Rescuer gets

A FORMER Devon Meadows man was awarded an Emergency Services Medal after 18 voluntary years in the Southern Peninsula Rescue Squad (SPRS).
Andrew Allan, 36, who now lives in Rye, is an intensive care flight paramedic and is involved with a range of emergency operations from road trauma to rescues in the sea or on the slopes.
His work in the SPRS has seen him hold positions on the committee and take a leading role in developing training and writing training manuals.
Mr Allan said he was surprised to hear news he had received the medal.
“I was very surprised and overwhelmed. It was very unexpected. You don’t do these things for accolades or anything. You just do it to be part of the community,” he said.
Mr Allan said his high-pressure job as a paramedic could be stressful at times, but it was extremely rewarding.
Mr Allan started off at the Devon Meadows Fire Brigade as an 11-year-old and worked his way up the ranks.