New 'Chief Fire Officer' appointed at GMFRS

Chief Fire Officer Jim Wallace

A new Chief Fire Officer has been appointed to lead Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service.

Jim Wallace, an experienced leader of fire and rescue services, will take on the role from September.

Mr Wallace is the former Chief Executive and Accountable Officer for Northern Ireland Fire Service and Business Change Manager. He has also worked at the Police and Fire Reform Team in the Scottish Government, creating a new unified national Fire and Rescue Service.

He said: “I am delighted to be joining Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service and I look forward to working with the Mayor, Deputy Mayor and all members of the Fire and Rescue Service and Combined Authority to ensure that we have the best service for the people of the city region.”

A number of operational changes are to be implemented immediately, including family-friendly shift patterns, to put the frontline first and boost morale.

The changes follow feedback from firefighters as part of the Service’s ongoing Programme for Change – a review announced by the Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater manchester, in March this year following publication of the Kerslake Report and the postponement of some elements of GMFRS’ Integrated Risk Management Plan (IRMP) back in December 2017.

Mayor Burnham said: “Earlier this year the Deputy Mayor and I announced a ‘root and branch’ review of the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service. As part of this review, Deputy Mayor and I have been visiting fire stations and other staff from across the service to listen to frontline firefighters.

“During those visits, it has become clear that some changes are required quickly and a new beginning is needed – one that puts the frontline first.”

The changes include:    

• An accelerated recruitment drive, which is already underway to reduce the current number of frontline operational vacancies.
• New rostering arrangements based on a two-two-four shift duty system to improve firefighter work/life balance. This will also remove the need for roster reserves, which means firefighters have a clearer, family-friendly working pattern and know in advance which shift patterns they are working and which station they will be based at.
• Refurbishment work at a number of fire stations to improve facilities, in particular facilities for female firefighters.
• A new policy to allow firefighters to select their own annual leave.