As I write this blog the festive season is well under way and there are only a few more sleeps until Christmas Day. In the midst of all the hustle and bustle I wanted to take a moment to reflect on, and say a big thank you, to all staff at Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service for their hard work throughout the year.

At our recent Employee Awards, I was privileged to recognise a number of colleagues for their dedication, professionalism and attitude. It was clear to me that they are passionate about what they do and made me think about what makes a good employee.

Welcome to my first Chief’s blog.
It’s a real honour for me to be writing to you as the new Chief Fire & Rescue Officer for NIFRS.
I’ve set up this blog as a new way to keep in touch with you, but more importantly I’m keen to hear what you have to say – so if this post triggers a question or you just want to share your views and opinions then please get in touch. You can email me at cfro@nifrs.org