Wayne Brown, the chief of West Midlands fire service, has been found dead at his home in Birmingham. Police said his death is not being treated as suspicious. He was reportedly being investigated over claims on social media about his academic qualifications.
Greg Brackenridge, chair of West Midlands fire and rescue authority, said the fire service’s thoughts were with his family. “We are devastated to report that our chief fire officer, Wayne Brown, was this morning found dead at his home address,” he said. “The death is not being treated as suspicious by West Midlands police.
“All our thoughts and love are with his family, his friends and his colleagues. We ask everyone that his family and his colleagues are given time and space at this tragic time.”
The fire service had said in an earlier statement: “We are aware of claims referencing our chief fire officer and West Midlands fire service.
“Formal inquiries and processes, in line with our fire authority’s constitution, are now ongoing in relation to the matters raised. We will undertake this thoroughly and fairly. In the meantime, we will not be commenting further.”
West Midlands police said: “We can confirm that we attended an address in Birmingham this morning where the body of a man in his 50s was sadly found. The death is not being treated as suspicious and we are liaising with the local coroner. A formal identification will take place in due course.
“The man’s family is being supported by specialist officers and our thoughts are with them at this time.”
Separately, Brown was involved in a court case in which a man was charged with harassment against him, the BBC reported.
According to the West Midlands fire service website, he started his career as a firefighter in east London and spent 27 years in the London fire brigade, rising to assistant commissioner.
He joined West Midlands as deputy chief fire officer in November 2019 and was responsible for community risk reduction before becoming chief fire officer in January 2023.
The website said Brown “attended some of the UK’s most significant operational incidents, including London terrorist attacks and the devastating Grenfell Tower fire”. It also said he was “an ex-professional footballer with Uefa coaching qualifications”.
PA Media contributed to this report
