Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service have announced who will be taking over the top job of chief fire officer following Chris Lowther's retirement later this year.
The current chief fire officer is due to step down from his role in October and a recruitment process has been under way to find his replacement, which has been led by Councillor Phil Tye, the chairman of the service’s Fire and Rescue Authority.
Now, the service has confirmed that deputy chief fire officer, Peter Heath, has been appointed as chief fire officer.
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Peter has been in his current role since 2020 when he joined Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service (TWFRS) from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed my three years with the service and am excited to continue to work hard to keep communities in Tyne and Wear safe," he said.
“Every single day I am impressed by the hard work and dedication of staff and volunteers across the service. Whether that is front-line firefighters, our fire control staff, or those who fulfil many of our corporate roles.
“I want to thank chief fire officer Lowther for his support and guidance throughout my time in the service. I also want to thank the Fire and Rescue Authority for putting their faith in me to lead this great service. I can’t wait to get started.”
Peter will hold the position of chief fire officer designate during a handover period before replacing Chris as chief fire officer upon his retirement in October.
Peter joined the fire service in 1992 and worked as a firefighter the Lothian and Borders Fire Brigade in Scotland. He served at several fire stations across Edinburgh and the Scottish Borders as firefighter, leading firefighter, sub-officer and station officer.
He also held a number of positions over the years including fire safety enforcement officer, training officer, in operational planning as well as a range of managerial and leadership roles.
Departing chief fire officer, Chris Lowther, said of his replacement: “Peter has had a transformational impact on the service since he joined us three years ago. He knows this service well and it makes my decision to retire a lot easier knowing that the organisation is being left in safe hands.
“I believe TWFRS is the best fire and rescue service in the country and I look forward to seeing Peter take us to even greater heights."
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