Coastal Operations Area Commander for Northwest England, Mike was the Silver Commander for the Coastguard as he liaised with emergency service partners to ensure the safety of tens of thousands of visitors to Liverpool over the fortnight in May.
He spoke of the many considerations and challenges behind putting together and leading a temporary team of Coastguard Rescue Officers deployed to Liverpool dockside for nine days, as the attention of the world turned to the city.
It was a chance for those in attendance to hear about the planning and effort that goes on behind-the-scenes by the coastguard, in preparation for any eventuality.
But it was also a chance for Mike to recall a special event for the city he is from, and a proud personal moment as a coastguard commander.
Mike revealed: “I felt a strong sense of responsibility to ensure Liverpool’s beautiful waterfront was shown at its best and I think my colleagues and emergency service partners felt the same as everyone worked together so well and so positively.
“Hosting a global event of this scale naturally brings with it risks, but when you get it right and come together as one big consortium of partner agencies in the planning and implementation stages, it brings untold benefits.
“This was shown time and time again with the success that Eurovision 2023 was – and the amount of people who came to visit, enjoyed themselves, and went home with a good memory. I’m immensely proud.”
