Two members of the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service have been named in the King's Birthday Honours for 2026. Patrick Quinn, a station commander in Omagh, receives the King's Fire Service Medal, while Sam Todd, an on-call crew commander at Ballyclare fire station, is awarded the British Empire Medal for long service with public transport operator Translink.

Patrick Quinn has served with NIFRS for 32 years, joining as an on-call firefighter in 1994. He was among the first emergency responders to the 1998 Omagh bombing and later gave evidence to the public inquiry into the atrocity. Since then, he has drawn on that experience to provide trauma support to colleagues.

As a trained Critical Incident Stress Management facilitator, he has recruited and mentored a team of 10 CISM facilitators, improving mental health support for more than 1,800 firefighters across the service. He also serves as a hazardous materials and environmental protection officer, and as a farm animal officer with expertise in rural incidents. In addition, he volunteers as a family liaison officer, assisting bereaved families with practical and mental health needs.

Sam Todd has been part of the fire service for 38 years, combining his role as an on-call crew commander with a career at Translink spanning 42 years. He is a service delivery manager for bus service operations and is widely known in the Ballyclare area. His award recognises his contribution to public transport.

Translink's director of service operations, Ian Campbell, described Todd as an ambassador for public transport in Northern Ireland, highlighting his role in delivering major events including The Open golf championship at Portrush last year.

The Chief Fire and Rescue Officer for NIFRS, Aidan Jennings, said both recipients embodied the service's values and that their awards were well deserved. He noted that on-call firefighters like Todd often serve the community in multiple roles, and praised Quinn for going beyond his duties to support colleagues and the public.