Heroines receive award after saving elderly couple from smoke-filled flat

A FIRE safety duo who rescued an elderly couple from a smoke-filled flat are now the proud owners of a prestigious award.

Sarah Baker and Julie Smith, community safety advocates at Grimsby's Peaks Lane Fire Station, were up for an accolade at the annual Humberside Fire And Rescue Community Awards.

As reported, they were giving a talk on fire safety at a sheltered living complex in Cleethorpes when they heard a smoke alarm in a nearby flat.

They quickly located the property and found two elderly residents inside, and unaware of the smoke alarm.

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The duo followed their own advice by evacuating the elderly couple and isolating the kitchen appliance that was the source of the smoke.

The accolade – for being the team or individual to have the most impact on improving people's lives – was presented to the pair during an evening that highlighted the hard work of all fire service staff.

Julie said: "It's an honour to receive the award, the evening shows the hard work that the staff at Humberside Fire Rescue do.

"When you do the job you sometimes take for granted just what we do and how much we are involved in the community."

Sarah added: "It was a big surprise, there were so many people deserving of the award – we didn't expect to win.

"It's really nice to see everyone's hard work being recognised.

"When you do what needs to be done and go beyond the call of duty, you take for granted how committed we all are to our jobs."

The elderly couple are now receiving more support from Shoreline and their family, along with visits from Humberside Fire And Rescue Service. Sarah said: "We feel we have made a real difference to their lives and this has been a great example of how we work with different organisations to help the community."

During the ceremony, North East Lincolnshire Council's building control section, in co-operation with Balfour Beatty, was awarded Best Team for their work in ensuring the safety of firefighters when entering unsafe structures.