Firefighter awarded MBE
Nottinghamshire firefighter Kevin Ruane has been named in the Queen’s Jubilee Honours list after devoting more than 20 years to international fire service work.
Kevin, 47, who lives in Worksop, has been awarded the MBE for ‘services to the fire and rescue service.’ His work includes being part of the organising body for two UK-based World Firefighters Games, assisting with the marketing of the World Firefighters Games in Hong Kong and South Korea and arranging international fire service exchanges both to and from the UK.
He is also the official translator for the Fire Service Youth Training Association, having taught himself fluent German whilst working as a firefighter in Germany. This role sees him playing an important role in all of the Association’s international sporting competitions, youth symposiums and conferences, where he regularly translates for delegates and fire service cadets from across Europe and beyond.
Kevin, who works as a trainer at the Service Development Centre in Ollerton, has attributed the honour to the support of his family and, and says he ‘couldn’t have done it without them’.
“I spend hours on the phone and answering emails, not to mention the times when I’m away from home. They’ve been nothing but supportive,” he said. “I’ve hosted lots of exchange visits, and even offered my garden up for people to camp when their accommodation fell through for one of the World Firefighters Games! They’ve never complained, just been 100% behind me.”
Kevin has also had the support of Chief Fire Officer Frank Swann throughout his career in Nottinghamshire and for this, he says, he is extremely grateful.
“The MBE is a great honour and I’m truly humbled by it. I owe the success of what I’ve been able to achieve to a lot of people, namely my family and the support of the Chief. Without them I wouldn’t have been able to do all the things I have done, and certainly wouldn’t have been awarded the MBE. My thanks go to them all.”
Chief Fire Officer Frank Swann said: “It gives me enormous pleasure to congratulate Kevin on this great honour. The work he has carried out over the last 20 years makes him a worthy recipient and a great ambassador, not only for Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service but for the UK fire and rescue service as a whole.”
