The Freedom of Liverpool is to be awarded to Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service (MFRS).
A special ceremony will be held at Liverpool Town Hall tomorrow to honour the work of the service first formed in 1836.
Serving a population of 1.4m people across 23 fire stations across the region, the MFRS covers 252 square miles and attended more than 15,000 incidents in 2020/21.
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The Home Office has also designated MFRS the lead fire service for National Resilience, preparing for and responding to major incidents.
First formed 186 years ago, MFRS began life as a division of the police and remained so until 1941.
In 1974, it became Merseyside County Fire Brigade and used the world’s first steam fire engine.
The MFRS’ work extends beyond fire fighting and attending road traffic collisions, with officers also taking part in marine rescue and the safe removal of hazardous materials.
Its prevention work has led to fire deaths reducing from 25 to just four in the last two decades - the lowest ever recorded.
In response to concerns following the Grenfell Tower fire in London, every residential high rise block in Liverpool has also been assessed by the service.
Lord Mayor, Cllr Mary Rasmussen, will present Chief Fire Officer, Phil Garrigan, with a Freedom scroll during the ceremony at Liverpool Town Hall.
She said: “Every day, firefighters across Merseyside stand ready to be called into action to tackle major incidents and save lives.
“They never know what they will be faced with when they come on shift, so we all have reason to be extremely grateful for their work - whether installing and checking smoke alarms, their community safety programme or responding to 999 calls.
“It is an honour to be able to award Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service the Freedom of Liverpool on behalf of the people of the city.”
Officer Garrigan added: “It is a tremendous honour for Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service to be given the Freedom of Liverpool. I am thrilled that we have been recognised for the work we do – our firefighters, protection officers, prevention teams and our wider support staff work tirelessly every day to keep our communities safe.
He said that receiving the freedom of the city was a “proud day” for all associated with MFRS and the service would remain committted “as ever in the protection of our people, our city and our heritage.”
He added: “It is a huge privilege to accept this honour on behalf of all the staff and volunteers of Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service past and present who have always put their communities first.”
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