Excellence in Fire & Emergency Awards Winners 2021

FIRE magazine publisher Fire Knowledge would like to thank all those who attended the Excellence in Fire & Emergency Awards (EFEs). Our biggest thanks go to our Partnership sponsors: Gore-Tex Fabrics, Aico, Hainsworth Protective Products, BlueLight and MSA Bristol. Award sponsors: Supply+, Dräger, Emergency One/Clan Tools and Plant, Safety Components, Infographics, Babcock International, Angus, PBI Performance Products, Fire Knowledge Executive Recruitment, IFE, FIRE magazine and AFSA. The EFEs proved to be an exclusive gathering uniting suppliers and industry supporters with chief officers to recognise the very best of UK trade in partnership with emergency services.

 

This year’s winners were:

Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service – Emergency Service of the Year

Wildfire Response, South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue – Resilience & Learning from Major Incidents

On Call Firefighters, Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service – Innovation of the Year

Safe and Well, Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service – Collaboration of the Year

Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service – Emergency Services Collaboration of the Year

Joanna Foster, Fabtic – Training Provider of the Year

National Operational Guidance, Kent Fire and Rescue Service – Project of the Year

Occupational Health and Wellbeing Team, Humberside Fire and Rescue Service – Team of the Year

Peter Owens, Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service – Young People’s Supporter of the Year

Paige Hanson, South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue – Youth Champion of the Year

Carmel McKinney, Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service – Most Influential Woman in Fire

Yannick Dubois, East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service – Most Influential LGBT+ Individual in Fire

Abu Dhabi Civil Defense Authority – International Best Practice

Wayne Brown, West Midlands Fire Service – Most Influential BAME Individual in Fire

Mark Jordan, London Fire Brigade – Unsung Hero Award

Paul Maurice Fuller, formerly Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service – Outstanding Contribution to the Fire and Rescue Service

 

FIRE would like to thank our Judging Panel for the difficult task of sifting through dozens of high-quality entries to reach the shortlist and winners.

Speaking about the event, FIRE Editor Andrew Lynch said: “We are delighted that our 2021 awards lunch, held again at One Great George Street, proved an even better event than last year having grown with more people in attendance, over 150 entries and a great ceremony. I would like to thank everyone who helped make this become the foremost awards in the sector and the feel good event of the year.”

 

Roll of Honour

 

Outstanding Contribution to the Fire and Rescue Service

(Sponsored by PBI Performance Products)

Paul Maurice Fuller, formerly Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service

 

^{Outstanding Contribution – Paul Fuller – collected by his wife Helen and daughter Jess and presented by close}

^{friend Ian Callaghan, PBI Performance Products with co-presenter Sabrina Cohen-Hatton}

Paul joined the West Midlands Fire Service in 1978, serving in Staffordshire, West Sussex and Wiltshire before appointment as Chief Fire Officer of Bedfordshire in 2002, a role where he really thrived, nurturing Bedfordshire into a great family orientated and high achieving service. Someone who loved his family dearly, Paul also cared very deeply about the Fire and Rescue Service, his vocation for more than four decades during which he achieved so much for so many and someone who leaves a profound legacy that will endure for many years to come.

When he passed away, Paul was the serving Chair of Trustees for both the Children’s Burns Trust and The Fire Fighters Charity, and of Fire Sport UK. Amongst many honours, Paul was appointed a CBE in 2016. Although his period of a professional Fire Service career was drawing to an end with his intention to retire, his continuing interest in public safety and Fire Service transformation was far from over. He was already planning his next role in this work and all of us will be poorer without Paul’s enthusiasm and drive.

 

Unsung Hero Award

(sponsored by AICO)

Mark Jordan, London Fire Brigade

 

^{Mark Jordan, London Fire Brigade – Unsung Hero Award, collected by his colleague Anthony Parkin from co-presenter Dave Etheridge}

Mark has worked tirelessly to improve everyday lives of homeless people in and around the Shoreditch area by setting up a food hub every Wednesday without fail. The service now serves over 100 people every week and involves 30 volunteers who have linked up with Borough Market, Selfridges and many others to assist with food donations, as well as hairdressers to drop by once a month. Mark has worked tirelessly to be a fundamental driver of this special initiative, engaging as both an ambassador for London Fire Brigade and mental health as well as an invaluable connection to a part of the community that is often shied away from.

 

Emergency Service of the Year

(sponsored by Supply+)

Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service

 

^{Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service – Emergency Service of the Year}

Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service has been at the forefront of the fire sector’s response and played an integral role in helping make Lancashire safer from not just the risk of fire but also Coronavirus. Lancashire was the first fire service in the country to roll out lateral flow tests to staff and the first fire service to assist the NHS with the distribution of the Coronavirus vaccine. In January, Lancashire also became the first service to have fully trained vaccinators and members of the service have supported the delivery of nearly 500,000 vaccines across Lancashire, whilst also having to attend to major incidents including large wildfires.

 

Resilience & Learning from Major Incidents

(sponsored by Dräger)

Wildfire Response, South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue

 

^{Wildfire Response, South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue – Resilience & Learning from Major Incidents Award winner, with sponsors Draeger UK Limited}

In May 2020, South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue responded to a ‘fire in the open’ on Hatfield Moors near Doncaster. The incident lasted 593 hours over 21 days and proved a major drain on resources and National Resources assets. Although severely testing the service, the incident was safely and effectively managed. More importantly, through effective debriefs, recovery management and lessons learned the service recognised they could further improve their overall response to wildfire incidents, putting them in a much better position to respond in the future.

 

Most Influential LGBT+ Individual in Fire

(sponsored by FIRE magazine)

Yannick Dubois, East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service

 

^{Jules King, accepting the Most Influential LGBT+ Individual in Fire award on behalf of Yannick Dubois, East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service}

Yannick began her Fire career in Buckinghamshire in 1990 and retired this summer from her role as an Inspecting Officer for Business Safety in East Sussex having played a key role during her career in developing the FBU’s Fairness at Work policy and involving fire personnel in Gay Pride marches. Yannick has been an integral part of the service’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Group and LGBT+ ‘Fire-Out’ Group providing confidential and social support, as well as promoting fair recruitment and improving engagement within local communities. Fiercely passionate about what she does, Yannick has made a real difference across the fire sector over the last 30 years.

 

Most Influential BAME Individual in Fire

(Sponsored by the Asian Fire Service Association)        

Wayne Brown, West Midlands Fire Service

 

^{Wayne Brown, West Midlands Fire Service, winner of the Most Influential BAME Individual in Fire Award, with sponsors AFSA}

Wayne is an inspirational leader who has used his position to champion and influence the progression of equality and inclusion, not only in West Midlands Fire Service but nationally and beyond the fire sector. He has been a prominent role model to the community and a visible champion encouraging people to think of the Fire Service as a career. A real ambassador for the Fire Service, Wayne embodies the maxim ‘lift as you climb’.

 

Most Influential Woman in Fire

(Sponsored by GORE-TEX Fabrics)

Carmel McKinney, Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service

 

^{Carmel McKinney, Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service – Most Influential Woman in Fire Award}

Carmel drives the gender diversity agenda within the service as the Equality Commissioner for Northern Ireland and her profile as a female role model has involved close collaboration with her colleagues and has resulted in Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service achieving the Diversity Chartermark. Winning numerous accolades nationally and internationally for her work as an inspirational female leader who encourages others to reach their full potential, Carmel is the first female chairperson of the Board who has given outstanding service to her role and has helped shape future policy and practice within the service.

 

Young People’s Supporter of the Year

(sponsored by Babcock International)

Peter Owens, Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service

 

^{Peter Owens, Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service – Young People’s Supporter of the Year Award}

This award recognises the dedication and 22 years voluntary service from Pete Owens who has run 24 cadet units from fire stations across Cheshire helping young people gain recognised qualifications and awards including BTEC and Duke of Edinburgh. Pete also encourages cadets to participate in international projects and he recently worked on a community project in Nepal to build a school. Although Pete often says “it’s not about me, it’s about the cadets” without Pete, many young people may never have achieved their full potential, or found their voice and belief in themselves.

 

Youth Champion of the Year

(sponsored by Fire Knowledge Executive Recruitment)        

Paige Hanson, South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue

 

^{Paige Hanson, South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue – Youth Champion of the Year Award}

Paige is a dedicated South Yorkshire Fire Cadet who has given up lots of her own time to engage with cadet activities throughout a difficult 18 months including setting up a 999-mile walking challenge, which raised more than £8,000 for The Fire Fighters Charity. She became to the first and only fire cadet to volunteer at her local Covid-19 vaccination centre and has participated in countless service activities, such as supporting valuable prevention work.

Whilst young people across the country naturally struggled during a difficult period, Paige was able to draw upon her undoubted resilience and the support of her cadet network to turn the adversity into something positive – transforming a period of isolation and despair into opportunities for both her and her community.

 

Innovation of the Year

(sponsored by BlueLight)

On Call Firefighters, Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service

 

^{On Call Firefighters, Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service – Innovation of the Year Award}

The Pay for Availability duty system developed by Devon and Somerset represents a significant change in ways of working and brings together a number of different measures that staff have sought for some time, including flexible contracts, enhanced pay and conditions, and a better work-life balance while still providing a valued service to their communities. This innovative duty system completely changes the way of working for on-call firefighters, focusing on the resources required for every hour of the week.

 

Collaboration of the Year

(sponsored by Hainsworth Protective Fabrics)

Safe and Well, Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service

 

^{Safe and Well, Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service – Collaboration of the Year Award}

Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service has collaborated with the four Cheshire local authorities and four clinical commissioning groups to add a test for atrial fibrillation as part of a the ‘Safe & Well’ visit to help save lives. Research has shown that the screening across Cheshire has potentially saved the NHS up to £500,000 in gross treatment costs and provided potential annual benefits worth up to £720,000 to people identified with asymptomatic atrial fibrillation.

 

Emergency Services Collaboration of the Year

(sponsored by Emergency One (UK) Ltd/Clan Tools & Plant Ltd) 

Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service

 

^{Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service – Emergency Services Collaboration of the Year}

Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service came together with East of England Ambulance Service to provide support during the Covid crisis, including providing firefighters to drive ambulances across Bedfordshire, launching a new Falls Service responding to vulnerable people who fall in their homes  and launching a new technical support unit – the first of its kind in the country – responding to Bariatric and complex patient incidents where emergency removal of a patient is required. This freed up ambulance crews and the NHS to continue delivering frontline care.

 

Training Provider of the Year

(sponsored by MSA Safety)

Joanna Foster, Fabtic

 

^{Joanna Foster, Fabtic – Training Provider of the Year}

Joanna Foster of Fabtic provides an accessible and outstanding service to ensure individuals are best equipped to face the challenges of fire setting. Her outstanding experience and knowledge enhance the training she delivers and gives the necessary support for personnel who deliver and work with vulnerable children, young people and adults. Joanna deserves recognition for going above and beyond with the training she delivers and for wanting to make a continued difference.

 

Project of the Year

(sponsored by Safety Components)

National Operational Guidance, Kent Fire and Rescue Service

 

^{Occupational Health and Safety, Humberside Fire and Rescue Service – Team of the Year}

Kent is the first UK fire and rescue service to fully adopt and embed National Operational Guidance achieving multiple benefits including reducing operational risk to firefighters and increasing efficiency. The implementation team, led by Chris Caswell, worked incredibly hard to deliver the project, winning hearts and minds with colleagues within the service and proving to be hugely influential in supporting the adoption of National Operational Guidance across the UK Fire and Rescue Service.

 

Team of the Year

(sponsored by Infographics)

Occupational Health and Safety, Humberside Fire and Rescue Service

 

^{National Operational Guidance, Kent Fire and Rescue Service – Project of the Year}

The Occupational Health and Wellbeing team at Humberside Fire and Rescue Service have kept the workforce safe during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The team has introduced a range of policies and interventions including blue light champions to raise awareness of mental health problems and provided staff with a Covid-19 psychological wellbeing toolkit, giving personnel individual access to regular support and advice.

 

International Best Practice

(Sponsored by the Institution of Fire Engineers)

Abu Dhabi Civil Defense Authority

 

^{Abu Dhabi Civil Defense Authority – International Best Practice Award}

Fires in Abu Dhabi have developed greatly in recent years, especially in towers and high-rise buildings, requiring pioneering technologies. The innovation team in Abu Dhabi Civil Defence have adapted a robot to include a thermal imaging camera, ventilator unit and plough system to remove unsafe cladding. The unit has already been deployed to an oil well and high-rise building fires for 20 hours without a break, which provided the safest and most effective firefighting solution.