Queen honours Apollo Fire Detectors employee for pandemic volunteer work

Apollo Fire Detectors employee and volunteer, Mike Sutton, has been revealed as a recipient of the British Empire Medal in the Queens 2022 New Year’s Honours list. The award is in recognition of his voluntary services to distribute emergency supplies of PPE to health and social care locations during the Covid crisis.

Mike and other members of Hampshire & Berkshire 4x4 Response Team volunteered alongside two other charities - ServeOn and Raynet - to set up an emergency PPE warehouse and provide logistic support to Hampshire Local Resilience Forum.

As a former vice-chair and trustee of Hampshire and Berkshire 4x4 Response Team, Mike managed the response team and was key in setting up the life-saving distribution channels to ensure that vital equipment was made available to those who needed it most.

He said: ‘During the crises to date we have deployed over 70 responders who have covered more than 60,000 miles completing 2,232 deliveries of PPE and vaccines.

‘They are undoubtedly the best bunch of volunteers that I have ever had the privilege of working with – they should be very proud.

‘We were also involved with administering swab tests to lorry drivers at Portsmouth International Port and spent three months testing Hampshire Constabulary front line and back office staff – it was quite a year!’

With over thirty years experience in the fire industry, Mike works in business development at Havant-based Apollo Fire Detectors. He works with specialists in unique healthcare environments, such as mental health facilities, to determine the safest form of fire detection, whilst ensuring the everyday safety of the patients and staff.

From his perspective of working during the worst of the pandemic, Mike said he is lucky to have witnessed how people pull together in a crisis.

He said: ‘Without support from employers like Apollo and all the charities that got involved, we would have struggled with a lack of volunteers at the most critical time.’

Upon being recognised by Her Majesty The Queen, Mike was keen to share the honour with those around him.

He said: ‘Obviously, I accepted the honour with enormous pride. Although I’m named as the beneficiary, this is for every member of the Hampshire and Berkshire 4x4 Response team who gave their time to this amazing charity since the start of the very first lockdown in April 2020.’