Emergency Services Open Day

<![CDATA[ On Saturday, the Emergency Services held an Open Day at the Coastguard Station on Battery Point here in Stornoway. It was very well attended, lots of interest from children being brought along by their parents. One or two ambulances, a fire engine and an airport firetender were there, as was the Coastguard helicopter Hotel Lima. An air ambulance called in for a little while as well. A Royal Navy bomb disposal squad had a stand, and did a demonstration of their skills, which literally went off with a bang. The lifeboat performed a "rescue" of two men who had gone "overboard". The police were in attendance, as were representatives of the SSPCA. A member of a cliff rescue team gave a demonstration on a climbing wall, and the Coastguard Station itself was open for viewing, including the ops room upstairs. Twenty minutes before the bomb was let off in the water, a warning was broadcast to all shipping to avoid Stornoway Harbour. A coastguard vessel blocked the entrance to the harbour and the lifeboat stood by off Goat Island to stop anyone sailing into the danger zone from the town.

Also open for viewing was the coastguard tug Anglian Prince.
An RAF Nimrod performed a fly-past just before 4pm.

Very interesting afternoon with good weather, which I think was enjoyed by all.

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