Last night (27 February) the inaugural Northern Ireland Blue Light Awards shone a spotlight on the emergency services and volunteers that keep communities safe and make a difference.
As part of this HM Coastguard was shortlisted Blue Light Emergency Service of the Year.
The nomination demonstrates HM Coastguard’s commitment and dedication to public safety and welfare, as well as the significant impact of the service’s emergency and operational response.
Talking about the nomination, Coastal Operations Area Commander Robert Steventon said: “It is brilliant to be recognised and highlight all of the important work the coastguard does, both independently and with our emergency service partners."
The Joint Emergency Services Interoperability Programme (JESIP) team is also celebrating, receiving an award under the Resilience and Learning From Major Incidents category.
This team is made up of individuals from across the emergency service sector including HM Coastguard Senior Coastal Operations Officer Ed Rusk, who said “this role is all about being prepared for multi-agency working, so it is great to be recognised for just doing our job and wanting to be the best we can be”.
The shortlist was created by an independent judging panel including names like olympian Dame Kelly Holmes, former Grand Prix motorbike road racer Jeremy McWilliams and former chairman of the Police Federation Northern Ireland and Police Care UK Mark Lindsay.
Robert added: “We don’t do what we do for awards or praise, but it is great to put the coastguard on the map and raise more awareness about our work. We hope there are more events like this in the future, the teams should be really proud.”
