Chief Fire Officer Damian Smith is pictured above.

1 June 2009

Chief Fire Officer Damian Smith is to retire this month after a career of more than 30 years, of which 10 have been spent with Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service and nearly five in its top post. He will leave on 20 June, his 50th birthday.

Buckinghamshire & Milton Keynes Fire Authority has appointed an interim Chief Fire Officer - Bill Feeley from Kent Fire & Rescue Service – while it seeks Mr Smith’s permanent successor.

Mr Smith, who joined London Fire Brigade as a firefighter in April 1979, transferred to Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service in 1999 and became Chief Fire Officer in October 2004.

He said: “This has been a fulfilling career for me, never a job. It has allowed me to have a huge range of experiences, from the most difficult operational incidents through to the privilege of representing Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service at local, regional and national events.

“The last 10 years have been all about making the fire service recognised for what it is - the premier emergency service in the country. The people who have supported that, who work tirelessly to protect our communities and are willing to go that extra yard for the brigade, are fundamentally the ones who have made my role far more rewarding.

“It’s all been done against a backdrop of increasing pressures for change and modernisation, coupled with increasingly challenging budgets.

“Basically it’s been a decade of managing uncertainty. Now at long last I can start to plan for something which has a high degree of certainty!”

Buckinghamshire & Milton Keynes Fire Authority has issued the following statement paying tribute to Mr Smith's career:

“Damian’s leadership, drive and commitment have transformed the organisation. It is fitting that, earlier this year, the Audit Commission stated that we were among the highest improving fire and rescue services in the country and yet remain one of the lowest cost. With the foundations now firmly in place, we look to build on this success in the future.

“As well as his work within the brigade, Damian served on a multitude of regional and national projects both to improve the resilience of the fire and rescue service and to improve the safety of the public and firefighters.

“We will miss his commitment, passion and sense of humour, and wish him every success in retirement and for the future.”

Mr Smith lives in Aylesbury with his wife Lucie, a former international athlete, who is a registered osteopath and a strength and conditioning coach for the British Olympic shooting teams.

His elder son Neil is firefighter in London and his younger son Adam is a marine engineer in the Royal Navy. His daughter Jessica emigrated to Australia in 2008 and Mr Smith is planning a visit early next year.