Emergency Services Worker

PC Chris Thompson has not had a Christmas off work for six years – but that changes this year when he goes on honeymoon to Mauritius with his new bride.

PC Thompson was last year’s winner of our Emergency Services Worker award, and this June is another celebration when he ties the knot.

His wife to be, also a police officer, was on duty during the incident for which he won his award – saving a woman’s life by rescuing her from a Wombwell house fire in January 2011.

PC Thompson said: “That incident was up there with the most serious. It’s the only one that I could have paid the penalty for with my own life.

“But I have always wanted to be on the front line and deal with these types of incidents. I’m very proud to be able to do that - that’s why I joined the police.” But he added: “My fiancee told me I’m not allowed to do it again!”

Policing has been in Chris’s family for almost 40 years, as his dad served 30 years and Chris has served seven. He is now based in Barnsley and is progressing in his career. He has applied to go into a different department requiring further intensive training.

He added: “The incident I won the award for did show decisionmaking and team-working. But, on the awards night, I was humbled by other people’s stories. I was just doing my job.”

Do you know a local 999 hero? The Emergency Services Worker category is open to all employees of the police, fire and ambulance services.

The following points are intended as guidelines only, to help you with your nomination.

They could have shown extreme courage at an incident.
Given service above and beyond the call of duty.
Put themselves at risk to save the lives of others.
Dedicated a lifetime of service to the community.

Members of the emergency services are remarkably selfless people we all depend on in a crisis to do the right thing. This is a great way to remind everyone what a debt we owe them and given them the recognition they deserve.

Category Sponsor

Road To Recovery

Building 7
High Street
Great Houghton
Barnsley S72 0AA

Telephone: 0870 474 0148

www.rtruk.com

RTR UK Ltd is a Barnsley success story. The company has a number of business activities, all concerned with helping the public save money and get a fairer deal.

It has recently added a new product to its portfolio – excess insurance. Excess insurance is a financial product that allows you to cover the cost of your excess on a range of insurance policies, including motor, home and life cover. Insurance premiums often reduce considerably when you opt for a high excess but it’s a gamble; should you have a claim you would be facing a significant bill. The idea of excess insurance is that you increase your excess to bring down the cost of the premium and then you insure the cost of the excess separately. If you have a claim on your main policy you just claim the excess back from the excess policy. Goodbye Excess, RTR’s excess insurance product is the only policy on the market that is fully funded which means that they pay out directly to the main insurer – no paying out then claiming back as all other policies require. The policy also comes with access to PAYG breakdown cover.

It’s no coincidence that all RTR’s products and services are centred around saving money – it comes from what Paul Hoyle, Managing Director of RTR, calls his ‘Barnsley Values’. Spending money wisely is a well-documented Yorkshire attribute and nowhere is that more valued than in Paul’s home town of Barnsley.

RTR is sponsoring the Emergency Services category in the Proud of Barnsley awards for the second year running because it recognises the massively important role that the emergency services play in the community. As well as supporting them in these awards, RTR also allows the Yorkshire Ambulance Service (YAS) to situate a deploy centre on its land in Darfield, helping the YAS to maintain its target response time of eight minutes. This became particularly pertinent for Paul whose own son was recently rushed into hospital with suspected appendicitis; narrowly escaping a ruptured appendix due to the fast response of the ambulance service. It’s because of this that the award will have particular significance for Paul and his family this year.

Barnsley people want a good deal and my own Barnsley roots have influenced every part of my business strategy which is to provide products and services that allow everyday ordinary people to save money.

Paul Hoyle

Managing Director