MEDIA RELEASE 20 November 2012

Emergency Services Open Day Set to Wow Albany

The countdown is on to the outdoor action event of the year: the Staying Alive, Emergency Services and Volunteer Open Day at Albany Lakes Civic Park.

Staying Alive is kicking off at 10am on Saturday 1 December showcasing the work the New Zealand Fire Service, New Zealand Police, St John ambulance, Civil Defence and emergency service rescue teams do on a daily basis.

The exhilarating educational day will be full of show-stopping displays including road crash rescue re-enactments where event-goers will see the how the “jaws of life” rescue trapped victims in a car crash, rural fire fighting displays, Air Force Striker demonstrations and police dogs showing off their training skills. Kids will also get the chance to participate in a combat challenge which includes experiencing the power of a fire hose and scaling scaffolding.

“Our unforgettable shows and displays will allow both kids and adults to learn more about the work of New Zealand emergency services while having fun at the same time,” says Planning and Intelligence Officer for the NZ Fire Service, Terry Hewitt. “If you’ve got little ones that get excited by sirens, want to be fire-fighters or paramedics, or just want to get close to a police dog, then this is the day for them.”

Gold coin donations collected throughout the day by firefighters and other services volunteers stationed on car park entrances will go to the Burns Support Group Charitable Trust. All donations raised will help provide care and assistance for burns victims and their families as well as providing vital burn prevention education.

“There is a serious message behind this action-packed day,” adds Hewitt. “Every year emergency services are called to thousands of incidents involving children. Our goal is to keep everyone safe this summer and education is key to achieving that goal.”

At 1pm, a very special visitor dressed in red will make a memorable arrival to the main stage at Civic Park before taking up residence at Westfield Albany until Christmas Eve.

The Staying Alive event concludes at 4pm and is followed by entertainment provided by Westfield Albany from 6pm with a talented line-up including Kiwi boy band Titanium, New Zealand hip-hop superstar J Williams and singer-songwriter sensation Brooke Duff.

The spectacular Westfield Albany outdoor Christmas tree will light up at 9pm followed by the famous annual Westfield Albany fireworks display.

“This is the fourth year we have delivered the lighting of the tree and the fireworks display,” says Lorraine Gatiss, Senior Centre Manager at Westfield Albany. “To welcome the big man in the red suit and have the fireworks close the day is a small way for us to give back to the community.There will be something for everyone on the day.”

To keep up to date with the event details, line-ups and Westfield Christmas activities around the country visit www.westfield.co.nz. For further information on emergency services visit their individual websites:

• www.police.govt.nz
• www.stjohn.org.nz
• www.fire.org.nz
• www.aucklandcivildefence.org.nz

Staying Alive is supported by Westfield Albany and the Upper Harbour Local Community Board.

Ends
Note to editors
Staying Alive Event Programme:
10.00am: Staying Alive starts
10.30am: Road Crash Rescue: Thrilling re-enactments of road crashes including “jaws of life” rescues. This display will be a team effort with police managing traffic and with the Fire Service and St Johns on standby to attend to the injured.
11.30am: Airport Striker Demo: See how Air Force Strikers respond to a plane crash or an issue on the runway.
12.00pm: Police Dog Display: Police dogs will be showing off their detective skills. Watch them sniff out and chase down a baddie!
12.30pm: Road Crash Rescue: (as at 10.30am)
1.00pm: Santa’s Arrival: Everyone’s favourite man in red will “drop in” to the main stage at Civic Park to greet the crowd.
2.00pm: Rural Fire Fighting Display: The simulation of a rural fire with a “monsoon bucket” in operation. Also includes the re-enactment of how a house fire starts and how to prevent one.
3.00pm: Road Crash Rescue: (as at 10.30am and 12.30pm)
4.00pm: Staying Alive ends
6.00pm: Entertainment line-up including Titanium, J Williams and Brooke Duff.
9.00pm: Lighting of the spectacular Westfield Albany outdoor Christmas tree and the famous fireworks extravaganza.

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