I am pleased to share details about the significant progress made on two of our major capital projects – the Logistics Support Centre at Boucher Crescent, Belfast and our new Learning & Development Centre at Desertcreat.

Both projects have taken several years to get to this stage but we are finally seeing real progress being made on these much needed new facilities for our organisation.

Recently I’ve been struck by the unique role of middle managers.

Often overlooked, they find themselves tasked with juggling the top team’s hopes and aspirations with the realities of meeting the needs of frontline staff. It’s not an easy position to hold but I believe, and research has shown, that middle managers play a vital role in helping an organisation like ours reach its full potential.

Last week we took a huge step forward in sustaining our Fire and Rescue Service for the future when we launched Wholetime Firefighter recruitment.

I’m convinced more than ever that if you want employees to be engaged, they need to feel that they matter, that they contribute and that they are valued. That is why my primary focus over the next couple of months is about getting out and about and meeting with employees, at all levels, across the organisation.