The Brigade’s 999 control officers received two awards at the first ever Control Room Awards last night.
The awards celebrate the life-saving and life-changing work of staff in critical control rooms within emergency services across the country.
Our control team Two Watch won the award for Team of the Year in recognition of their work on the night of the Grenfell Tower fire.
Jo Smith, the Brigade’s Senior Operations Manager, said: “It is an honour to be the first team to win this award. Our control officers are the first point of contact for people making emergency 999 calls and we are incredibly grateful that our work, which can be challenging and emotional, has been recognised.”
The Control Room Awards judges said: “Two Watch showed exceptional team spirit and extraordinary resilience while delivering an outstanding service in desperately difficult circumstances. It speaks volumes that, when they were relieved of duty after sharing a horrific night shift, not a single member of the watch left alone. They waited until they were all together and walked out as one.”
The Control Room Awards also recognised a series of individuals for their remarkable work. Amongst those was Assistant Operations Manager Lyn Juby who received the Lifetime Achievement Award.
The judges said: “Lyn’s length of service with London Fire Brigade is remarkable, as is her contribution and lasting legacy. Despite her own personal health challenges, Lyn is a passionate representative and ambassador for London Fire Brigade. Recently she has performed a particularly challenging role in the Grenfell investigation, offering valuable support to call takers.”
The winners were chosen from more than 200 nominations and announced at an inspiring awards ceremony held at the De Vere Orchard Hotel in Nottingham on Thursday 8th March.