| Shropshire's newly appointed Deputy Chief Fire Officer John Redmond |
The county's newly appointed Deputy Chief Fire Officer John Redmond has vowed to maintain the high standards at Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service which have seen fires fall to a record low due to successful fire prevention initiatives.
With a 27-year career in the fire and rescue service, John (49) moves to the county from Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service. He takes over the role from Paul Raymond who was promoted to Chief Fire Officer last year.
Originally from Wallasey, John joined London Fire Brigade after gaining a degree in geography from Hull University. He moved to the Cheshire brigade as a newly promoted Divisional Officer working in brigade training, operations, personnel, and running the community fire safety department.
"I am very pleased and very proud to serve as the new Deputy Chief Fire Officer in Shropshire. Because of the present financial situation, we are working hard towards maintaining and improving the service we give while ensuring public money is spent wisely and making savings wherever we can.
"Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service is one the UK's smallest fire and rescue services but it has a strong track record of being one of the best in the country. We intend to continue the excellent service to the people of Shropshire," said Mr Redmond, who is based at the Shrewsbury fire HQ.
During his firefighting career, John has been involved in many serious incidents including a chemical cylinders explosion, a huge warehouse fire containing two million litres of spirits, serious house fires and fatal motorway road crashes.