Guardians on call: Meet the Bangor harbour master, Portstewart firefighter and Mourne Mountain Rescue volunteer

Three emergency workers in Northern Ireland describe their daily duties, common risks and the ways their teams coordinate with other services to protect people on sea, in towns and on the mountains.

Three emergency professionals describe what they do to protect people across sea, town and mountain settings. The Bangor harbour master manages vessel movements and harbour safety while maintaining records of hazardous materials and working with other emergency services. An on-call firefighter in Portstewart responds from home when paged and takes part in fire prevention and rescue work. A member of the Mourne Mountain Rescue Team combines mountaineering instruction with volunteer coordination, training and charity governance. Key points: - Harbour duties: The harbour master oversees safe vessel passage, maintains berth-holder inventories of fuel and other hazardous items, and coordinates emergency planning with the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service; he also recounted rare events such as a seaplane landing and regular wildlife sightings around the marina. - Coastal safety: The harbour master and a long-serving lifeboat volunteer noted the sea’s strength and said recent incidents have included two fatal incidents; standard water-rescue guidance such as the ‘float to live’ approach is reported as commonly promoted. - Fire service realities: The on-call Portstewart firefighter explained that many modern house fires are linked to electrical faults and poor-quality electrical goods, and described routine prevention work and public-facing messages on smoke alarms and escape planning; she also mentioned an active recruitment drive. - Mountain rescue work: The Mourne Mountain Rescue Team has about 35 volunteers who handle illnesses, falls, lost walkers and weather-related incidents; the team now has a base in Newcastle donated and supported by Lidl and continues to rely on public funding and donations. Summary: These profiles illustrate how local specialists and volunteers keep different environments under watch and respond when incidents occur. The Mourne team’s new Newcastle base and the fire service recruitment drive are current developments mentioned by the interviewees, while harbour operations continue routine safety and emergency coordination. Undetermined at this time.