Grateful for our 999 heroes

There’s more to being a firefighter than putting out fires.

And just how emotionally draining but rewarding the job can be is revealed today.

Our story of firefighter Adrian Sargent and how he saved the life of a young woman threatening to jump from a bridge opens our eyes to the situations emergency service personnel face on a regular basis. While there are long periods where nothing much happens, when they are called into action, their response can be a matter of life and death.

Firefighter Sargent and his team were called out to Wearmouth Bridge to find a 21-year-old woman on the wrong side of the railings.

Over the next two hours, he managed to gain the woman’s trust and help her back across the barriers to safety.

He has been rewarded for his efforts with a Certificate of Commendation from Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service, but he is admirably low key in his reaction.

“It was a total surprise and privilege to receive the commendation,” he said, “I wasn’t expecting it at all.

“I felt really good about what I did to help her but never expected to receive an award – I was just doing my job.

“I’ve been overwhelmed with the response after receiving the commendation, it’s lovely to get some recognition but it’s also sad too as we are seeing more of these types of rescues.

“Please remember that there are people out there you can speak to, help is available.

“It’s a privilege to be in this job.”

We should thank our lucky stars that we have emergency services we can rely on to put their lives on the line for others.

The privilege is ours.