Celebrating 1000 years of collective service and staff excellence

On Thursday 19 February, Avon Fire & Rescue Service (AF&RS) celebrated the dedication, bravery, and outstanding contributions of its staff at its Long Service and Annual Awards, this year hosted at Ashton Gate Stadium.  

The awards saw over 60 people recognised for 20, 30, and 40 years of service, seeing over 1,000 years of collective service honoured throughout the evening. Lord Lieutenant Peaches Golding attended the ceremony and proudly presented the Long Service & Good Conduct Medals on behalf of His Majesty the King.  

Chief Fire Officer Matt Cook, spoke about the Long Service & Good Conduct Awards, he said: “It is a great honour to recognise so many people who have served their communities for 20, 30 and for some, over 40 years. These achievements reflect decades of loyalty and selfless contribution to the safety and wellbeing of local people living and working in our community.” 

Alongside many years of excellence, the evening also recognised staff successes and excellence over the past year. Over six categories, this year’s winners include: 

• Charity Champion Award: Firefighter Lee Ralph from Kingswood Fire Station for leading mental health initiatives and fundraising efforts, including a 100-person workout on the summit of Pen y Fan, raising awareness and vital funds. 

• Communities First Award: Honouring Watch Manager John Riddiford from Thornbury Fire Station whose 25+ years of selfless service have strengthened the connection between the Service and local communities. Always putting other people first and motivating his team to do the same. 

• Control Room Excellence Award: Blue Watch Control was recognised for exceptional resilience, teamwork, and professionalism during a period of organisational transformation, supporting colleagues and maintaining high standards. 

• Excellence in Service Award: Zuzanna Bond for providing significant improvements in staff wellbeing, championing better access to physical and mental health support across the Service.  

• Exceptional Leadership Award: Tom Luxon demonstrated transformational leadership in ICT and digital systems, including development of the Digital, Data and Technology Strategy and national representation at the NFCC as Cyber Lead. 

• Operational Excellence Award: Temple Fire Station’s Red Watch responded to a life-threatening stabbing in Easton, Bristol, showing outstanding bravery and skill in high-pressure circumstances. 

Speaking at the end of the evening, Chief Fire Officer Matt Cook said:

“My heartfelt congratulations go to all our award recipients and nominees. Your commitment, professionalism, and the impact you have made on your colleagues and communities shine through in every story shared throughout the night. It inspires all of us, and it has been a privilege to recognise everyone for their contribution. 

“I also want to say a huge thank you to all of our sponsors, without them we would not be able to recognise the commitment and dedication of our staff, we are truly grateful.” 

A huge thank you to the sponsors of the evening, including Gold Sponsors NEC Software Solutions, who presented the Control Excellence Award on the evening. Thanks also go to our Bronze Sponsors, Emergency One (UK) Ltd, SVE, BDP, Craddys, and Willmott Dixon, whose generous support helps make the Annual Awards possible. 

The Service also acknowledges the support of its suppliers, including Ashton Gate Stadium, which provided the venue, Sounds Commercial Ltd, which supplied AV equipment and staging, and Sam Braithwaite, who captured the event photography.