THEY are the men and women who make Hampshire proud.

And now the county’s finest firefighters have been recognised at a glitzy awards ceremony at the service’s headquarters.

Celebrating Success rewarded the best achievements of Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service’s staff, as well as their partners and volunteers.

The awards, at the organisation’s Leigh Road headquarters in Eastleigh, saw 28 accolades handed out, with staff honoured for saving babies, educating youngsters about the dangers of fire and – in a UK first – a certificate marking 50 years of service.

Special certificates and meritorious medals were handed out to a number of staff for completing 25 years or more of service.

They included 67-year-old Martyn Long, who became the first person in the country to receive a 50-year certificate, having started work at the old Winchester headquarters back in 1964.

In his final Celebrating Success awards, outgoing Chief Officer John Bonney handed out three special gongs.

Crew manager Steve Fox scooped one after a remarkable year during which he rescued and resuscitated a 16-week premature baby girl, helped to save countless lives in the Philippines in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan and invented a new door entry procedure to make firefighters’ work easier.

Donna Smith, based in Eastleigh, won another of the Chief Officer’s Awards for her work to educate children in Hampshire through a series of story books and teaching resources that are already having a big impact.

And the service’s fire investigation team were the third winners, with their award recognising their work which has led to a dramatic improvement in the service’s ability to detect arson and other crimes, which has seen criminals put behind bars.