Hundreds of residents of all ages from across the borough attended Acton Fire Station on Saturday (13 September 2025) for an Emergency Response Roadshow.
The event brought together fire, police, ambulance, army and Ealing Council teams for an afternoon of demonstrations, displays and community activities aimed at boosting local resilience and showcasing how Ealing is prepared for a range of emergency situations.
Despite moments of rain, spirits were not dampened as attendees explored the work of the emergency services alongside other essential council teams, including parking enforcement and refuse collection.
Visitors were able to get up close and try their hand at using fire hoses, learn about CPR, speak to the Metropolitan Police about local policing, and discover opportunities with the army and local cadets.
The afternoon was not only about learning. The Rapid Relief Team provided free vegan and beef burgers, along with refreshments, ensuring hungry families were well fed while enjoying the activities.
Among the local dignitaries in attendance were the Mayor of Ealing, Councillor Anthony Kelly, Ealing Central and Acton MP Dr Rupa Huq, and Ealing Southall MP Deirdre Costigan. Councillors Paul Driscoll, Cabinet Member for Climate Action, Gareth Shaw and Stephen Donnelly also joined the event.
Shaan Motaleb, deputy head of emergency management at Ealing Council, told EALING.NEWS how delighted he was to see so many residents engaging with the services.
He said: “It’s been brilliant. The weather hasn’t been an issue at all, we had a total of 600 guests at the event. Every stall has had people around them. It’s not only great for everybody to come and grab a bite and have refreshments, but they also get to learn a bit about emergency preparedness and get to engage and find out more from all the services here today.”
Following the success of the event, Mr Motaleb said there are already plans for more. He told EALING.NEWS: “I already have a plan for next year, which will be in Southall.”
Local MP for Ealing Central and Acton, Dr Rupa Huq, spoke of how the event connects residents with emergency services. She said: “It’s a really nice idea to open the doors of all these places that usually we walk past and take a bit for granted and see the amazing work that all our emergency services do. We’ve got under one roof, fire service, the police, the ambulance service, so many different services, and also it humanises them, and there’s opportunities for the public to get involved and volunteer.”
Councillor Anthony Kelly, Mayor of Ealing, also highlighted the importance of the day. He said: “It’s a good opportunity to signpost residents to all the services that are available in the borough.”
Ealing Southall MP Deirdre Costigan added: “It’s just been such a brilliant event. It’s bringing the community together with the emergency services. It’s really important that the local community can, where it’s possible, help out and volunteer with the emergency services in the future.
“We saw it during Covid when a lot of people volunteered. And I think that what we’re trying to do across Ealing is repeat that for the future, when we’ve got flooding and threatening areas in the future with climate change, we’ll actually need local people to get involved in the response, and it will make us much more resilient.”
 for an Emergency Response Roadshow.){kind=link}