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| Britain |
| 7/7 security guard named first Sheriffs' Award winner in 1,000 years |
| 2006-11-15 |
| A security officer’s selfless bravery has been recognised, after he was named the recipient of the 2006 Sheriffs’ Award. Muhammad Khalil, from Bracknell, is the first person to receive an Award in the Sheriff’s name for 1,000 years. A security officer employed by G4S Security Services (UK), Muhammad was on duty close to Kings Cross station on 7 July 2005. That day terrorists struck the London transport system by placing bombs on underground trains and a bus causing death, injury and widespread disruption. Muhammad raced to the scene of the Kings Cross attack and in the chaos of people trying to escape from the blast, he quickly assessed the situation and utilised his first aid training to prioritise and give help to those who most needed it. Muhammad then entered the tunnel and without concern for his own safety, assisted passengers to escape and tended to the injured and dying. He remained in the tunnel for over seven hours working tirelessly with other emergency workers, his face covered with only an improvised bandage mask to protect him from the fumes and smoke. Eventually, it was obvious that he was totally exhausted and he was instructed to leave the tunnel to rest. The Lord Mayor of the City of London, David Brewer, himself a former Sheriff, will present the Award in a ceremony at Mansion House: "There were many acts of unsung selfless bravery that day but Muhammad Khalil’s actions went beyond what was expected of him. Unquestionably his heroic efforts helped to save lives." * The Sheriffs’ Award is organised by the new City Livery Company of Security Professionals * The annual award is a way to honour individuals or organisations who have shown unusual courage or initiative in protecting people, property or liberty. Nominations were invited from the public, businesses, emergency services and the Armed Forces. * The Award and a cheque for £2,000 will be presented by The Lord Mayor at the Annual Dinner of The Company of Security Professionals at Mansion House on the 17 October and Muhammad’s name entered into a Book of Honour at The Old Bailey. |
| Posted by:Anonymoose |
| #2 Very comforting to know, FOTSGreg. And congratulations on the commendation! |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2006-11-15 21:50 |
| #1 Commendable. In the United States, it is considered 23 times more likely that the first individual on-scene in the case of an emergency will be a security officer rather than a member of the Fire Dept, police, or other emergency services. In my own case, I have received extensive training on responding to a variety of emergencies and have personally been involved in situations involving potential bombs, heart attacks, chemical and/or biological weapon attacks (delivered via envelope), and a number of real emergency medical, fire & rescue, and accident situations. Security officers, these days, working for reputable companies, are not your run-of-the-mill "rent-a-cops" the media so frequently tries to portray us as. (Editorial Note: Most of our time is spent sitting, driving, or walking around or chauffering dignitaries here or there - just got a written commendation from the Deputy Director of the US Dept. of Energy today for chauffer work - but this afternoon I was one of the first responders to an incident where an employee was vomiting blood) Hurray for S/O Muhammid Khalil who did his job in what was undoubtedly an extraordinary set of circumstances and stayed until he was ordered off-site. He is a credit to security professionals everywhere. |
| Posted by: FOTSGreg 2006-11-15 21:21 |