THE HWFRS station commander for Bromsgrove and Tenbury hit the headlines when he took part in the TV documentary ‘We are Firefighters’ on BBC1 in the Midlands.
Simon Hawkins, who became Europe’s first serving amputee firefighter when he lost his leg in a motorbike crash, took part in the show alongside one of his firefighters Leanne Player where they gave insights into their work and home lives.
‘We Are Firefighters’ is part of the BBC series We Are England and features station commanders and firefighters following various incidents from start to finish.
In the show, Simon, his wife, and their children described the considerable support he received from the service after his accident in 2004.
Simon was a firefighter for 11 years before the crash and thought he would never be able to walk again when it happened in 2004.
However, in 2006, Simon became the first fully-fledged serving firefighter with a prosthetic limb in the UK and Europe.
Jon Butlin, Area Commander Assistant Director for Response, said: “We are Firefighters’ was a fascinating and inspiring programme which really shed light on life as a modern firefighter.
“Whilst for us in the service, this may all seem fairly routine, many viewers won’t understand the sheer scale of training and the numerous challenges that we face, and the potential impacts on our home lives.
“Making the programme has taken a lot of effort for all of them, which included several advance media interviews to bring in the viewers.
“I would like to thank them and their families for the support they have given, as well as their colleagues who also featured.”
Visit bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-63419919to for more and watch the programme.
