Suffolk fire service shortlisted for two national awards
A cross-county fire control partnership and a children's safety education programme have both been recognised
Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service has been shortlisted in two categories at the Excellence in Fire & Emergency Awards 2026.
The awards, organised by FIRE magazine, recognise work across the UK's fire and emergency services, and attracted a record number of nominations this year.
The service has been shortlisted for Emergency Services Collaboration of the Year and Youth Champion of the Year.
The collaboration nomination is for a shared fire control partnership between Suffolk, Norfolk and Hertfordshire, designed to strengthen resilience and emergency response across the three services.
It has already won the Outstanding Partnership/Collaboration category at the Fire Resilience Excellence Awards earlier this year.
The partnership was rolled out in phases, with Suffolk going live in June 2025, Norfolk in January 2026 and Hertfordshire in February 2026.
The three services share similar rural geography and can support one another during periods of high demand, such as severe weather and major incidents.
The project also brought fire control operations back into Suffolk for the first time in more than a decade.
In the Youth Champion of the Year category, Claire Watkins has been shortlisted for her leadership of Spark, the service's education programme for children and young people.
Since launching in 2024, Spark has reached thousands of children across Suffolk through schools, colleges, community groups and events.
The programme covers topics including fire safety, road safety, water safety, anti-social behaviour and risk-taking.
Henry Griffin, Deputy Chief Fire Officer at Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service, said: "We are incredibly proud to have been shortlisted in two highly contested categories at these prestigious national awards.
"The Fire Control Collaboration demonstrates what can be achieved when services work together to strengthen resilience and deliver better outcomes for the communities they serve. Having already received national recognition through a Fire Resilience Excellence Award earlier this year, it is particularly pleasing to see the collaboration shortlisted once again at a national level.
"Claire's nomination reflects her passion and commitment to helping young people make safer choices through education and prevention.
"To have been recognised in such a competitive year, with a record number of nominations received, is a tremendous achievement. Congratulations to Claire and to everyone involved in the Suffolk, Norfolk and Hertfordshire Fire Control Collaboration."
The winners will be announced at a ceremony in London next month.