The Marine Rescue Unit operates on the River Mersey, upon Marine Fire 1 Boat which is crewed by a team on a 24/7 basis.
The River Mersey/Port of Liverpool has an extremely diverse range of users; as well as handling more than 40 million tonnes of cargo with 15,000 ship movements a year, it also has a vibrant leisure and tourism trade. In addition there are many thousands of visitors attracted to the area every year to enjoy the events which span the length of the River Mersey.
Liverpool John Lennon Airport has aircrafts taking off and landing over the River Mersey. This poses a risk to aircrafts which may fall into difficulty over the River Mersey and may not be able to reach the airport run way. The environment of the River Mersey is a dangerous one, as well as being heavily affected by the weather conditions it also has the second fastest tidal flow in the United Kingdom caused by a dramatic continuously changing height of tide.
Due to the environment and extremely diverse use of the River Mersey there are a variety of dangers that pose a risk to the communities and businesses that surround it. As such a fast, professional response is required to any incident. MFRS provides this response through the Marine Rescue Unit as such enhancing safety and minimising the risks faced by visitors and the communities of Merseyside. The Unit provides training, supports partner agencies and trains alongside the following; Liverpool John Lennon Airport, Police (Force Incident Managers, Critical Incident Managers, armed response and local policing), Ambulance (Hazardous Area Response Teams), Royal Navy, HM Coastguard, RNLI, Bristow Helicopters, Peel Ports, Pilot Services, Cruise Liner Terminal and Lowland Search and Rescue. In addition crews interact with schools and the general public on water safety issues.
An ever increasing part of the role is the work carried out with land based crews in providing a response to persons attempting to do themselves harm in the River Mersey. Work is ongoing with partners to provide earlier intervention and support for these vulnerable members of our society.
The Marine Rescue Unit operates out of the River Mersey Community Fire & Rescue Station.
The Marine Rescue Unit supports the NFCC's Drowning Prevention and Water Safety Campaign each year.