GREATER Manchester Fire and Rescue Service’s (GMFRS) annual Emergency Services Open Day will again take place at intu Trafford Centre when firefighters and other staff will be joined by partners showcasing their services.

The sixth event of its kind will take place on Thursday, August 4, between 10am and 4pm on the car parks close to the Food Hall.

GMFRS will be joined by Greater Manchester Police (GMP), North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) and a range of other emergency response, community safety and support services.

Visitors to this free event will be able to see a range of vehicles, appliances and equipment from the agencies who work together to make Greater Manchester and the North West a safer place.

Members of all the emergency services will be on hand to answer questions and there will be a range of live displays throughout the day including road traffic collision, kitchen safety, cadet unit demonstrations, children’s fire engine, and more.

Chairman of Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Authority, Councillor David Acton, said: “Our '999 Day' in 2015 saw in excess of 165 displays made up of emergency vehicles, vintage appliances, demonstrations and displays and there will be all of that on offer this year, plus more.

“Last year’s event was attended by over 10,000 people and we are hoping to encourage even more to come along and join in the fun on August 4.

“The theme of this year’s event is CPR with the aim of creating a nation of lifesavers and improving survival rates for out of hospital cardiac arrests. There are more than 30,000 every year in the UK and less than one in 10 survive.

"GMFRS crews have been responding to cardiac arrest calls alongside colleagues at NWAS since September 2015 and the initiative has proved to be a great success with many more people across Greater Manchester being given the best possible chance of survival.

“Now we want to build on that success by using the skills of our trained staff and NWAS colleagues to train visitors at this event – there will be opportunities throughout the day for visitors to get involved with hands-on CPR training in the main event arena.”

NWAS chief executive, Derek Cartwright, said: “This event has got bigger and better every year and is a great day out to showcase the brilliant work of the emergency services and how we all work together to serve the people of Greater Manchester.

“On the day the ambulance service will be teaching as many people as possible CPR skills, how to use a defibrillator to save a life and how we team up with the fire service to respond to cardiac arrests. There will also be the opportunity to speak to staff about all our different roles and take a tour around some of our emergency vehicles.” GMP Chief Constable Ian Hopkins added: “Events like this are extremely important in bringing all of the emergency services together to show people what we’re all about and to share important messages.

“This year’s theme of CPR is vitally important in teaching the skills that could potentially help to save lives. We will also be building on the success of last year’s event with an even larger number of demos on display and GMP officers will be on hand to offer crime prevention and security advice from their mobile police station. “Not only does an event like this allow the public to gain a better understanding of the various roles played by the emergency services, but it also provides an ideal opportunity for the public to meet and interact with the very people who make up their local emergency response teams.”