Four operatives receive Employee of the Month award after alerting community to residential fire

This month we’re recognising the courageous actions of four of our operatives after they alerted residents to a fire which broke out at a residential property in Nottingham.

Darren Jude, Jim Halpin, Nigel Hallam and Ashley Hallam were carrying out night works as part of our city-wide build contract in Nottingham for CityFibre, when Darren noticed smoke coming from an open window on the first floor of a residential property.

The team immediately made their way over to the property to raise the alarm with the homeowner and after receiving no response, proceeded to alert the neighbours to the worrying situation that was unfolding.

A member of the public contacted the emergency services, with fire crews and paramedics arriving quickly on the scene. 

With no response from inside the property, fire crews were forced to break down the door before confirming that fortunately, no one was inside. However, as the fire was being extinguished, our Operatives spotted pets within the house and with the help of firefighters – successfully rescued all the animals.

All four operatives have subsequently been awarded McCann’s Employee of the Month award for their quick thinking and bravery, while their commendable actions have also been recognised by our Fibre Manager, Craig Kenward, who has shared his thoughts on the incident.

“It goes without saying that Darren, Jim, Nigel and Ashley acted out of pure selflessness with a real awareness of the importance of putting public safety first,”

He continues, “The whole incident unfolded at night when people were asleep. When the guys realised that animals were still inside the house and there was a risk to those in neighbouring properties, survival mode clearly kicked in!”

Craig continues, “Had they not intervened when they did, the situation could have been considerably worse. It’s in moments like these that we rely on our team to show initiative. I’m very proud to work alongside such incredible people and it’s an honour to present Darren, Jim, Nigel and Ashley with our Employee of the Month Award. It is fully deserved!”

Take a look at our careers and training pages and see yourself as Employee of the month.