On Wednesday, the 18th annual Blue Light Day with hundreds of attendees at Royal Cornwall Showground Participants included those living with learning disabilities as well as those working within emergency service professions. The event aimed to foster communication and trust between the community and local emergency services, encouraging individuals to seek help when needed.
Emergency services including police, fire department, and paramedics created interactive displays around the venue showcasing their equipment and vehicles. Police cars were strategically parked on-site, with uniformed officers standing in front of them, eager to approach attendees. The vibe itself was warm and inviting, creating a casual space for meaningful conversations and connections.
Louis, an 18-year-old student who was at the event, shared how excited he was by all the activities on offer. He then put on a military-style police helmet—with integrated headphones and camera mount. This arrangement really emphasized how interactive this whole event was.
“It’s fun as there’s a lot of stuff to see and do here.” – Louis
The range of participants in the event included Helen Thomas, the safeguarding officer for Cornwall’s fire and rescue service. She stressed the need to create an inviting environment for people with learning disabilities to interact with emergency services.
“It can be quite intimidating so it’s great for people to be able to come and have a chat and sit in the truck at a lower level when it’s nice and calm and relaxed.” – Helen Thomas
Sgt Flo Linscott is the Diverse Community Sergeant for Cornwall. She is a firm believer that building great community relationships is the key to success. He pointed out that it’s necessary to build trust, so people will feel free to come to police when they need help.
“Like I said, it’s all about those relationships, and if we can form a relationship, those people will come to us direct.” – Sgt Linscott
Attendees such as Ben voiced similar concerns regarding how the police serve their community. He articulated the necessity of bridging gaps between emergency services and individuals with learning disabilities to foster understanding and support.
“I think the police are one of the most helpful people around in Cornwall because they help you so much with stuff during the Blue Light Day.” – Ben
Ben then underscored how important it is to actually hear community hesitance. He stressed the importance of establishing a climate in which people feel safe sharing what they need.
“So that’s one of the things – building those bridges, building those links into the community and helping them understand that yes we’re the police but we want to listen as well, we want to help in some way, which usually we can.” – Ben
