West Midlands Fire Service celebrates success at the Asian Fire Service Association (AFSA) awards

West Midlands Fire Service (WMFS) picked up four awards at the 2024 Asian Fire Service Association (AFSA) Personal, Fair and Diverse Awards, held at the Hilton Hotel in Bristol last night (Wednesday 13 November).

The event gathered fire service professionals from across the country to celebrate achievements in diversity, inclusion, and community impact over the past year.

WMFS received four nominations in two categories, and was recognised for our work in improving community health, fostering engagement with diverse communities and outstanding individual contributions.

Our winners and nominees were:

Winner: Samantha Samuels (recently retired staff member)

Announced as winner for her exceptional contributions to diversity and inclusion within WMFS and her ongoing commitment to representation across the fire service sector. Her work has paved the way for a more inclusive service, setting an inspiring example for others.

Winner: Saty Nar – Station Commander, Protection Manager

Announced as winner in recognition of his dedicated service to fire safety, particularly in his efforts to bridge cultural and linguistic gaps with local Asian business owners. Saty was also recognised for his contributions around Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, which includes engagement with the NFCC and various diverse business working parties.

Saty can communicate in Punjabi, enabling him to provide essential fire safety education and enhance compliance and safety measures among these communities.

 

 

Winner: Baiju Panchmatia (Former staff member)

Baiju Panchmatia was recognised for his excellent work during his tenure at WMFS.

Judges recognised Baiju’s professional commitment and contributions to conference work.