A ROSSENDALE fireman at Manchester Airport is on cloud nine after being named Top UK Fire Officer for 2000.
Sub officer, John Sulek, 35, won the award after completing a three-week aviation fire-fighting course at the International Fire Training Centre at Teesside Airport, Darlington.
Father-of-three John of Helmshore has been a firefighter at the airport for 12 years and had to compete against firemen from airports all over Britain.
The course involved dealing with simulated accidents such as plane crashes and chemical spillages as well as a number of taxing written exams.
John said: "It was quite an intensive course and I was very pleased to win as it's my first ever award.
"It's good for my station too."
Manchester Airport's fire services manager, John Donnison, said: "It is a long time since one of our firefighters achieved such an accolade."
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