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United States News Title: Fireman should not have saved driver's life, says fire authority Judges have attacked a fire authority which asked for an injured fireman to be denied compensation because he "should not have attempted to save a driver's life". John Pennington was involved in a desperate bid to free a trapped driver following a multiple pile-up on the M25. More stories... • Advertising ban on junk foods to cut childhood obesity • 'Only Blair and his chairman knew of secret Labour loans' During the rescue attempt the experienced firefighter lost part of his left forefinger while using a power ram in a last-ditch effort to save the stricken motorist, who later died. He was awarded compensation, but Surrey fire officials said Mr Pennington should never have been involved in the rescue attempt as he was not trained to use the equipment. Appealing against the pay-out, Surrey Fire Service and Surrey County Council have spent thousands of pounds arguing firemen must put their own safety first, even if that means abandoning accident victims to their fate. But judges at the Court of Appeal yesterday dismissed the claim as "unrealistic", saying Mr Pennington had "acted reasonably" in attempting to save the driver's life. The 46-year-old arrived at the crash scene to find a critically-injured lorry driver trapped in his crushed cab. After a colleague was "overwhelmed by fatigue and exhaustion", Mr Pennington stepped in to take over the power ram which was being used to straighten out the mangled metal. He had never used the equipment before and his hand got caught in its workings, injuring his finger despite the fact he wore protective gloves. Last year a judge awarded Mr Pennington, of Selsey, West Sussex, £3,115 compensation for the injury. But county fire officials have since spent several times the sum on an unsuccessful legal bid to strip the firefighter of his pay-out. Rejecting the appeal, Lord Justice Pill said: "Without any training or experience on the ram, Mr Pennington took over the urgent attempt to save life. "I find quite unacceptable the authorities approach to their duties as employers in such circumstances." Fire officials claimed it was Mr Pennington's decision to use the ram and that firefighters "must put their own health and safety first, however unpalatable the consequences." The judge added: "The implication is that Mr Pennington ought not to have taken over from the leading hand and should not have attempted to save the driver's life. "Not only is it unrealistic to conclude that Mr Pennington should not have continued with the rescue attempt, but he did what was expected of him. On the evidence, he acted reasonably." Agreeing that the authorities' appeal should be dismissed, Lady Justice Arden said: "It was a situation of great stress, with the life of a road traffic victim at stake. "There is no doubt that the fire and council authorities must have expected firemen to be called upon to use this machinery in some fairly horrific road accidents. "They must have expected him to do his best in this situation and he was entitled to training to help him do so without risk to himself. "On that basis it was not only Mr Pennington's own devotion to duty, without more, that was causative of this injury. The lack of training played a role too." Motoring campaigners condemned the authorities' stance and encouraged people to come to the aid of stricken drivers. "Everyone should do their utmost to save an injured motorist and Mr Pennington should be commended for his actions, not dragged through the courts," said a spokesman for the Association of British Drivers. "The fire and council authorities' approach is ridiculous. They should be encouraging people to save lives, not discouraging them." Reader views (10) Add your view | Show all Here's a sample of the latest views published. You can click view all to read all views that readers have sent in. Nice to hear from the previous comments by KTyson, Jay, and Sue that the whole of England hasn't lost their minds.... - Tom Schilperoort, Lynden, USA The very idea of withholding the awarded compensation from the fireman is more in keeping with the morals and values of politicians than anyone else. That they should also squander the people's money three, four or even five-fold in an attempt to stop the payment demonstrates these bureaucrats don't even believe in doing their own job competently. I know in my Country, my County, and my nearby city, those who move in to aid victims of accidents and even just incidents, are demonstrating the greatest gift one person can give another, the literal risking of their life for another. Anyone who doesn't understand this value has lost all their connection to moral and ethical reasoning. The most disgusting thing about this incident is that the politicians making the case against the awarding, will remain in office and might well be re-elected unless they are appointed, in which case we can be sure they will retain their appointment. Such people hold a high hatred for those who actually risk their lives for others because they themselves have so little character that they cannot imagine doing the same, and must justify their fears and their small stature in a world where real people are real heroes. - John Mcclain, USA He's a hero. He deserves his ý3,000 and his employers deserve the sack for wasting public funds. In fairness though, it's not miserly compensation. Losing part of a forefinger isn't nice, but it's not going to destroy his life. He'd have got a lot more had it been his whole hand (and doubtless his scummy employers would have tried even harder to avoid paying up!). - Nigel, London
Poster Comment: This man is a hero. They spent more money trying to take his just compensation away then he was awarded. Those people should be fired and required to pay the money back. I know it isn't America but it is still stupid.
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