Interim brigade boss permanently appointed as West Midlands Chief Fire Officer
West Midlands Fire and Rescue Authority has appointed Wayne Brown as the brigade's permanent new Chief Fire Officer following a selection procedure.
As the former deputy chief, Mr Brown has led the fire service on an interim basis since December following the retirement of his predecessor Phil Loach.
Mr Brown said: “I am delighted to have been offered the permanent position by the fire authority, and equally delighted to have accepted.
“Since I joined West Midlands Fire Service as Deputy Chief Fire Officer in 2019, it has been a total pleasure to be surrounded by so many professional colleagues, who clearly take pride every day in working to make our communities safer, stronger and healthier.
“It is my privilege to have been appointed on a permanent basis. I’m very much looking forward to building on, and enhancing our hard-earned position as one of the country’s leading and most respected fire and rescue services.
“We are already embarked on a journey of improvement and innovation. I’m extremely fortunate to be working with a fantastic team who share my ambitions and aspirations to deliver world class services to our communities.”
The new chief, an experienced strategic manager, previously served with London Fire Brigade.
Authority chairman and Wolverhampton councillor Greg Brackenridge said: “I am delighted to be able to offer Wayne the position of Chief Fire Officer after a thorough application and interview process.
“I and the rest of the appointments, standards and appeals committee members were very impressed by Wayne’s vision for the service and we are confident he will continue to provide the excellent leadership the service requires to build on our existing successes and help us meet the challenges of the coming years.”
