Teenager honoured at fire service awards

BRAVE members of the public and outstanding members of staff from South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue service were recognised at the service's annual awards ceremony held in Barnsley last night.

World Cup Final football referee Howard Webb, from Rotherham, was the guest of honour at the ceremony and handed out gongs to individuals and organisations.

Among the winners were Doncaster teenager Aimee Dempsey, who was presented with the award for a public act of bravery following her actions at a serious explosion in Edlington. The award followed national recognition for Aimee at the Pride of Britain Awards last week.

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Earlier this year Aimee, then 12, helped six of her friends who were injured following an explosion in a garden.

The group had been burning garden waste when one of them poured highly flammable nitrous methane onto it, sparking a large explosion which burned the children, one of whom was aged only five.

Despite being burned too, Aimee ran to the nearest of her friends, who was still on fire, and told him to roll on the ground. She also pushed away a burning bin and shouted safety instructions.

Another award-winning youngster was 16-year-old Jamie Bridge, from Sheffield, who has neuro-behavioural disorders and autism and was named fire cadet of the year.

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Ray Smith, from Rotherham-based RIMS Driving School, picked up the best business partner trophy for the company's backing for the Drive For Life road safety project and Barnsley Academy was recognised as the best education partner for its support in introducing a new BTEC course, the first fire service-related qualification of its kind in the region.

A spokesman for the fire service said: "Further awards were handed out to reward the firefighters, crews, control staff and support staff who have gone beyond the call of duty in their efforts to work for a safe South Yorkshire."