March 2, 2018

DAVE GOES THE EXTRA MILE

A heroic Cardiff Council employee has pulled out all the stops to come to the rescue of people stranded in the snow.

Dave Sultana usually works in the authority's waste management services but over the last couple of days has been part of the Council's4x4 fleet which have been supporting services to meet the needs of the most vulnerable in the city.

Since the early hours of this morning, Dave has been out and about in a 4x4 vehicle across the city helping people in difficulties because of the heavy snow fall.

His intrepid feats include digging an ambulance out of the snow on Ball Road, Llanrumney, towing a nurse's car out of the snow so she could get to work at the University Hospital of Wales and rescuing another three vehicles on Newport Road.

If that wasn't enough already, the Good Samaritan then drove an entire family to Thornhill Cemetery to attend a funeral after they had become stranded in Penylan.

Dave, who has worked for the council for 12 years, said: "I have enjoyed today more than any other day that I've worked for the Council. It's been great.

"My manager said to me, ‘You can take your cape off now Dave, you can't help anyone else. But  I just couldn't help but stop and help people."

Dave's face may be familiar to many in the city as he's one of the ‘poster boys' of the Council's Working for You campaign which has seen real council employees feature on bus stop and bus advertising and in Council buildings to promote Council services.

Leader of Cardiff Council, Cllr Huw Thomas, said: "Dave's efforts are a fantastic example of the lengths council workers have gone to over this period of harsh weather to help people in need. He's really gone above and beyond and I want to personally thank him for that.

"Many of our employees have been working around the clock, battling very difficult conditions to make sure roads were cleared, meals on wheels were delivered, elderly people and looked after children were safe and cared for. I've had some great reports of staff going the extra mile to make sure we've been able to meet the needs of the most vulnerable in the city including our outreach team helping rough sleepers. I could go on and on and I'm fearful of who I might leave out, so I want to thank every single member of staff who pulled out all the stops during this severe weather warning."

(ends)

City of Cardiff Council Media Advisor Andrea Currie Tel: 029 2087 3107

Email: acurrie@cardiff.gov.uk