West Midlands Fire Service is ‘proud and excited’ to host this year’s Festival of Rescue on behalf of the United Kingdom Rescue Organisation.

The event takes place on Friday 30 September and Saturday 1 October and will involve hundreds of firefighters, from nearly 40 UK fire and rescue services, competing across a wide range of rescue disciplines.

They will be assessed by expert judges in front of live crowds at Smithfield Birmingham.

The Festival is open to the public, who can watch the teams competing to be crowned champions across a range of challenges including rope rescue (from height), water rescue*, trauma care, urban search and rescue (collapsed structures) and releasing casualties from crashed vehicles.

The Service is also proud to be introducing a new challenge for 2022 - The UK Firefighter Fitness Challenge - and there’ll be a special competition for Fire Cadets.

Other attractions at Smithfield will include fairground rides, discounted food, fire engines and the world-famous ‘Red Devils’, the British Army’s parachute display team quite literally dropping in. Area Commander Samantha Burton, who is coordinating the festival for West Midlands Fire Service, said:

“We’re honoured to be hosting this year’s UKRO Festival of Rescue and really looking forward to welcoming colleagues from across the UK and beyond.

“It’s been a fantastic summer, with Birmingham and the West Midlands staging the amazing Commonwealth Games.

“We’re excited to be using the Smithfield site – the venue for beach volleyball during the Games – for the festival. It will be handed over to us from Birmingham Pride, which we’ve supported for several years.

“Fire incidents are, fortunately, reducing in number. Rescue and ‘special service’ calls are increasing, and now make up a bigger proportion of the total incidents we respond to.

“Events like the UKRO Festival of Rescue allow us to come together, hone those skills and show the public, up close and personal, what we do when people’s lives are on the line.

“We’re very grateful to our many sponsors, without whose generous support the festival simply wouldn’t be possible.

“The Festival of Rescue is a great opportunity for firefighters to watch and learn from each other. It’s also a great family event. I’m sure that many people will be amazed at the expertise and equipment on display.”

The water rescue challenges will be staged at The Lloyds, Ironbridge on 30 September and on the Birmingham Canal, Brindleyplace at Old Turn Junction behind Birmingham’s SeaLife centre on 1 October.