“We’re seeing more and more hidden homelessness as well – people staying on other people’s sofas, people sleeping in their cars, not necessarily even registering themselves as experiencing homelessness – so it can be really difficult to understand the numbers.
Sabrina Cohen-Hatton, chief fire officer with West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service, was awarded the King’s Fire Service Medal during an investiture ceremony at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday.
Dr Cohen-Hatton, who also became an ambassador with homelessness charity The Big Issue and credits it with saving her life, said she hopes she can use her experience to “change the narrative, so that people who are in my situation today don’t have to go through that”.
The medal is awarded for distinguished service or gallantry, and recognises Dr Cohen-Hatton’s work at several key events including the Finsbury Park terror attack, the Westminster Bridge terror attack, and the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower fire.
Speaking on Tuesday, Dr Cohen-Hatton told the PA news agency: “The fire service means a huge amount to me because I feel like, as firefighters, we’re trusted by people to know what to do when they’re having the worst day of their lives.
