ON Saturday, Ards and North Down Council has awarded its highest honour – the Freedom of the Borough – to Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service (NIFRS) at a formal conferment ceremony in the City Hall in Bangor Castle .
It paid tribute to NIFRS staff from all seven stations in Ards and North Down – both those in front line and administrative roles – for their dedication, bravery and service to duty.
It is only the fourth time the Freedom of the Borough has been awarded since Ards and North Down Borough Council was established in 2015, and only the 37th occasion since the first conferral in the area, 94 years ago in 1930.
Alistair Cathcart, Mayor of Ards and North Down, said: “The Freedom of the Borough is the highest honour that a Council can bestow, and Elected Members were unanimous in deciding to recognise NIFRS in this way. Providing a service that touches the lives of so many of the residents in our Borough, you could not be more deserving.
He added: “It is hoped this honour goes some way to publicly recognise the outstanding work NIFRS does in Ards and North Down, and across Northern Ireland as a whole.”
Aidan Jennings, Chief Fire & Rescue Officer, officially received the award on behalf of NIFRS and said: “We are honoured to accept the Freedom of the Borough from Ards and North Down Borough Council who have recognised our commitment to serving our community. This success would not have been attained without the support and dedication of all our people. I know this accolade will be greatly appreciated by our people who play a crucial role in each of our seven stations across the Borough. I especially want to acknowledge our Firefighters and support employees who live and work locally, and also our control room operators, trainers, support technicians and headquarters employees, many of whom live within the Borough, but work at other NIFRS locations. It’s as one team that NIFRS is able to provide our preparedness and response within the Borough to ensure we keep our community safe.”
As part of the conferment, Firefighters from local stations delivered a family fun afternoon at Bangor City Hall, which was attended by around 1,000 people. There was specialist equipment on display and live demonstrations of firefighting skills. There were also opportunities for visitors to try firefighting activities for themselves. Local scouts who attended were able to earn their FIRE SAFETY Badge ensuring the key fire service messages of fire protection and prevention were shared throughout the event.
