1 January 2006

Group Manager Roy Harold from Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service has been awarded the MBE in the New Year Honours List.

As well as being BFRS's health and safety advisor and heading the equipment team, Roy leads the fire investigation team, jointly manages the Central Intelligence Unit and is working on upgrading water rescue facilities at Marlow and Newport Pagnell Fire Stations. He is also specially trained to deal with incidents involving hazardous materials.

Roy's fire service career began in 1990 after seven years as a field archaeologist. He spent six years with the London Fire Brigade, mainly as a Firefighter at Homerton Fire Station in Hackney. He also worked at the Fire Rescue and Fire Investigation Units in East Ham and the Command Support Centre in Lambeth.

In 1996 Roy joined Cambridgeshire Fire & Rescue Service as a Leading Firefighter and was promoted to Sub Officer at Dogsthorpe Fire Station in Peterborough in 1998.

He moved to the Training Centre at Huntingdon as Station Officer in 2000, and three years later he was seconded to Her Majesty's Fire Service Inspectorate in London. Roy served first as Staff Officer to the HMFSI Senior Management Team and then as a member of the IRMP (Integrated Risk Management Plan) Implementation Support Team.

He returned to Cambridgeshire Fire & Rescue Service in November 2004 as Brigade Training Officer and joined Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service at HQ in Aylesbury in May 2005 having reached the level of Divisional Officer.

Roy, who was 40 in August, is married to Julie and they have two boys aged nine and eight. They currently live in St Neots, Cambridgeshire, but are hoping to move to the Buckingham, Winslow or Stewkley area.

Roy, who will receive his medal at a ceremony at Buckingham Palace later this year, said: "I was surprised but very happy to have been recognised in the New Year Honours List. Having spent two years working at national level on issues concerned with the modernisation of the fire and rescue service, I'm very pleased to have been able to join one of the most forward-looking and innovative brigades in the UK."

Cllr David Rowlands, Chairman of Buckinghamshire & Milton Keynes Fire Authority, said: "This is a result of all the hard work Roy has put in locally and nationally and we are delighted to have him working as part of our management team."

Chief Fire Officer Damian Smith said: "This is a reflection of the tremendous work Roy has done for the fire and rescue service. We are delighted that a member of our staff has received this award."