EMERGENCY SERVICES DAY
Every year on September 9th, Emergency Services Day honors emergency service crews in the United Kingdom. The day also educates the public on the responsible use of emergency services as well as promote volunteering opportunities for emergency service positions.
Emergency services in the UK are comprised of three organizations, including the Police Service, Fire Service, and Emergency Medical Services. The Metropolitan Police Force in Greater London is the largest police force in the United Kingdom.
The total number of police offers in the UK is 123,170. There are also over 44,000 fire and rescue workers and over 21,000 qualified ambulance staff. In just one year, these emergency service workers responded to over 6 million crimes in the UK. The fire service responded to more than 729,000 incidents.
As of 2018, more than 7,500 emergency personnel had died in the line of duty. In the UK, those in need of emergency services dial 999 to call emergency responders.
HOW TO OBSERVE #EmergencyServicesDay
Many people across the UK participate in the day by thanking emergency personnel. The emergency personnel includes doctors, paramedics, pilots, fire crews, and anyone else who works to keep the public safe. Some even pay tribute to the animals involved in emergency services.
Other events on this day include educational classes teaching life-saving skills to the general public, the opportunity to speak directly with emergency service workers, and a thanksgiving service to honor all those who have died in the line of duty. Even the Royal Family participates in the day by thanking emergency service workers in person and over social media.
To spread awareness over social media, use #EmergencyServicesDay or #999Day.
EMERGENCY SERVICES DAY HISTORY
Tom Scholes-Fogg of the National Emergency Services Memorial (NESM) founded Emergency Services Day in 2016. He founded the day when he realized there was no national day to honor the country’s 999 heroes. In September of 2017, UK Prime Minister Theresa May designated it an official day. The inaugural event took place in 2018 at Heaton Park in Manchester, England. Each year, a different venue hosts the main event. The day is also called 999 Day.
