The heroic roles played by six firefighters in rescuing a woman and her two-year-old child during February's floods have been recognised by the chief fire officer.
On February 16 the Kington crew showed swift decision making under difficult circumstances when they performed their courageous rescue from flood water, Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service said.
At Letton the crew entered the water to rescue a female driver and her child who were stuck in the car. The crew used wading poles and entered the water, making contact with the car's occupants and carrying them to safety.
The crew of watch commander Alan Dixon, crew commander Gary Barnett and firefighters Lauren Barnett, Mike Davies, Liam Davies and Andrew Davies received their awards from Chief Fire Officer (CFO) Nathan Travis at Kington Fire Station.
"Without the decisive actions of the crew and based on the information available to them, the outcome could have been tragically very different," said Station Commander Deb Davies, who nominated them for the award.
At the same ceremony, Andrew Davies was presented with his 40-year long service award by CFO Travis for "loyal and dedicated service to the local community for over four decades".
A fire service spokesperson said this is a significant achievement that only a few firefighters manage to attain in their careers.
And, in a third presentation on the night, Lauren Barnett's role in delivering key community safety messages through national media saw her receive a letter of congratulations from the chief fire officer.
Group commander Martin Lown, who nominated her for the award, said she had appeared on Channel 4’s The Steph Show as well as BBC Radio Five Live.
"It's fantastic to recognise the achievements of our teams in this way," said CFO Travis.
"And on this occasion Kington firefighters have not only demonstrated their commitment to saving lives, but they have also shown their commitment to serving their community over many years as well as promoting the wider role of the service and the vital role of the on-call firefighter."
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