Suffolk Appoints Army Officer as Dep Chief Officer

[bigun]

Suffolk FRS have appointed a Lieutenant Colonel from an army regiment as their new Deputy Chief Officer and he is to have an operational role. The intention is that he will be sent to a training establishment to learn how to fight fires. Is this the way the future of the FRS is going to be? I wasn't all that impressed with the framework directive and felt that it is a retrograde step. I always fought against 2 tier entry and accelerated promotion. It is a pity that my successors did not do the same or have I got it all wrong?

[rips]

The previous Deputy must be spitting feathers. Losing out to a boy for the chief's job, then being replaced by a soldier!

What next for Suffolk, I wonder?

[ian gough]

I look forward to reading his (surprise it is a 'he') posts in the many debates had on this site!

[Billy]

I hate to say it but you will probably find he is more highly trained in strategic Incident Management than a lot of our current DCO's and I am certain he could carry out this function to an extremely high standard.

[ian gough]

Well his experience is perhaps more relevant than the last time we discussed this Billy (marketing manager I seem to recall?) so I'm not going to seriously disagree wih you on this either!

[wee brian]

Of course the most famous fire officer of all time was Captain Shaw.

He transfered to the Brigade from the Army (keeping the title captain because it sounded good). he had no formal training but did invent some.

[Billy]

I once heard a SDO who had very little service and even less operational experience, asked by a Firefighter- "So- Have you ever been on the end of a branch and actually put a fire out"!

He replied- "I don't need to have put out fires, but I do need to make sure you have the proper equipment, training and procedures in place so you can put out fires"

On this point, he was totally correct and even the firefighters agreed with him and admired his honesty!

[dave bev]

havent we had this discussion? and no doubt will have many more!

dave bev

[Paul]

Oh yes I know of a particualr Dep who runs a flower arranging class at lunch time.  Been on the end of a branch.....errrrm.......no......legal wizz.........oh yes.  CFO never goes anywhere without her.

[Lee999]

I'll bet he doesn't!!!!!!!

[Cut Fire Service Pay]

Strange that suffolk are having so many problems at the moment. Doing things like this at a time when we are supposed to be 'modernising' its no wonder that Suffolks Ffs have low morale and industrial relations are at a very low point.

[colin todd]

I am doing training for Suffolk over the next two days, and I am sure things there are not as bad as portrayed.

[Cut Fire Service Pay]

Lets hope so colin.

[colin todd]

Well, Peter M'Boy. I have to report that rarely in my life have I come across such a keen, bright and enthusiastic group of young fire safety officers. If its people like that who are to enforce the RRO, we can be optimistic. A week after the training, one young lad was even able to do a short lecture on how to assess whether a fire alarm system has sufficient standby capacity in Ampere-hours.

[maineroad]

most of the officers we see have come via the tng school & fire saftey,& are not keen to attend jobs never mind run them,2 tier bring it on i say it can not be worsethan at the moment!!!!!