10-year-old schoolboy praised for call to police after spotting house fire

Zak Dean, a 10-year-old schoolboy, rang 999 after spotting a house fire in Ashington when he was playing in a park in May.
Zak was commended for his heroic deed.Zak was commended for his heroic deed.
Zak was commended for his heroic deed.

Zak and two of his friends saw flames coming from the roof of a house on Rowlington Terrace in Ashington and realised they needed to get help.

He called 999 and asked for fire services and an ambulance and they both attended along with Northumbria Police. The fire was brought under control by around 6.30pm, however firefighters and officers remained on the scene into the evening.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

One person was taken to hospital after suffering from burns.

Zak used what he had learned from SafetyWorks.Zak used what he had learned from SafetyWorks.
Zak used what he had learned from SafetyWorks.

Zak had just recently received a workshop at SafetyWorks, an interactive safety centre operated by the Tyne & Wear Fire & Rescue Service, where he learned about what to do in an emergency and how to call emergency services.

He said: “I remembered what the officer told me and knew I had to call 999 to get the fire brigade and maybe an ambulance. I told them what I saw and roughly where we were and they were able to track my location with the phone and came straight away.

“We kept screaming ‘fire!’ to warn anyone who might have been in the house to get out.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Zak was praised by one of the officers who organised the workshop and one of Northumbria Police’s top officers. They personally thanked him and presented him with a commendation signed by Northumbria Police’s Chief Constable Winton Keenen.

The public can report incidents to Northumbria police via their website at www.northumbria.police.uk or by dialling 101. The 999 dial should always be used in the case of an emergency.