Tyne and Wear’s most senior firefighter hopes cuts to life-saving frontline services are “in the past”.
Chris Lowther, who announced on Monday that he plans to retire as chief fire officer of the Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service (TWFRS), vowed that communities can expect to see jobs and fire stations protected – despite mounting economic pressures. Mr Lowther, who has been at the helm of TWFRS since 2017, has overseen a challenging period that has encompassed ongoing budget struggles, the Covid pandemic, and now new financial pressures caused by inflation.
But, after confirming his impending departure at a Fire Authority meeting on Monday, the 50-year-old told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that he does not “see any frontline cuts coming in the future”. Mr Lowther said: “One of the reasons I am comfortable to retire at the moment is the strength of the position the budget is in.”
