A prestigious military commendation has been awarded to the staff from Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service (DSFRS).

The military commendation was awarded to DSFRS for its bespoke road safety initiative Survive the Drive – aimed at reducing road traffic collisions within the Armed Forces, Royal Navy, RAF and Marines.

DSFRS watch manager Chris Boston, station manager Laura Pratt, and SAFE South West charity co-ordinator Steve Smith and crew manager Dan Lester were awarded the Vice Chief of Defence Staff Commendation alongside the Queen’s Birthday Honours. The awards were made by Admiral Tim Fraser CB ADC at a ceremony at the Ministry of Defence Main Building in Whitehall at the end of October.

A “high quality and thought-provoking” training programme was designed and produced by the team, and Survive the Drive was delivered across military bases in the south west with the aim of reducing incidents of road traffic collisions within the armed services, which are statistically at an increased risk of a road traffic collision than civilians.

Laura Pratt, station manager at Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service, commented: “Survive the Drive, builds on the strong partnership network between defence and the Fire and Rescue Services. We are delighted to receive this commendation and to have played a part in creating this valuable addition to road safety initiatives”.