Easy Fireplace are delighted to the sponsoring the Emergency Services Personality category at this year’s Examiner Community Awards.
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We are looking forward to the awards ceremony and congratulating all of the nominees and winners.
PCSO Deb Smith went to a routine meeting about anti-social behaviour and ended up saving a man’s life.
The 51-year-old officer, who normally patrols the Greenhead ward, had gone to a meeting at Holy Trinity Church to discuss drug problems in the church grounds which had led to drug-related waste being strewn around the area,
Pcso Smith attended along with James Denton, Safer Communities Officer with Kirklees Council, who said: “The meeting was very useful and a number of actions were agreed to significantly improve the environment and to refer on offenders where necessary.
“Following the meeting we were conducting a recce of the site when we came across a man who had very recently overdosed. He had stopped breathing and had turned blue. Without hesitation, Pcso Smith phoned it in and began giving CPR. Shortly afterwards the man came round and was taken to hospital by the ambulance service, but I feel certain saying that without Pcso Smith’s actions the man would have died. Her professional and swift response in unsettling circumstances were a credit to the force.”
Deb said: “The man is in his 40s, homeless and has drug and alcohol problems. I found him unconscious in a bush and as I put him in the recovery position he stopped breathing. I started chest compressions and he started to breath again around three minutes before the paramedics arrived.”
The man was taken to hospital but then took his own discharge and Deb managed to track him down and discovered he was staying with a friend. She has then worked with different organisations to help improve his life and he is now doing OK.
The incident led to Deb organising a big community clean-up day in the church grounds and now with all the vegetation cut back the drug abuse there has virtually vanished.
Deb was been with the police for 15 years, working as a dispatcher in the control room but has been a Pcso now for more than two years and part of her role is to help businesses with vital crime prevention advice.
Deb, who hails originally from Northern Ireland, is married to Mike and the couple have three children Keith, Stephanie and Ben and a 20-month-old granddaughter Freya.
Brave firefighter Andy Wooler was determined not to be beaten by a brain tumour.
For within weeks of finishing radiotherapy and chemotherapy the watch commander was back at work at Huddersfield fire station.
And he was so moved by what he learned in hospital about the children cancer charity Candlelighters he vowed to help them out – and raised a phenomenal amount at his first fundraiser.
Andy, who is married to Julie and lives in Brockholes with 12-year-old son, Harry, still has the brain tumour but is determined to carry on life as normal as possible.
He hoped to raise £1,000 with a fundraising car wash at Huddersfield fire station on April 12 but ending up doubling that to £2,000.
Andy’s life was turned upside down last year when he was diagnosed with a brain tumour after suffering from seizures out of the blue
The 45-year-old has had to come to terms with the diagnosis of a grade three, potentially life-threatening tumour.
He spent a week at Leeds General Infirmary having biopsies taken and since then he has undergone a gruelling 30 sessions of radiotherapy spread over two months and now has chemotherapy treatment every six weeks which leaves him feeling tired and sick.
Andy said: “My son Harry is only 12 and I wonder ‘what if it was our son going through what I’m going through?’ I don’t know how families deal with that.
“I just want to do something to show my gratitude to the hospital for the treatment and care I have received and hopefully raise some cash for the youngsters.”
Andy now does non-operational duties organising vital training sessions which could save firefighters’ lives.
He said: “The latest scan I had showed the tumour had enhanced which could mean one of two things. Either the treatment is not working or it had been sensitised by the chemotherapy.
“It’s not great news. They have not given me a final prognosis. The oncology doctor said that they can’t get rid of the tumour so it’s living with it and managing it. My gut feeling is that I’m living with it for as long as I live and I hope that is many, many years.”
Andy was nominated by Lee Benson, Kirklees Assistant District Commander for West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service (WYFRS), who said: “Andy has returned to work and become an integral part of the district team utilising his experience to organise large scale exercises and training opportunities for the Kirklees crews.
“He has shown a positive attitude throughout this difficult time and is an ideal role model for anyone in a similar situation.”
When burglaries started to go up in parts of Huddersfield a group of PCSOs decided to do something about it.
So they turned to drama and song with a video to get across vital anti-crime messages.
And they remained determined to carry on even though a top rock band turned down their request to use one of their songs.
PCSOs Jon Arey, Paul Simpkins, Morgan Cockcroft and Christopher McNamara wanted to produce a high quality video initially using the song Fairytale of New York by the Pogues.
It tells the sorry tale burglar being chased and caught by the police along with numerous crime safety messages centred around burglary prevention. Unfortunately, after gaining the approval of senior officers, they couldn’t persuade the Pogues’ management company to let them use the song so they looked for another one.
Paul said: “We wanted the Pogues song because it’s catchy, well-known and people could relate to it.”
Then they went more traditional by singing the favourite Christmas carol Silent Night with Jon and Paul on lead vocals, Morgan sorting out the editing and Chris penning the lyrics.
Paul said: “ We used familiar Huddersfield landmarks in the video such as Castle Hill and Huddersfield Town Hall. I played the burglar and I suppose it’s not giving too much away to say it ends badly for me when I’m chased and caught. The video’s aim was to try to bring the number of burglaries down.”
Jon and Chris patrol Crosland Moor and Netherton while Paul and Morgan cover the Newsome area.
Most of the project was carried out in their own time and the results were so impressive Chief Constable Mark Gilmore gave it the official police seal of approval and within days the team was invited on regional TV and the officers performed the song live at the Chief’s Christmas Carol Concert at Wakefield Cathedral in front of 600 people.
Some of the lyrics:
“Burgling houses is my delight
iPods and gold is my favourite desire
Maybe your fence should have been a bit higher
“Gifts look nice tied with bows
I will steal them from under your tree
If you leave your door open for me
All your nicking must cease
Somebody call the police
