Firefighters, staff, and volunteers have been honoured at Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service's annual awards ceremony.

More than 50 long service and good conduct medals and clasps plus accolades and certificates for outstanding service to the community were presented in the ceremony at Trinity Park Showground in Ipswich on Wednesday October 2.

The awards also recognise the work of Suffolk County Council Trading Standards and emergency planning.

The Miles Hammond Trophy, awarded for excellence by an individual or team during an emergency incident, has been awarded to Firefighter Matthew Brown.

He was sitting in his car in Lowestoft when he saw a teenage girl knocked down as she crossed the road.

She was thrown into the air and landed 10 metres away. Matthew gave her CPR until an ambulance arrived. He also aided the driver of the car to prevent him becoming a target of hostility at the scene of the accident.

The Excellence in Community Safety Award was won by the Suffolk Trading Standards 'No Cold Calling Zone' team for its work in reducing doorstep crime and promote confidence in people who may have been subject to doorstep crime or who are more vulnerable to it.

There are now 217 such zones across Suffolk and since the launch of the first, in 2009, more than 34,000 households have been protected from cold callers, either by living in a zone or through stickers provided to individual households which give legal effect to the displayed 'no cold calling' request.

 The Cabinet Member Award for Volunteer of the Year went to the Salvation Army, whose volunteers provide refreshments for firefighters at the scene of major incidents.

The team are on stand-by 24 hours a day to crew a response vehicle kept at Stowmarket fire station. On receiving the call they mobilise to buy fresh food and get to an incident within 40 minutes.

Over the years the team have provided thousands of firefighters with tens of thousands of hotdogs, sandwiches, soups, and hot drinks.

The Alan Soards Award for Best Fire Staton went to Debenham fire station for its work in the aftermath of Storm Babet, despite being flooded itself.

A Lifetime Achievement award was made to Nigel Howlett of Suffolk Trading Standards in recognition of his 44 year career with the organisation which has seen him successfully investigate numerous rogue businesses.

They include car-clocking cases, where many miles were taken off vehicles; an investigation into a business producing counterfeit goods which required a visit to Dublin to obtain evidence; and the prosecution of a rogue builder for fraudulent trading against consumers on home improvement work.

A dozen Certificates of Merit were presented by Yvonne Gilchrist-Mason OBE, the High Sheriff of Suffolk, while Certificates of Long Service were presented by Councillor Liz Harsant, the Chair of Suffolk County Council.

Chief Fire Officer Jon Lacey and Becky Heginbotham-Blount of Suffolk Resilience Forum presented awards marking the work of the forum, a multi-agency group providing strategic and operational guidance for major incidents.

His Majesty's Deputy Lord-Lieutenant of Suffolk, Mark Pendlington, presented HM The King's Long Service and Good Conduct Medals, which are awarded for 20 years service to Firefighter Neil Bonham, Watch Manager Kevin Chambers, Firefighter Bryan Cooper, Crew Manager Gareth Cossey, Area Manager Henry Griffin, Firefighter Gary Nayler, Crew Manager Richard Plant, Firefighter Shelly Pleasance, Watch Manager Kirsten Thorpe, Firefighter Carl Vearer and Firefighter Darren Wood.

30 Year clasps were awarded to Deputy Chief Fire Officer Dan Fearn, Firefighter Les Field, Crew Manager Peter Goodhand, Watch Manager Steve Mullen (retired), Firefighter Stefan Saunders, Area Manager Andy Smith, and Station Manager Mark Walker.

40 Year clasps were awarded to Watch Manager Martyn Hazelwood, Watch Manager Paul Jolland, Crew Manager Paul Kerridge, and Station Manager Russell Punchard.

A minute's silence was observed in memory of Firefighter Steven Fisk, an on-call firefighter with Halesworth fire station, who passed away in September.

Councillor Steve Wiles, Suffolk County Council Cabinet Member for Public Protection, said: "I am hugely honoured to be able to help recognise the hard work and dedication to public service of this special group of people.

 "It is no exaggeration to say that their hard work and devotion to what they do is what allows the rest of us to live our lives in safety. Society owes them a great deal."

 Chief Fire Officer Lacey said: "These awards are a celebration of the important, often life-saving, work carried out in this county all-year round by this service.

"I am extremely proud to lead Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service, and I am also delighted to see the hard work of our partners in Trading Standards and the Suffolk Resilience Forum being recognised."