‘Heroic’ officers who saved man from a burning flat win bravery award
Two officers who risked their lives to rescue a man from a burning building have been recognised for their bravery.
Sergeant Michael McGuirk and Police Constable Nikki Smith, both 30, were announced as the winners of the bravery category at the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) annual Excellence Awards.
The officers from the emergency policing response team covering Barnet, Harrow and Brent were handed their awards by Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley at the event held at the Oval in London on Wednesday (October 19).
Sir Mark said: “These awards celebrate the best of the Met and are one way we recognise the incredible contributions individuals and teams made protecting and serving the people of London.
“Against this success, in stark contrast, there are some very real challenges. This week is a tough one for the Met. There is no denying that and there will be some difficult challenges as we fix the things we need to.
“But I remain optimistic for one reason. I know we will succeed in making the necessary changes, because of you and those like you, the fantastic, dedicated, honest and often heroic officers and staff who make up the vast majority of our people. The very best of those we heard about today.
“Every finalist embodies the best of us and the values we hold dear – they are an inspiration to the rest of us. I am proud of you – you should be proud too.”
The two officers had been called to a report of a man suffering a mental health crisis inside a flat in Coppetts, Barnet, one evening in December 2020.
They arrived to find the man had set himself and his home on fire, and set about fighting their way inside the burning ground floor flat.
Unable to access the property, Sgt McGuirk squeezed his way in via a small window, suffering a deep cut to his knee in the process.
After isolating the fire by turning over the bed he went further into the flat to clear access to the front door.
Meanwhile, PC Smith had evacuated families from neighbouring flats to prevent any further injuries.
Having cleared the doorway, Sgt McGuirk went back into the blazing bedroom to rescue the man. Once outside, the two officers provided life-saving CPR until paramedics arrived.
Speaking after receiving the award, PC Smith, said: “The fire was one of those times where you go into fight or flight mode and luckily we went into fight mode. There is no other job like policing.”
Sgt McGuirk added: “I feel really proud and surprised to win this award when considering the other nominations. I didn’t join the police to win a bravery award but I did join to save lives. That’s the job.”
The Commissioner’s Award, personally selected by Sir Mark, went to two officers who were stabbed during an incident in Leicester Square last month. The MPS said their names were not being released at this time.
The three other finalists for the Bravery Award were: The Emergency Response team covering Ealing Hillingdon and Hounslow who saved a family from a burning block of flats in Hillingdon; Detective Inspector Sean Drislane who was off-duty when he arrested a man who exposed himself to a young girl on a train; and Police Dog Kaiser, stabbed during an incident in Orpington, and his handler PC Mark Woolcott.
The full list of awards and winners is:
Operational/Specialist Team of the Year: Specialist Operations – for their work in relation to the terrorist attack on Streatham High Road in February 2020.
Crime Fighter: PC Steve Ozden from Lewisham for his remarkable contribution to public safety and justice for victims of crime.
Investigation of the Year: Murder Investigation Team 1, Specialist Crime North, for their complex investigation into the murder of Flamur Beqiri.
Criminal Justice and Victim Care Award: DC Laura Day, from the Online Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Team.
Special Constabulary Award: Acting Special Sergeant Daniel Villamil, from Central East Basic Command Unit, covering Hackney and Tower Hamlets, for going above and beyond as a volunteer.
Safer Neighbourhoods Team of the Year: Tower Hamlets Homes Funded Teams for their work tackling anti-social behaviour and drug offending in Tower Hamlets.
Police Officer of the Year: PC Darren Shannon, from the Territorial Support Group, for his work with young people at the Dwayamics Boxing Gym in Brixton.
Special Recognition Award: PC Sobia Seher, for her work to raise awareness of faith diversity in the MPS.
Cadet of the Year: Charlie Johnson for his exceptional efforts as a cadet in Hounslow.
Volunteer of the Year: Former Brixton-based police officer John Street, for his work with young people in South London, including running the Lambeth Summer Project, which he launched 33 years ago.
Building a Better Met: The Corporate Services team behind Signa, a new programme that has brought a fresh approach to tackling internal issues of sexism and misogyny.
Police Staff of the Year: PCSO Marek Regan, from Hampton Safer Neighbourhoods Team, for 11 years of work building stronger relationships with the young community through football.