Chief promises stability for troubled fire service

The new chief fire officer for the West Midlands has pledged to bring stability to the service.

Simon Tuhill, ex-deputy fire chief in Northamptonshire, was appointed after Ben Brook, who was announced as chief fire officer in November, stepped away from the service four days later.

The appointment also comes after the brief governance of Oliver Lee, who was suspended but later resigned and after Wayne Brown was found dead in January, a day after the service confirmed he was under investigation.

Mr Tuhill said it had been a "challenging" and "turbulent 2024" but he was confident 2025 could be a successful and rewarding year.

In a statement to staff he said: "I aim to provide a sense of stability and continuity for everyone across the organisation.

"To achieve this, I believe it is essential to engage with you directly, to understand you, your watches, teams, departments and your needs."

In a message to residents he said: "I will also be engaging with you as we review the way we deliver services to the people of the West Midlands to make sure our service continues to be fit for the 21st century."

There were calls for a public inquiry into the West Midlands authority after Oliver Lee and Greg Brackenridge, chairman of the fire authority, both left in October.

Wayne Brown was being investigated over claims made on social media about his qualifications for the role.

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