Holbeach fire staff recognised after incredible effort to save man’s life

Firefighters have been recognised for their work after helping to save a man’s life after an ‘out of the ordinary’ incident.

If it wasn’t for the quick response from Holbeach Fire Station co-responders Simon Smith and Errol Dunham, a 55-year-old man who was said to have suffered a ‘massive’ heart attack would not have lived to tell the tale.

In recognition of the response to the incident in January 2019, Lincolnshire’s Chief Fire Officer Mark Baxter presented crew manager Simon Smith with a certificate on Tuesday evening.

Errol, who is now working as an ambulance technician in the town, was unable to attend the surprise event but he is proud of what he and Simon achieved.

He said: “The incident was one where first responding comes into its own as you’re there so quick and it certainly was a bit of the ordinary. Even now I’m in the ambulance service it’s not something I see every day.

“As co-responders we got the call to go and look after the gentleman who was having chest pains while waiting for the ambulance. After we arrived it rapidly turned into something serious which ended in us saving the man’s life.

“I must admit it stuck in my mind – I went in the back of the ambulance with the crew. The gentleman’s heart stopped several times on the way to hospital so we had to restart it. One minute you’re talking to a man normally, the next he’s clinically dead, then you do something and he’s alive again.

“It just shows what local responders can and that they do make a huge difference, but the paramedics did the bulk of the work on the way to hospital – I was just in awe of them. That’s the reason he is able to ‘go home shopping’ as they say, because of Julie the paramedic.”

Errol and Simon had attended many jobs together in the run up to the incident and Simon says he was always glad to have him by his side.

He said: “It’s all about composure, keeping a level head and keeping people safe. We do go out a lot on co-responder jobs and its a big asset to the community, especially with the ambulance service as stretched as it is.

“The recognition goes to everyone really – we were there and it wasn’t the norm, but the ambulance crew who backed us up were fantastic and the control room staff and after incident support too.

“Yes, we were there on the frontline but the help and support we were given was great – and it’s happening on a daily basis. At the time you don’t think about anything – you just concentrate on your job.

“Errol is a fantastic guy and as a team it was always good to go out with him and you knew you were in good hands.”

Watch manager John Kinder added: “Holbeach as a crew are called to many incidents and all strive to do their utmost best, but sadly sometimes the results can be negative.

“It’s a great feeling when we get a positive result fed back to us and for Simon and Errol to be recognised is good for us all as a station and shows we can make a positive difference in our strive to help our community.

“I am proud of all of my crew for the work, time and commitment that they put in to making Holbeach and surrounding villages a safe place to live and work.”