Yesterday our Director – Jo Taylor MBE – made headlines with Princes Charles, for doing what Reach and Rescue do best, thinking of the finer details.
Jo attended a Royal event at Windsor Castle to recognise the amazing achievement of the Queens Award for Innovation. On Sunday, Prince Charles will celebrate his 73rd birthday. While in attendance at Windsor Castle, Jo handed Prince Charles an early birthday present.
Jo informed us of what Charles response was to the early birthday gift:
“The prince laughed and said, ‘You’ve been doing your research on me’, and he slipped the card into his left pocket.”
Reach and Rescue is overjoyed to receive the Queen’s Award for Innovation for our long-reach telescopic water rescue pole. It has also been an honour to be celebrating with 205 inspiring businesses that have also received the ‘royal seal of approval throughout 2020 and 2021.
The pole was developed in response to UK Fire and Rescue Services’ needs for effective water rescue equipment, designed to keep all operatives safe. Prior to the pole’s introduction, rescuers would dive into water when attempting to save a life in danger, thereby putting themselves at extreme risk.
To date, Reach and Rescue’s long-reach telescopic water rescue pole has prevented the deaths of 50+ people from life-threatening situations. Testament to the pole’s success, it is currently adopted by 80% of UK Fire and Rescue Services and is supplied to over 50 countries worldwide.
Reach and Rescue’s innovation is also readily available for the public to use. Our lifesaving public-access water rescue system – the Portsafe – features the pole securely stored with an emergency throwline board. Numerous systems are located at high-risk public waterways across the UK.
In 2018, 30 people drowned in the River Thames, accounting for 8% of drowning-related deaths nationally. (PLA, 2019)
Therefore, training of our public-access water rescue system – Portsafe – is also being conducted in the heart of London today with big announcements to follow. Make sure to follow us on social media, to find out more.