South Yorkshire fire service wins award for 2019 flood rescue efforts

The fire service, which represented Europe, was awarded 'Most Effective Recovery' at the recent Business Continuity Institute's Global Awards which was held recently at a virtual ceremony.

The award, which was presented to the service's Resilience, Planning and Contingencies team, recognises organisations which have effectively managed major incidents.

The fire service rescued more than 300 people and pumped away an estimated 363 million litres of flood water in parts of Sheffield, Doncaster and Rotherham.

The deluge left roads and railways submerged, caused the River Don to burst its banks and left shoppers and workers stranded in Meadowhall.

Sheffield had its wettest November day since 2000 when a month's rain fell in 24 hours.

The fire service also coordinated the efforts of fire and rescue services and other agencies who arrived from all over the UK to support the local effort.

Area Manager Stewart Nicholson said: "The flooding which devastated so many parts of our country in 2019 will live long in the memory for many people and sadly it continues to affect the lives of those who were most severely affected.

"However, we are pleased that our work to plan for, respond to and ultimately recover from such an event has been acknowledged in this way.

"It provides much needed recognition to our staff who work so hard behind the scenes."

The BCI Awards honour business continuity and resilience professionals and organisations worldwide.