Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service wins award for going above and beyond to help others

Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service has received an award in the 2022 Community Excellence Awards.

The community awards, recognise people, businesses and teams who have gone out of their way to help others during the pandemic.

The service took the prize in the Teams category, which recognises individuals and teams of people who work to benefit their communities and who have made a real difference during the challenging times the pandemic presented.

Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service was recognised for its bravery in extinguishing the major chemicals fire at Leeson Polyurethanes in South Leamington in August 2021.

Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service deployed a dozen fire tenders and crews to the incident, where they managed to contain and extinguish the fire.

Sadly, an employee of Leeson Polyurethanes lost their life as a result of the fire.

Accepting the award on behalf of Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service, Group Commander Mark Allen said: “I’m honoured to receive the award on behalf of Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service.

“The incident went on for a few days so everybody in Warwickshire was involved; multiple agencies and volunteer sectors and we couldn’t do what we do within the community without everybody’s support and help.

“The team was absolutely incredible. They showed immense bravery and it always amazes me, the resilience of our teams and the community, to get back to normal.

“I commend the guys and girls that were there on the evening and supported me in managing that incident.”

Cllr Andy Crump, Warwickshire County Council portfolio holder for Warwickshire Fire and Rescue, said: “I would like to offer my congratulations to Mark Allen and the team. Recognising the hard work and achievements of our staff is one of my favourite parts of the job.

“Our firefighters and staff work incredibly hard to serve the people of Warwickshire and provide an essential emergency service around the clock. I’m immensely proud that their bravery and dedication has been acknowledged with this team award.”

More information about Warwickshire’s Fire and Rescue Service is available online here: www.warwickshire.gov.uk/fireandrescue