Avon and Somerset Police officer nominated for national bravery award
PC Justin Robbie performed "an act of true heroism" on the night of a fatal fire in Bristol
Last updated 31st May 2023
An Avon and Somerset Police officer has been nominated for a national bravery award after saving two people from a burning building.
PC Justin Robbie was first on the scene at Twinnell House in the Easton area of Bristol last September, where a fire had broken out on the 16th floor.
Sadly by the time PC Robbie arrived a man had already died after falling from a top floor window.
Despite that horrific scene he quickly directed other officers to stop anyone from going inside, before going in himself to work out exactly where the fire was and evacuate residents.
Flames could be seen coming out of the window on the 16th floor.
When he opened the fire door next to the flat that was on fire he was hit by such extreme heat and smoke that he was knocked backwards, but remaining calm, closed the door again and moved on to evacuate the rest of the flats on that floor.
Meanwhile, two men inside the flat on fire were hanging out of their window and on hearing their screams, PC Robbie looked out a window in the hallway and saw them hanging as flames billowed out of the flat behind them.
"Below them was a sheer drop and they had nowhere else to go, had they fallen they would have died," a statement from the National Police Federation reads.
He and a fire office who had joined him by this point used bolt croppers and his baton to smash open a window on the floor below and then pulled the men to safety.
Mark Loker, Avon and Somerset Police Federation chair, said: “PC Robbie was first on scene to some very distressing sights whereby unfortunately one male had fallen to his death, but Justin remained calm, communicated his actions clearly and worked quickly under extreme pressure with the fire and rescue service, successfully preventing further loss of life.
“He put his life in danger by entering the burning building without any breathing apparatus or fire protection equipment which was a selfless act of courage and deserving of recognition.”
Chief Constable Sarah Crew, Avon and Somerset Police, said: “Police officers and staff encounter difficult and often harrowing situations on a daily basis and regularly put themselves in harm’s way in order to protect the public.
“However, running into a burning building with the knowledge someone has already tragically died in order to save others is an act of true heroism.
“PC Robbie remained calm in a highly dangerous situation and together with a firefighter worked swiftly and efficiently to rescue two men.
“While someone very sadly lost their life in the fire, had PC Robbie not shown such courage and selflessness the tragedy could have been even worse.
“I’m extremely proud to have someone of PC Robbie’s character and professionalism working for Avon and Somerset Police – his actions on that night exemplify the very best of British policing.”
The man who died falling from a window was later named as 30-year-old Abdul Jabar Oryakhel, from Afghanistan.
The was some controversy in the immediate aftermath of the fire with residents saying their fire alarms had not gone off.
However, the Avon Fire Service later confirmed that the alarm system was not designed to go off across the entire block, so the stairways would be clear for the emergency services.
The fire began when an e-bike in the top floor flat in question caught fire, blocking the exit and trapping those in the flat inside.