Firefighter who died during pandemic honoured

Alec Elwell was a crew manager with Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service

A firefighter who died after contracting Covid-19 has been honoured with a red plaque.

Father-of-two Alec Elwell, 48, was a crew manager with Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service.

He served at a number of stations across the county during his career, including at Hanley, in Stoke-on-Trent.

The plaque was unveiled at Cannock Fire Station.

'Larger than life'

Jack Lee, chair of the Fire Brigades Union in Staffordshire, said Mr Elwell was a larger than life character.

“He was an incredibly committed and proud firefighter, and took the role very seriously,” said Mr Lee.

“He had worked across a number of locations and had taken promotion to crew manager and was always looking to develop himself.”

Mr Lee added: “Although Alec is no longer with us, he is often talked about and he remains in our thoughts and in our hearts, and this red plaque means that Alec will go on to be remembered long after we have all left the service.”

Red plaques honour firefighters who lost their lives while serving their communities

The Red Plaque Scheme was launched in 2017 and was inspired by the Blue Plaque Project run by English Heritage.

It honours firefighters who have lost their lives while serving their communities.

Mr Elwell’s fiancée Kirsty L'Oste-Brown said Cannock was the right place for the memorial.

She said: “Alec loved Cannock. He used to cycle through Cannock Chase to work, so it just felt right for the plaque to be situated at Cannock.

“He lived in Rugeley, and that area had a lot of meaning to him.”

Mr Elwell transferred to Staffordshire from London Fire Brigade in 2005 and worked in Cannock, Rugeley, Burton and Hanley.

He found out he had contracted Covid-19 on Christmas Day 2020, and was admitted to hospital on 3 January.

He died on 16 January 2021.