ST HELENS Community Fire Station is one of eight Merseyside organisations that has been awarded with an honour from the late Queen.
Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service (MFRS) received the donation of a tree from The Queen’s Green Canopy (QGC) “Tree of Trees” on Friday, October 21.
Presented by Lord Lieutenant Mark Blundell, the donation also marked the first anniversary of St Helens station's official opening.
Becoming a living legacy in honour of Queen Elizabeth, the tree is part of a project by the QGC that has seen more than one million trees planted across the UK.
READ > £7.6m new school unveiled for pupils after October half term
Celebrating the monarch's reign and standing tall as a message of hope, regeneration, and optimism, the trees are donated to emergency services, charities, and community groups that work for people across the country.
Essentially, they are a 'thank you’ gift for all the valuable and tireless work that volunteers and individuals undertake for the benefit of their communities.
Chief Fire Officer Phil Garrigan said: “We are delighted to be chosen as one of the eight organisations across Merseyside to receive this gift in loving memory of Her Majesty The Queen - it is a real honour to be a part of her legacy.
"The tree will take pride of place at the front of St Helens Community Fire Station and we know it will be cherished for years to come by both the staff working there and the community members who visit.
“At Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service, we are proud to put our communities first.
"Receiving this special tree from the Queen’s Green Canopy is a testament to the true community spirit and dedication that our firefighters, control room staff, prevention teams, protection officers and those staff working tirelessly behind the scenes embody at Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service – something that I am incredibly proud of – their courage, compassion and integrity shines through every day.”
Since becoming operational in 2020, firefighters at St Helens Community Fire Station have responded to 3,389 incidents.
This has included 1,096 deliberate secondary fires, 125 accidental dwelling fires, 144 road traffic collisions, 18 animal rescues, 34 flooding incidents, as well as assisting other agencies 200 times.
Crews have also completed 3,401 home fire safety checks – 1,726 of which were for residents over the age of 65 – as well as 279 Site Specific Risk Information visits and 171 Simple Operational Fire Safety Assessments.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here