Award nomination for duo who rescued elderly residents
TWO women who saved elderly residents from danger have been nominated for a prestigious award.
Sarah Baker and Julie Smith, community safety advocates at Peaks Lane Fire Station, in Grimsby, were giving a talk on fire safety at a sheltered living complex in Cleethorpes when they heard a smoke alarm in a nearby flat.
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Teamwork: Community advocates, Julie Smith, left, and Sarah Baker, who have been nominated for a Humberside Fire and Rescue Community Safety Award. Picture: Rick Byrne
The sharp-eared duo entered the property to find two elderly residents in the living room, unaware of the smoke alarm sounding.
Sarah said: "We could see that there was a lot of smoke coming from the kitchen.
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"We went in and helped them out, isolated the kitchen appliance causing the problem and called 999.
"We are not trained firefighters; we just followed the advice we give to other people."
The Humberside Fire and Rescue Community Awards recognise the hard work of the staff that make up both front line and community teams.
And the pair have been nominated for being the team to have the bigger impact on improving peoples lives.
Julie said: "We have had a lot of kitchen fires this year, with most of them escalating by a distraction, like the TV or someone at the door.
"If you are watching the cooker you will see if it gets out of control.
"We were just lucky we were in the right place at the right time; it could have been a lot worse for the couple.
"We would advise anyone who hears a fire alarm or sees smoke or fire to call 999 and let us sort it out – don't investigate.
"We would rather have a false alarm than have people put themselves in a dangerous position."
The elderly residents involved in the incident are now being given extra support from Humberside Fire and Rescue Service and Shoreline Housing.
And Sarah and Julie's nomination is not the only celebration at the station.
Five more members of staff have been put up for awards.
Firefighter Adam Johnson was nominated for the Individual Award for Service to the Community, crew managers Andy Sangster and Nigel Smith have been nominated for the Award For Inspiring Others, and Jo Peart, along with Sarah Baker, has been nominated for the Awards For Excellence.
The ceremony takes place on September 27 in Hessle.
If you are concerned about fire safety, call 0300 303 8242.
What are you celebrating?
Share your successes with the Grimsby Telegraph by telephoning the newsroom on 01472 372236 or by e-mailing newsdesk@grimsbytelegraph.co.uk
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