They don’t always grab the headlines like firefighters and police officers, but London’s tireless paramedics are always there when people need them most. So when hero Dean Hawkins risked his life to restrain a violent passenger, inches away from the electrified third rail, his selfless actions were deemed worthy of recognition normally reserved for those who carry handcuffs.
Last year the London Ambulance Service paramedic jumped onto the Tube tracks at Sudbury Hill station in Harrow, North West London, after a man tried to stab a Tube worker. Dean arrived to find the ‘exhausted’ Tube worker and an off-duty British Transport Police (BTP) officer struggling with the attacker, who was armed with a weapon, as they tried to restrain him.
“I arrived to find smashed glass in the station and then from the top of the bridge I saw a man being pinned down on the tracks,” Dean recalled. “The track wasn’t live and the trains had been stopped but the man was thrashing around and was very, very strong. The others were exhausted trying to hold onto him and so relieved when I came to help.”
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BTP officers soon arrived and arrested the attacker, but Dean immediately switched back to his caring duties to safely assess and treat the man he’d been trying to stop moments before. His colleagues in the police force were so impressed by his bravery, they immediately nominated him for a Chief Constable’s Commendation – awards which are usually reserved for police officers.
Sergeant Will Leyshon said: “Dean’s actions were incredible that day. He acted to save life by restraining a dangerous man armed with a weapon. And while the rail he was on was safe, they were in close proximity to the electrified third rail and running lines. It was a great pleasure for my colleagues and me to nominate Dean for this award which is one of the highest honours the police can award.”
Dean added: “I’m very proud to be honoured for doing my job. Sometimes we do encounter danger but it doesn’t put me off the job. I have made lifelong friends and it’s a privilege to be a paramedic and to be there for people when they need us the most.”
LAS answers more 999 and 111 calls than any other ambulance service in the UK, with crews going to 3,000 patients a day and handling 2.2 million emergency calls a year. With over 5,000 ambulances and 10,000 people working at the service, they are responsible for caring for over nine million people who live or work in London and those who visit.
The service says not everyone who calls 999 needs an ambulance, with around 15 per cent treatable on the phone and 51 per cent treatable at the scene. London Ambulance Service is recruiting: you can find out more about career opportunities with the service here.
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