A Midlothian Council electrician has been shortlisted for the Inspirational Colleague of the Year Award at the 2026 Aico Community Awards for his response to two medical emergencies.
Kieran Docherty, aged 28, joined the local authority straight from school as an apprentice. Now a skilled electrician, who also mentors new apprentices, Kieran plays a key role in installing environmental sensors and ensuring over 7,000 council homes are safe and maintained.
He was nominated for the award by his team leader, Michael Kyle, for his ‘exceptional’ commitments to tenants, his calm actions in emergencies, and dedication to helping others learn and succeed.
Around a year ago, while attending a late‑evening callout for a power fault, Kieran noticed the tenant he had been helping suddenly became unresponsive. Although shocked, he stayed calm and immediately called 999.
With guidance from the call handler, he checked the woman’s breathing, monitored her condition, and spoke reassuringly to her until the ambulance arrived. He also contacted her family to make sure she was recovering well. Her son personally thanked Kieran and shared the story on social media saying without Kieran’s help ‘it could have been much worse’.
In an earlier incident, Kieran was working in a family home when a teenage boy suffered a seizure. Kieran stepped in to help the boy’s mother – placing the teen in the recovery position, making sure he was not choking, clearing the area to keep him safe, and phoning an ambulance.
Kieran, who lives with his wife Lauren and their one-year-old daughter Millie, says his apprenticeship first‑aid training prepared him, but the situations were still frightening. “You do sit in the van afterwards to catch your breath,” he said.
Over the last decade, the council’s building maintenance Service has supported 27 apprentices, with all completing their training and 24, including Kieran, still working for the council.
Kieran says he was ‘shocked and honoured’ to be put forward for the award by Michael. Michael said, “We’re incredibly proud of all our electrical staff who, like Kieran, take real pride in their work and always put tenants at the heart of what they do. Kieran is especially deserving of this recognition. His actions went far beyond his duties, providing calm, decisive and potentially lifesaving support when it was needed most.”
The Aico Community Awards will take place on 16 April 2026 in Birmingham.
