Redditch PC and community first responder get excellence award (From Redditch Advertiser)

Redditch PC and community first responder get excellence award

8:50am Wednesday 20th March 2013 in News

A POLICE officer and community first responder from Redditch have been honoured at an awards ceremony for the role they played at a distressing incident.

PC Laura Lawson from West Mercia Police and Kevan Skidmore, a community first responder, were first on the scene at an incident where a man set himself on fire in the centre of a traffic island at Studley Road.

PC Lawson managed to extinguish the flames and was joined by Mr Skidmore who dressed the burns and provided a comprehensive handover to arriving ambulance staff.

Gordon Hopkins, 46, from Edgeworth Close, was a patient at Hill Crest Mental Health Unit.

After the incident, on April 19 last year, he was taken to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham where he died as a result of his horrific injuries.

PC Lawson and Mr Skidmore were nominated by members of West Midlands Ambulance Service for commendation for their work.

At a recent ceremony, held in Droitwich, they were presented with Chief Officer Commendations.

Anthony Marsh, chief executive of West Midlands Ambulance Service, praised the pair.

He added: “A really big thank you to all of our staff, volunteers and other colleagues who have worked with the ambulance service on a very regular basis to do the best we can for the public and patients across the entire West Midlands.”