Firefighter and co-responder Sam Edwards was presented with a Chief Fire Officer’s Commendation on Monday.
Assistant Chief Fire Officer Glenn Bowyer, Director of Operations visited Ringwood Fire Station, where Sam is based, to present him with his award.
The award commended Sam’s bravery and quick action, which almost certainly prevented a man from jumping from a road bridge above the busy A31 in Ringwood in February this year.
While returning from another co-responder incident, Sam observed a man on the wrong side of the barriers.
Without hesitation he grabbed him and pulled him to safety. Fortunately, the police were close by, as they had already been alerted to the potential incident following a call to Fire Control from the individual. The man was then passed into their care.
Ringwood on-call firefighter and co-responder, Sam Edwards said:
“I was returning from an incident in the Ringwood co-responder vehicle when I came across a man looking to jump off the A31 road bridge. I managed to pull the gentleman away from the edge and along with members of the public we were able to bring him to the safe side of the barrier, before he was passed into the care of the appropriate teams.“It isn’t nice to see someone in that situation, I was glad I was there to intervene, take action and prevent the situation from becoming far worse.“I feel extremely honored to have been awarded this commendation, but it’s all part of our role as firefighters and co-responders, to help make a difference to the lives of people in our community when they need us the most.”
ACO Glenn Bowyer, Director of Operations said:
“I was delighted to visit the station on behalf of the Chief Fire Officer to present Sam with his well-deserved award.
“Sam’s quick thinking and response that night undoubtedly saved the man’s life and protected the lives of many road-users on a busy highway.
“His actions exemplify the Service values, and Sam is an excellent role model for our organisation.
“Thank you for your unwavering commitment to serving the community Sam.”
