The fire in the early hours of New Year’s Day claimed 41 lives and injured 115 people.
Keystone / Jean-Christophe Bott
On December 8, the organisation helfen helfen Suisse will present the national Helfende Hand (Helping Hand) award for the first time. This inaugural ceremony, which will take place in the presence of Justice Minister Beat Jans and former Valais cantonal president Mathias Reynard, will pay tribute to the emergency and rescue services deployed during the fire in Crans-Montana.
With the Helping Hand award, helfen helfen Schweiz – a charitable organisation founded in Basel in 2017 – is establishing a national honour to recognise extraordinary achievements in exceptional emergency situations.
The ceremony will take place at the Bern Military Barracks, with the support of the Swiss Armed Forces. This initiative is backed by several sponsoring organisations, such as the Swiss Firefighters’ Federation, the Swiss Federation of Police Officers and the Valais Ambulance Workers’ Association.
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Around 400 guests are expected, including the honoured emergency and rescue services from Valais, neighbouring cantons and neighbouring border regions.
The award is intended for individuals from all parts of the emergency response chain who were involved in the initial response to the New Year’s Crans-Montana fire at Le Constellation bar, which claimed 41 lives and injured 115 people.
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Translated from French, reviewed by an English Department journalist.
