills.
Visitors also enjoyed a fire simulation ride, as well as stalls, face painting and a tombola.
The event also featured road traffic collision and hot fat fire demonstrations, highlighting fire safety advice.
“We really wanted to open the doors to the public and it’s a chance for them to come and see us and I am absolutely delighted with the result.
“The public rarely get a chance to come and see us unless it is a 999 call, so it is nice to meet and interact with people in this situation,” said Ian Sinfield, firefighter at Chichester and organiser of the Chichester Fire Station open day.
“It’s about raising awareness of what we do and also about giving people important information about fire safety, the firefighters are happy to come and give advice on any issues,” added Mr Sinfield.
Speaking about his role as a firefighter for the past 20 years, Mr Sinfield added: “It is a rewarding job and is nice to give something back.
“It is nice to be able to meet people and interact with them in this situation, as we can meet in worse circumstances sometimes,” he added. The open day also offered visitors a free home fire safety check.
Funds raised on the day are going towards the Fire Fighters Charity and to Chichester’s Apuldram Centre, which had a stall on the day to raise funds.
“This is just amazing what the fire service does for us. We have a very close relationship with the fire service who often come to the centre to see us, we’re very grateful for them donating some proceeds to the centre,” said Paul Reed, director and volunteer at the Apuldram centre.
Many families flocked to the event to see what was on offer at the fire station. “It’s really good. They have made it fun to get the children’s attention.
“It teaches them to be aware around the home, the danger areas and playing with matches, it’s educational and getting children interested so they know,” said Liz Ralph, 39, from Chichester, who brought her two children along to the event.