|
The outstanding actions of Kent Fire and Rescue Service staff are to be recognised at a special awards ceremony on Tuesday 30 September.
Chief Fire Officer Bill Feeley alongside former Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, Lord Paul Condon, will be presenting certificates of congratulations and commendation at Oakwood House, Maidstone to the following:
Edenbridge Watch Manager Gary Milan and Edenbrigde Firefighter Tim Pitman
Watch Manager Gary Milan and Firefighter Tim Pitman, both based at Edenbridge fire station will receive certificates of congratulation for their part in saving a man's life after he collapsed from a heart attack.
Gini Collins dialled 999 after her husband Brian started complaining of chest pains yesterday afternoon, at their home in Coomb Field, Edenbridge. Gary and Tim who act as co-responders - volunteering to extend their existing first-aid training to the use of equipment, such as defibrillators, which can give people a better chance of surviving potentially fatal heart attacks -were sent to the incident alongside the ambulance.
Gary said: "Brian was clutching his chest when we arrived and a few minutes after we'd got there, he just pitched forward and went into full arrest. We immediately gave him oxygen and started resuscitation procedures before using a defibrillator to administer a shock. After a few minutes he took a massive breath and after 10 minutes he was able to talk to us again.
"I had an awful feeling in the pit of my stomach when we first saw him but I have now done quite a few of these over the past three years and the training just took over."
Gary and Tim act as co-responders thanks to a special partnership with the South East Coast Ambulance (SECAMB) Trust. Regular training and maintenance of the equipment by SECAMB ensures that these life-saving tools and skills are kept up to date so firefighters can provide care in the vital minutes before ambulance crews arrive at the scene.
Chief Fire Officer Bill Feeley said: "This isn't the first time we've acknowledged a life saving act from KFRS personnel working the co-responding scheme. This incident highlights the value of such an ongoing partnership with the South East Coast Ambulance Trust. It is also testament to the professionalism of the fire-fighters who undertake this role to be able to offer such an important, life saving service to their local community."
White Watch Maidstone
White Watch Maidstone will receive certificates of congratulation for their part in a serious fire on New Year's Day in which the watch rescued two male adults.
Control room operators received a call at 5:16 am to reports of smoke issuing heavily from the ground floor of a building in Hayle Road, Maidstone. Immediately two fire appliances were sent and when the white watch firefighters - arrived, they were confronted with a well developed fire that was rapidly spreading.
Watch Manager John Hogben heard a man calling for help from a first floor window. He instantly ordered his colleagues, firefighters Lee Drewnicki and Martin Rowden, to pitch a ladder to rescue the man. Once the pair had gained access to the man, he was then carried to safety.
The watch were then informed that a second man was trapped inside. While one team of firefighters in breathing apparatus tackled the ferocious blaze, working tremendously hard to contain the fire to the ground floor, a second team, also in breathing apparatus searched for the casualty.
During the search, the second team were confronted with a number of difficulties. When they entered the first floor they were met with five rooms, all of which had the doors locked.
Each room had to be checked for the casualty and the firefighters, John Cox and Ian Pearce, had to force their way into each room.
The extremely hot conditions and dense smoke hampered the team even further. However, their search was to be successful when they discovered the man unconscious in the last and furthest room to be investigated. Low on air and exhausted the pair then carried the man to safety.
The watch continued fire fighting alongside firefighters from Larkfield and Marden, for a further three hours, evacuating nearby buildings as a precaution.
CFO Bill Feeley said: "All of White Watch, Maidstone showed extreme tenacity, courage and determination to ensure a successful outcome, resulting in the rescue of two casualties. Without their actions, this incident could have had a far more serious ending."
Faversham Watch Manager Gary McRobb
Gary McRobb will receive a certificate of congratulation for his rescue of two people trapped by flood water.
On 24 October 2007, while making his way to Faversham Fire Station after receiving a call to an incident, Gary had to abandon his car because of severe flooding and walk. En route, he was alerted to two people trapped in their car by flood water that was chest high.
Without hesitation and consideration for himself, Gary, waded into the water, freed the trapped pair and led them to safety.
After checking they were fine, Gary continued his journey on to work and responded to other flooding incidents throughout the course of the evening.
Cranbrook Retained Crew Managers Anthony Briley and Andrew Parks
Retained crew managers Anthony Briley and Andrew Parks from Cranbrook will both receive certificates of commendation for their actions on 16 December 2007 when they attended an incident in which a man set himself alight with petrol.
When the crew arrived, they were confronted with a man who had smothered himself in petrol and who was acting in a threatening manner. Andrew began to slowly calm the man and even succeeded in engaging him in conversation. This allowed sufficient time for the rest of his crew to extend a hose reel jet through a neighbouring house, making sure that if the man was to set himself alight, an extinguishing method was immediately available.
Sadly the man became engulfed in flames and without fear for their own safety, Anthony and Andrew tackled the man to the ground. They then smothered the man with a blanket and extinguished the flames with a hose reel.
Both Andrew and Anthony showed particular courage in approaching the man when he became engulfed in flames, as they had removed their helmets in an attempt to establish a rapport with the man, leaving their own heads and faces were unprotected.
The man sustained 20 per cent burns to his upper body and face and was stabilised by paramedics and removed to hospital, but the actions of both Anthony and Andrew no doubt contributed to saving his life.
Station Manager Daniel Upton
Station Manager Daniel Upton will receive a certificate of congratulations for his actions on 21 December when he assisted at the scene of a road traffic collision (RTC) he witnessed on the A249 while travelling to work.
Dan saw a car had leaving the roadway, rolling over and colliding with a tree. Pulling over in a safe position, Dan then rushed to the scene. His initial assessment revealed a casualty that was unconscious and appeared not to be breathing. He immediately alerted fire control centre operators, then entered the overturned car and created an airway passage for the casualty. He then maintained c spine management until the arrival of Maidstone's fire crews and the ambulance service.
Dan's actions were considered to be highly professional in a difficult situation. Unfortunately the casualty later died in hospital.
North Division's Operations Manager Graham Gash
Graham Gash has been Kent Fire and Rescue Service's lead officer during the construction and completion of phases one and two (from Folkestone to St. Pancras) of the high speed Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL) project. He will receive a certificate of congratulation for his commitment and unbridled enthusiasm to this project, completed on 14 October 2007 with the launch of high speed commercial services from Ebbsfleet.
Throughout this project, Graham has endeavoured to provide the best fire fighting solutions, carrying out a number of tests and gathering a mass of research, as well as making sure that operational staff are well informed and trained on the various fire fighting techniques and protocols for this site.
For many years Graham has represented Kent Fire and Rescue Service at both a national and regional level as an expert of railway safety. As an expert in this area and member of the European Tunnel Safety Working Group, Graham has often given his spare time to attending and lecturing at conferences and seminars. He regularly assists fire and rescue services up and down the country that require guidance and advice of railway safety matters.
His work and his vast experience in this area has helped to shape and strengthen our operational response. And Graham's continued commitment, loyalty and service over the 33 years he has served have been both outstanding. |
