PC Jordan Watson, PC Andrew Thompson and PC George Ewart

A group of police officers who went above and beyond the call of duty to rescue almost 100 residents from a burning block of flats have been nominated for the national Police Bravery Awards 2024.

PC Andrew Thompson and PC Jordan Watson were on mobile patrol in Hounslow on 7 September 2023, when they noticed a significant fire on the top floor of a flat.

PC Watson immediately notified the control room and colleagues to the situation and requested assistance from the London Ambulance Service. Both officers knew they had to quickly start evacuating the residents inside.

PC George Ewart, and a PC who wishes to remain anonymous, swiftly arrived on scene to assist. Without any thought for their own personal safety and in the best traditions of policing, all four officers ran into the burning building to attempt to save the lives of the residents.

Using excellent teamwork, the officers remained in their original pairs and started to methodically evacuate the building, which is split into two parts, while providing calming reassurance to the panicked occupants.

The officers were meticulous in their actions, making a record of the flats they could not get a response from, to assist the London Fire Brigade on their arrival.

PC Thompson and PC Watson managed to identify the flat that was on fire and provided this information to the London Fire Brigade.

Together all four of the officers evacuated more than 90 residents to safety. It is to their credit they only evacuated themselves when ordered to do so by the London Fire Brigade.

Once the residents were evacuated the officers continued their efforts to identify if any of the residents needed medical assistance from the London Ambulance Service.

They crosschecked the residents with the record of the flats they had not been able to get a response from to ensure the information being provided to the partnership agencies at the scene was as accurate as possible.

Upon the arrival of the local authority, they also assisted them in supporting the significant number of displaced residents at the scene.

Fortunately, no fatalities were recorded, and the fire was successfully and quickly extinguished.

Metropolitan Police Federation Chair Rick Prior said: “Without the bravery, clear thinking and teamwork shown by these officers, there may well have been a devastating outcome.

“Shortly after this incident, we were called to a fire where there were a number of fatalities. These officers acted so decisively and ran towards fire, before the fire service had even arrived. They are a credit to themselves, their teams, and the Metropolitan Police Service.”

Superintendent Phil Taylor said: “It is without doubt that without the bravery and quick actions shown by these officers this could have been a more significant incident. These officers are a credit to themselves and the Metropolitan Police Service.”