Hero security officer praised for saving patient's life

A Security Officer who went above and beyond the call of duty to stop a patient from setting fire to themself has been praised for his bravery at a national security awards ceremony.

Leigh Shirley (pictured), based at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, tackled a patient doused in petrol and holding a lit lighter to the floor, putting himself in harm's way to save the patient from serious harm.

The officer's heroism has been highly commended at a ceremony at the Marriot Hotel in Grosvenor Square, London on Wednesday 11 July 2018.

Mr Shirley, won the regional Security Personnel Award for Outstanding Act for the South East region, as part of the British Security Awards, organised by the British Security Industry Association (BSIA). He was also recognised as a national finalist for the National Award for Outstanding Act.

Mr Shirley, who works for security firm Mitie, which is contracted by Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to provide security services on its sites, said: "I am honoured to be considered to be among the bravest security officers in the country.

"We often found ourselves in dangerous situations and we don't really have too much time to think about what to do. However, we do know we have to put people's safety first and I did what had to be done to save that patient's life. I didn't think it was brave - I only thought it was the right thing to do."

It was the early winter hours in January last year, and a patient who had threatened to set fire to themself left the site. Understanding the seriousness of the situation, Mr Shirley and a colleague went beyond the hospital site in search of the patient.

They found the patient leaving a petrol station with a green canister of what was believed to be petrol in their hand. When Mr Shirley saw the patient pouring the liquid over their head, with a lit lighter in their hand, he leapt out of his vehicle to knock the lighter out of their hand before restraining them on the floor to ensure they did not have any other lighters to ignite the petrol.

Security backup arrived and, once back on hospital site, security held the patient while their clothes were checked for lighters. Two nurses and a doctor assisted the patient to shower to remove the fire risk. When it was deemed safe, security stood outside the shower room while the patient was washed and the police arrived.

OUH Deputy Medical Director, Clare Dollery, said: "This was an incredibly brave act, which certainly saved the life of the patient involved. Leigh showed a dedication to his role and to the safety of the patient which went above and beyond the call of duty.

"It is an extreme example of incidents that the whole Security Team deals with on a daily basis. Hospitals present a unique and challenging role for Security Officers as they have to deal with incidents with enormous empathy to vulnerable patients who may become aggressive and cause harm to others and to themselves due to the nature of their illness."

Jason Towse, Managing Director at Mitie Total Security Management, said:  "Leigh's proactive approach and devotion to his job is second to none. He has shown a great deal of nerve under a highly stressful situation and took immediate action to prevent the incident. He put himself in harm's way to ensure the safety of the patient and is a credit to his uniform, Mitie and the Trust."

The BSA celebrates achievements made by security officers and teams across the UK's private sector, as well as acknowledging the career-long contributions made by long-serving industry stalwarts.

Industry exemplars were recognised in the following categories: Security Personnel, Security Business, Apprentice Installer, Chairman's Award and the Bravery Award.

Picture: Leigh Shirley with Rachel Collins, Security Manager for Oxford University Hospitals.