A volunteer cop from Arnold has won special praise at an awards ceremony after saving a man’s life.
Nottinghamshire Police’s longest-serving volunteer cop Special Constable Alan Marwood MBE, has been commended for his quick actions which saved a man’s life.
Marwood, who has just celebrated his 52nd year with the force, was on patrol in Newark town centre, just off Market Place, when he came across a collapsed man.
The 70-year-old, said: “A lady thought there was a man being robbed but the minute I got there I realised it wasn’t an attack, it was a man in cardiac arrest.
“He was unresponsive but fortunately I had a defibrillator in the back of my car which I got out straight away. I gave him two shocks with it and he returned to spontaneous breathing.
“Ambulance crew colleagues turned up very quickly as did my colleagues from the force’s Operational Support department. The man was talking as they got him into the ambulance.
“His relatives were distraught when they arrived at the scene and I ensured they were transported to the hospital.”
Alan kept in touch with them following the incident which happened at around 10.30pm on January 22, 2022.
Alan, who joined the force in 1970, was among those honoured at a recent Nottinghamshire Police local awards evening held at Mansfield Town Football Club.
He added: “It’s very nice to receive recognition for your actions but the biggest reward for me is knowing what you have done has made a real difference.
“What I did was instinctive and just proves the benefit of having defibrillators close by and people being trained how to use them.”
Alan has policed many different areas across Nottinghamshire. He is currently based in Ollerton, concentrating on policing in the north of the county.
In 2020 he received an MBE in her late Majesty’s Birthday Honours List for services to policing.
He is no stranger to giving his time in the service of others having spent his career working for the East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) and volunteering as a paramedic.
Alan retired as Operations Manager for EMAS in 2019 but still serves the public as a ‘bank paramedic’.
He added: “I still enjoy my policing role and we have a brilliant team up here at Ollerton and in North Nottinghamshire. We have great leadership and they are very motivated to protect their communities. That gives me the motivation to keep going as a special constable, I tend to work mostly on Saturdays nowadays.
“I still enjoy the physical challenge. As long as you’re mentally and physically fit and capable, age is no barrier.”
Temporary Superintendent Amy Styles-Jones, who leads the Citizens in Policing at Nottinghamshire Police, said: “We’re hugely proud of Alan who has selflessly given up his time for the police service to serve and protect members of the community for over five decades.
“He is truly an inspiration to others, he behaves with the utmost professionalism and colleagues look to him for advice. I’d like to thank him for his outstanding contribution to policing and congratulate him on his well-deserved commendation.”
Special Constables have the same power, uniform and responsibilities as regular (paid) police officers but volunteer on a part-time basis.
Specials – as they are known – come from all walks of life and backgrounds and bring a diverse range of skills and experience to the role. They volunteer a minimum of 16 hours per month to support local policing.
To find out more about the role, including how to apply, visit Special constables | Nottinghamshire Police
