Derek Ingram wins the Thames Valley Police Federation Bravery Award

At Sabeti Wain Aerospace we celebrate the achievements of our team members, today we celebrate the achievement of retired PC Derek Ingram, the Team Leader at The Works Facility. On the 28th April Derek won the Thames Valley Police Federation Major John Howard Bravery Award alongside his colleague PC Ben Eastment, they are now the Thames Valley Police Federation nominees for the national police bravery awards in London this July.

On 29th October 2019, roads policing officers PC Eastment and PC Ingram were on patrol when they heard a call over the radio about a house fire in Burnham, Buckinghamshire, reporting that people were still within the property.

Displaying enormous courage, the officers entered the house and saw that the fire was coming from a bedroom that appeared to be locked.

On searching the first floor of the property, the officers discovered an unconscious female in another bedroom. Her teenage son said to the officers that “the children are next door”.

PC Ingram suspected that children were in the locked bedroom and he forced open the door. A mattress in the room was on fire but thankfully there was nobody there.

PC Eastment ran to the police vehicle to retrieve an extinguisher but, by the time he returned, the fire had grown and smoke was filling the upstairs of the property.

PC Eastment had difficulty seeing PC Ingram through the thick smoke, but he managed to grab hold of him by his legs. In the meantime, PC Ingram had taken hold of the unconscious woman and, together, the officers pulled her downstairs and out of the house as the fire blazed around them.

Both officers suffered smoke inhalation and received oxygen therapy for an hour following the incident.

PC Ingram said: “We were the first on the scene, before the fire brigade. Neighbors told us there were still people inside the house and maybe children. We’re both family men, so something clicked and we got our heads down and did what had to be done.”

A HUGE congratulations to Derek on this achievement and the bravery he has shown, we are incredibly proud that he is part of our Sabeti Wain Aerospace Team.