Station Manager John Bull, who is retiring after 30 years with Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service.
24 January 2011
Station Manager John Bull retires on Friday (28 January) after a 30-year career with Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service.
John, who is in charge of High Wycombe Fire Station, joined in February 1981 as a retained firefighter at Beaconsfield Fire Station. He had previously worked for 13 years as a heavy goods vehicle technician, with the final four years as the deputy workshop foreman at DAF Trucks UK in Marlow
He joined Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service full-time 18 months later, spending 13 weeks at Reigate Training Centre before starting as a firefighter at High Wycombe Fire Station on Christmas Eve 1982.
He successfully applied to become a leading firefighter back at his home station of Beaconsfield, starting back there in May 1989. He became Station Manager at Beaconsfield on 1 January 2004.
John said: “Fortune and stubbornness to stay at Beaconsfield enabled me to secure a number of promotions and to remain at the station for 16 years.
“Although the saying ‘home is where the heart is’ is very true - my heart has always been in my home town of Beaconsfield - my return to High Wycombe in 2005 was also like coming home. Everything was just as I had left it!”
He added: “The changes proposed and introduced and the issues associated with a large group of people have made my last five years in the service interesting, challenging and extremely enjoyable.
“I would like to thank everyone I have served with, both past and present, for making every day a pleasure to have to come to work.”
John will say farewell to his colleagues and friends at a retirement social at High Wycombe Fire Station on 11 February.
Station Manager Danny Whitelock, currently based at Chesham Fire Station, will temporarily transfer to High Wycombe Fire Station from 31 January to 31 March.
Greg Smith, Group Manager for South Buckinghamshire, said: “Throughout his career, John has demonstrated a professional approach to any task he has undertaken and an unquestionable commitment to Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service. I wish John and his family well in the future now that he has decided to retire after 30 years of distinguished service."