Ulster Unionist MLA Michael Copeland has spent a night on patrol with the Belfast Community Rescue Service.
The East Belfast MLA said:
“I first became aware of Belfast Community Rescue Service when they attended a meeting of the Social Development Committee.
In order to learn more about their work, I accompanied the volunteers as they carried out their duties on Saturday night past. This included bicycle and foot patrols of the banks of the River Lagan and a river patrol. The volunteers provide this service on a regular basis from late evening until the early hours of the morning.
The Belfast Community Rescue Service has been directly responsible for saving a number of lives. It is vital that the public recognise the work that these volunteers do and also that state agencies recognise the quality of the service that they provide.
You can learn more about the Community Rescue Service by logging on to their website at www.communityrescue.org