TV Hero Fireman Sam returns to Brooklands for Emergency Services Day 2015
11 May 2015
The grounds of Brooklands Museum were filled with the crews of every conceivable emergency service on Bank Holiday Monday: ambulances, police and fire crews, the RNLI and more turned out for the busiest Emergency Services Day so far in the Museum’s history, with over 5,000 visitors.
The Royal Logistics Corps displayed their bomb disposal equipment, Walton and Painshill Fire Stations brought their crew vehicles and blood bikes from SERV lined up in the Motoring Village. Next to them were the RNLI and Surrey Search and Rescue brought along their rescue boat. Over near Concorde, Surrey 4 x 4 Response set up their apparatus and invited visitors to winch a Land Rover to ‘safety’ while onlookers cheered them along. Occupying the area by the Shell Pagoda, the British Transport Police demonstrated some of their state-of-the-art equipment including their Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system and long range CCTV cameras.
A wide variety of classic vehicles joined the throngs of moderns including a stunning cream 1954 Daimler ambulance from Surrey Ambulance, camouflaged Land Rovers, gleaming Douglas Fire Engines and a pair of Daimler SP 250 ‘Darts’.
As well as the many demonstrations in the main arena in front of the Paddock and behind the Wellington Hangar, where a dramatic re-enactment by South East Coast Ambulance Service and the Police took place, one of the highlights for the youngsters was the chance to meet their TV hero Fireman Sam. He made four appearances throughout the day and ‘high fived’ and hugged hundreds of boys and girls – many of whom had arrived wearing their own Fireman Sam outfit.
Andy Lambert’s film of the day can be seen here and thanks as always to the Brooklands Marshal Team and commentator, Keith Barry.
