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GENERAL
PRINCIPLES APPLIED TO REPORTED ACTS OF HEROISM
1. Acts of heroism must be in respect of
the saving or attempted saving of human life.
2. The heroic act must have been
voluntary and involved risk to the rescuer's life or safety. Professional
persons in the exercise of their calling are not acting voluntarily and are
not normally awarded; but once the ordinary requirements of duty have been
exceeded a case is eligible for consideration.
3. The degree of risk, whether
appreciated or unknown at the time, and the consequent
degree of bravery on the part of the rescuer, are the paramount
factors.
4. When a close relationship exists
between rescuer and rescued, awards are made only in exceptional
circumstances.
5. The restoration of human life by
resuscitation may be recognised by the award of a resuscitation certificate
where a person who is apparently dead is thereby restored to life.
6. Cases should be reported as soon as
possible and preferably not later than six months after their occurrence.
Nominations: Reports of acts falling within the above
guidelines generally come to the Society from the Chief Constables of
Merseyside, Lancashire, Cheshire, Port of Liverpool Police, Chief Fire
Officers and officials of other bodies within those areas, and occasionally
from members of the public. After detailed examination has been made by
those bodies the case details are submitted to the Society’s Secretary who
may make further enquiries before presenting the case in suitable form to
the committee for consideration. Once the committee’s decision has been
made the Secretary prepares citations and arranges for the awards to be
produced and forwarded to the reporting officials, who then make
appropriate presentation arrangements. These ceremonies are usually
performed by the Mayor or other responsible person in the district where
the recipient resides.
The Society welcomes the assistance of
the general public in its work of recognising acts of bravery and the
application of life-saving techniques; if you have a case to report, please
complete the Nomination
Form included in the Forms
page of this site. Serving police officers or members of the emergency
services should report the incident in the first case to a senior staff
officer and should please bear in mind that the Society’s awards are
intended for members of the public as well as for fellow-officers.
Liaison: To avoid possible duplication of awards, the
Society maintains close liaison with the Royal Humane Society and also with the Carnegie Hero
Fund Trust which is able to
offer financial aid to the dependants of would-be rescuers who lose their
lives in saving others.
Committee: At the present time the Society is administered
by a Secretary and a committee of between six and sixteen members who meet
four times a year to consider the cases submitted.
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