West Mercia Police shows support for emergency heroes on 999 Day

Emergency Services Day (999 Day) is a government-backed awareness day across the UK, which takes place on 9 September each year. It is the nation’s chance to show their support for our 999 heroes past and present.

More than two million people work and volunteer in the police, NHS and other emergency services, including 250,000 first responders. They work in a range of jobs – from policing the streets and answering emergency calls, to dealing with administration to practising medicine, fighting fires and saving lives on land and sea.

This year, West Mercia Police will be using the day to pay tribute to its hardworking and selfless police officers, staff and volunteers, as well as making the most of the opportunity to promote careers and volunteering across the force.

Rachel Jones, Assistant Chief Constable at West Mercia Police, said: “We will be sharing our successes and achievements from the past year with our public, including how we have kept them safe during the flooding earlier this year and throughout the COVID-19 crisis, working with our emergency services colleagues and other partners.

“We will also be shining a light on how services such as Roads Policing, Domestic Abuse and Safeguarding have kept our communities safe from harm.

“Working with the Police and Crime Commissioner, we will also use the day to encourage our public to use the emergency services responsibly and to educate the public on essential skills, including water safety, crime prevention and basic yet essential life-saving skills.”

John Campion, Police and Crime Commissioner for West Mercia, said: “On a daily basis, our emergency workers sacrifice a lot to keep us safe, and this day gives us the perfect opportunity to remember and acknowledge them, both past and present.

“As Commissioner, I know our communities overwhelmingly continue to support our emergency services. We live a safe place, where the partnership between our communities and our emergency services remains strong.

“To maintain this healthy connection, it is vital to remember that dialling 999 is for genuine emergencies only. West Mercia Police alone typically deals with over 300,000 incidents a year, and we must all do our bit to make sure our officers are available to respond quickly to the people who need it most.”

Read about the successes, achievements and advice from West Mercia Police and that of the national team on social media using the hashtag #999Day.