CREW, staff and partners from Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS) were honoured alongside members of the public at the organisation’s annual awards ceremony last month.
Celebrating outstanding acts of courage, commitment, and community service, the awards recognised a wide range of achievements on the evening of Friday, September 22.
The highlight of the evening was the presentation of Long Service and Good Conduct medals, on behalf of Her Majesty the Queen.
Winners from stations across Berkshire included Hungerford Community Fire Station, which won Fire Station of the Year; Martin Simmonds, crew manager at Maidenhead Fire Station who won the Emergency Responder of the Year; and Gary Thomas, Senior IT Technician won the Employee of the Year.
Special recognition was also paid to those who were involved in the extraordinary fundraising activity that occurred after the Grenfell Tower fire. Over a weekend, RBFRS staff held a series of fundraising events, which raised over £25,000 to support those directly affected by the tragedy.
During the ceremony, volunteers, chaplains and Fire Authority Members also celebrated the completion of their long service to Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service.
Chairman of Royal Berkshire Fire Authority, Councillor Colin Dudley, said: “It was a great honour to celebrate the long service and good conduct of RBFRS’ personnel at the annual Awards Ceremony, amongst other outstanding achievements. The event is a special evening which recognised the dedication of our staff, volunteers, partners, members of the public and Fire Authority Members alike. I thoroughly enjoyed celebrating with those who attended.”
Chief Fire Officer at Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service, Trevor Ferguson, said: “I am delighted that we were able to recognise and celebrate the outstanding achievements of those who work for, and with, Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service. This event provides an opportunity for us to thank people on behalf of residents’ right across Berkshire for the exceptional work that they do.”
