Three retired officers, ten active officers, and one team, of the Anguilla Fire and Rescue Service, have been awarded for their outstanding contributions over the past years. They were honoured at the First Annual Firemen’s Ball at DaVida Restaurant on Saturday, October 10. The awards were presented a s fireworks illuminated the sky over the restaurant and Crocus Bay, and as dinner was being served.
The event attracted several officials including the Acting Governor and Mrs. Stanley Reid; Chief
Minister, Mr. Victor Banks; Minister of Social Development, Mr. Evans McNiel Rogers; Minister of Infrastructure and Mrs. Curtis Richardson; Permanent Secretary, Mr. Larry Franklin; and Mr. Jim Bunting, Advisor to the Fire and Rescue Service.
The awardees were as follows: John Riley (retired); Carl Glasgow (retired); and Martin Richardson (retired Chief Fire Officer – all for appreciation of service; Elridge Richardson, Worrel 
Brooks, Lunsford Richardson and Junior Lake – all for serving for two decades so far; Carlisle Lake, Omari Bourne, Fortune Hilton, and Elridge Richardson – all for outstanding contributions; Ryan Adamson (Most Outstanding Fire-fighter); Junie Fleming (Most Outstanding Officer); and Team Blue Watch (Watch of the Year Award). The awards, presented by Minister Curtis Richardson, were sponsored by Delta Petroleum Limited.
Acting Chief Fire Officer, Mr. Shondell Hodge, expressed delight over the work of the fire officers and the awards presented to them. He said that on many occasions the awardees had gone beyond the call of duty in performing their service. “Their courageous efforts, professionalism and contributions to the Anguilla Fire and Rescue Service, demand that we should honour them,” he added.
Mr. Jim Bunting, Advisor to the Anguilla Fire and Rescue Service, also spoke at the award presentation ceremony. In complimenting the officers, he was pleased that it was possible to send a number of them to the United Kingdom for training and that some had obtained 100 percent in examinations. He also spoke about a new fire hall to be constructed and plans for improvements in a number of areas.
Mr. Bunting added that he had been working on these and other matters, and pledged that at the end of his tour of duty the Anguilla Fire and Rescue Service would be very much improved and competitive alongside that of other Caribbean islands.
