Interview with Firefighter Kevin Williams

Kevin Williams receives a commendation for bravery from Deputy County Fire Officer Tony Proctor

Inferno 999 was a recent six-part documentary shown on five. The programme profiled the work of Greater Manchester firefighters. In the first episode, one of the most shocking scenes saw Firefighter Kevin Williams and his fellow crew members rescuing a woman from a serious house fire. Prior to the series being aired, we caught up with Kevin to ask him about the rescue…

Watch the clip of Kevin Wiliiams rescuing a woman from the house fire now (Windows Media/Audio File 12,528 KB)

Read a transcript of the clip

Tell us about the rescue we see in the first episode?
I was working at Withington Fire Station (I am usually based at Stretford) and we were called out to a serious house fire in Moss Side. When we arrived at the property, the fire was raging through two floors of the three storey terraced home with flames issuing from several ground and first floor windows.

From the information we received from control staff we knew that two women were trapped in the front bedroom on the first floor. Due to access the pump (fire engine) could not get close enough to the house and the crew had to run down the road with all the equipment including the nine metre ladder which we put up to the bedroom window. Watch Commander Moores instructed me to climb up the ladder and whilst I was breaking open the window I could hear the screams of the women inside. I reached in and grabbed one of them and carried her down the ladder. Whilst the crew from Moss Side gained entry into the house to tackle the blaze, Firefighter Alex Howell then climbed straight up the ladder to bring the second woman down to safety.

Didn't you receive a commendation for your bravery?
Yes, me and Alex received a commendation from the Chief Fire Officer of Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service and the crew also received a recognition. I would like to say that it was a real privilege to be working with the crew that night and all our efforts combined made it possible to rescue the two women.

Do you ever get scared as a firefighter when you attend a serious fire like that?
Rescues like that don't happen every week, but like every firefighter when you are put in that position you don't hesitate to get involved. After all, we rescue people as that is what we are paid to do. Our Watch Commanders are always looking out for our safety on incident grounds as well so although the job can be dangerous we know we will never be put in a difficult situation unnecessarily.

What do you find the most rewarding about being a firefighter?
Pride! I have been working for Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service for seven years now and I still feel incredibly proud to call myself a firefighter.