Who are the Grenfell Tower firefighters who ran the 2018 London Marathon and how did Prince William pay tribute to them at the Pride of Britain awards?
THE firefighters who responded to the devastating fire at Grenfell Tower were honoured at the Pride of Britain Awards.
The nation showed its appreciation for the brave men and women who rushed into the burning west London tower to save as many lives as possible.
Who are the Grenfell Tower firefighters?
Dozens of London's firefighters were called to help as a large residential block went up in flames in June.
In the early hours of June 14 the 220-foot Grenfell Tower in west London saw a devastating fire rip through family homes.
The first fire crews arrived on the scene six minutes after the alarm was raised.
Commander Richard Welch, who was one of the first senior officers to arrive at the scene, described how the flames kept spreading as more and more firefighters arrived.
He said: “'Initially they had six machines. Then they asked for eight, and then 10, and then 15, 20 and 25. Every single person within that building was willing to lose their own life to try to save others. Every single person.”
Disregarding their own safety firefighters went into the burning building for hours to try and save as many lives as they could.
They managed to get 65 people safely out who had been trapped by the flames.
It took 250 officers 24 hours to extinguish the fire and firefighters remained at the site over the following four days, with some putting in near 24-hour shifts as they dampened pockets of fire and searched the rubble.
London Fire Commissioner Dany Cotton said: “In my 29 years of being a firefighter, I have never, ever seen anything of this scale.”
The firefighters who assisted in the Grenfell Tower tragedy also participated in the 2018 London Marathon, in order to raise money for the victims of the blaze.
What did Prince William say to the firefighters?
The firefighters were given a special recognition award for their outstanding efforts.
The Duke presented two Special Recognition awards to residents and community helpers at the tower fire.
Praising the "inspiring" efforts of those who helped in the aftermath of the blaze, the 35-year-old said: "Thank you for the hard work you've all done, the community spirit you've shown, the coming together as you did so quickly after Grenfell.
"I'm just so sorry that such an awful event ever occurred."
What is the Pride of Britain?
The actual Price of Britain Awards have already taken place (October 30, 2017) but will be shown on ITV on November 7, 2017 at 8pm.
Carol Vorderman was back at the helm of the Awards.
Winners were chosen by a panel of distinguished judges. Paul Pester, CEO of TSB, said: "The Pride of Britain Awards recognise the extraordinary achievements of people right across the country.
“The dedication, commitment and courage of all nominees and winners is inspirational. The awards are a great way to celebrate the character of the people of Britain across the length and breadth of the country.”
