Northamptonshire firefighters honoured for going 'above and beyond' at annual awards

Commendations were handed to crews and local heroes by chief fire officer Nikki Watson at the event on November 14.

Speaking after the ceremony, she said: “This is my second awards ceremony and I have once again been so impressed with the level of professionalism and dedication that I have seen from our firefighters and fire staff.

“Every day they deal with someone having one of the worst days of their lives, and it is clear through their work that we have a service which people have trust and have confidence in.

“We want to provide exceptional fire and rescue services for all our residents, and it is only right that we pay tribute to those who have gone above and beyond their duty to keep our communities safe.”

Youth engagement officer Ed Harvey, who is part of the the fire service’s prevention team, was recognised for his work in safeguarding a young person.

He delivers educational sessions to young people across Northamptonshire and after one of his sessions, one person felt comfortable enough to raise concerns with Ed that a friend of theirs may have been exploited by a person in a position of trust.

Green Watch at Fire Control and Moulton Fire Station were commended for their response and handling of a road traffic collision on the Moulton industrial estate where a woman was rescued from a burning car.

The on-call crew at Raunds Fire Station were recognised for their work in pulling an unresponsive man out of the water and administering CPR on the water banks prior to the arrival of paramedics.

Matt Welsh, from Rushden was praised at the ceremony for his efforts putting out a flat fire. He scaled a wall and fence to put the fire out using a fire extinguisher he bought just 20 minutes before the fire took place.

Kettering Blue Watch were presented with the Hilmi Say Community Award, named after the Corby firefighter who lost a two-year battle with cancer in December 2023. The award was presented by Hilmi’s wife, Victoria.

Burton Latimer Fire Station were awarded Best On-Call Station and Ian Walpole took home the first ever fire staff member of the year award.

Jess Cooke was the recipient of the inaugural Culture Award, given to those who uphold the highest standards and ‘contribute towards a positive workplace culture.’

Finally, assistant chief fire officer, Phil Pells, was awarded with a 30-year long service pin, as were recently retired firefighters Lee Mayes and Stuart Oliver. Crew managers David Seymour and Nicholas Goddard were awarded medals for their 20 years of service.

Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Danielle Stone added: “The fire service has a unique presence in our local neighbourhoods and I continue to be amazed at the work they do to keep people safe.

“It was a privilege to be able to attend the ceremony to recognise that work and I really value the contribution they have all made to the safety of people in this county, whatever their role.”