Salvation Army emergency service support in Suffolk honoured

Salvation Army volunteers in Suffolk who have supported emergency services in the county for nearly 50 years have been recognised with a prestigious award. 

Mike Baker and his team of volunteers attended the Suffolk Fire and Rescue Annual Awards ceremony at Trinity Park Ipswich where they were named winners of The Cabinet Member Award for Volunteer of the Year by Councillor Steve Wiles, Suffolk County Council Cabinet Member for Public Health and Protection. 

Mike and the team have been supporting emergency services across Suffolk since 1978 and worked out of the back of people’s cars for 25 years. In 2003, they acquired their own vehicle which has its own bay at Stowmarket Fire Station. 

Across the UK, The Salvation Army has 25 response vehicles which attend around 250 incidents each year. 

Mike paid tribute to his team of volunteers and said the success of the unit is dependent on their support and dedication. The team is on standby 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 52 weeks a year. 

He said: “The Salvation Army is known for serving the community and this is our way of supporting our emergency services, giving out refreshments, comfort and a listening ear as they deal with incidents. Over the years, we have supported emergency crews tackling ship fires, commercial fires – a whole range of things – and none of this would be possible without the tireless efforts of our volunteers. This award is for them.” 

Mike and his team of volunteers have been called out to more than 450 incidents in Suffolk and elsewhere. He has a number of memories including serving refreshments at The London Paralympics in 2012 and helping in the Toll Bar floods in South Yorkshire 2007. 

A Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said Mike and his team are hugely valued. 

He said: “The team are a very welcome sight for tired and hungry fire crews. The refreshments enable our crews to remain at the incident ground longer and continue the hard work to conclude the emergency. Whether day or night, rain or shine, Mike and his team help keep spirits up for the crews working in challenging conditions.” 

Adrian Clee, The Salvation Army’s Emergency Response officer, paid tribute to Mike and his team. 

He said: “This award is thoroughly deserved. Mike and his team are absolute superstars and have led the way for others to follow. The Salvation Army has a long tradition of supporting our emergency services at larger or more protracted incidents and our teams are always ready to roll their sleeves up and to support them and affected communities.”