25 September 2024
Northern Ireland AA patrol, Davey Heron, recently took part in a very different kind of rescue, when a routine motorcycle breakdown quickly switched to a house fire rescue.
Davey, who has helped keep Northern Ireland drivers on the road for more than 40 years, was offering guidance to stricken motorcyclist in the Portadown area when both noticed black smoke billowing from a ground floor air vent.
The pair, along with two passers-by, immediately alerted Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service, then rushed to the house and started banging heavily on the doors and windows. A short time later, a dazed tenant appeared near the back door and kitchen area, looking relatively unharmed. With the door now open, Davey immediately assessed the tenant’s condition and asked if there was anybody else in the house. Once it was confirmed that the house was empty, and observed by the other rescuers, he armed himself with a fire extinguisher and cautiously approached the kitchen area to assess the severity of the fire.
One look through the open kitchen door confirmed that the fire, caused by an overheated chip pan was too severe for him to control with his extinguisher, so he immediately pulled the kitchen door closed to help suffocate the flames and returned to safety outside the building where the other rescuers continued to tend to the tenant. The fire service arrived shortly afterwards and quickly brought the fire under control.
The unassuming patrol, who started his AA career back in 1984, recalled how the training he received during his new recruit’s course, immediately came back to him despite receiving it 40 years previously.
“The actions of Davey and the other rescuers are nothing short of heroic
Davey said: “ I have fond memories of my AA training course at the National Training Centre in Widmerpool, near Nottingham, particularly the Fire Service training, which was part of the course back then. It’s the kind of training that you hope never to call upon, but I was shocked at just how quickly I was able to recall it.
“I just knew from the training, that once the chip pan and surrounding area were so heavily engulfed in flames, that there was little I could do to contain the fire, so the next best thing was to try to reduce the amount of oxygen in the room by sealing it with the door and then for me to leave the building.”
John Webb, Davey’s long-time colleague and Team Leader, said: “The actions of Davey and the other rescuers are nothing short of heroic. Davey is a very unassuming character, and I know he will see his actions as ‘just a normal day at work’.
“On behalf of The AA, I’d like to thank Davey for his exceptional bravery and indeed, his outstanding service over the past 40 years, where he has rescued countless drivers and gone about his work with immense pride and professionalism. His actions on this occasion will not come as a surprise to anybody who is lucky enough to know him.”