The RailStaff Awards 2024

Nominations for Samaritans Lifesaver Award

James Spiers

Said the following about Adam Moore and Barry Warren:

“I have nominated Adam and Barry for their quick thinking when put into an extremely difficult situation by a vulnerable customer.

Adam is one of our more proactive members of staff. Adam works as a grade S8 which is station duties including dispatch, customer service and gate line. Adam is also training to gain his level 3 qualification in ACMS and Barry works as a grade S7 which is station duties including dispatch, customer service and gate line. All of our staff are trained and briefed on safety matters, including vulnerable customers. But on this day they relied on their training and quick thinking more than ever!

It was the beginning of a new year and because of Covid-19 and lock downs everyone at our station was excited for this year to be better than the last. But the unrespectable was about to happen to 2 of our staff.

Adams S7 dispatch colleague Barry had booked on for duty and everything seemed normal. While Barry was waiting at on the platform for his next to arrive, a man approached Barry and asked him to hold his mobile phone for him, and then asked him to call the first name in the contact list because he was going to commit suicide. Barry very quickly reacted and refused to hold the phone using Covid-19 as an excuse not to take the phone. Thinking on his feet, Barry began the procedure to stop the next High Speed Service train from proceeding into the station. While this was happening Barry contacted the supervisor Adam, and Adam knowing the dangers involved rushed over to assist Barry with the situation. At this point, Barry was doing everything he could to bring the train to a stand and prevent danger to life, but unfortunately for Barry the man has now started to move towards the platform edge in an attempt to jump. Luckily for the man and the customers on the platform, Adam was there to intervene and grab the passenger to stop him from jumping. In this split second if Adam hadn't been there to grab the man it would have been fatal.

We are really impressed with the way our staff handled what was a very difficult situation. This was an "on the spot" dangerous situation with no time to lose. If it wasn't for the quick thinking and team work we would have had a fatality at our station.

When staff are put into a difficult situations, the training and experience shines through. They don't worry about how it will affect them, they just put the safety of the customers first. I feel it’s fair to say that if Adam and Barry hadn't reacted the way they did with such professionalism, confidence, commitment to safety, and at the speed they did, we would have a very different outcome.

Sharon (Station Manager) and I are so impressed with how our staff have responded to such difficult situations. This is the second attempt of suicide at Truro this year. In both these situations all 4 of our colleagues have reacted in a way that makes us at GWR proud.“