Following 37 years of dedicated service, chief fire officer at Mid & West Wales Fire and Rescue Service, Chris Davies QFSM, is retiring.

In his final weeks before handing the reins over to our new CFO, Roger Thomas, Chris sat down to reminisce over a glittering career that has been served with great pride.

Chris said: “I joined the Fire and Rescue Service in 1984, midway through my A-Levels would you believe, and much against the advice of everyone around me at the time. I was determined to join but I could never have dreamed, back then, of the career I had ahead of me.

“This is what is so great about the Fire and Rescue Service; you can join with limited qualifications and experience, and you have the potential to get all the way to Chief Fire Officer! I think we, as Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service and as a sector, should be proud of that. I think everybody should be proud of what they do in the Service, as by our nature, every one of us goes over and above to safeguard our communities.

“We are well respected within our communities. As I say to our recruits when they pass out and to crews during station visits, our behaviours must be of the highest standards, because we are role models and whether we are in work or off duty, we are looked upon with the greatest respect. I am immensely proud of the relationship we have with the public and, looking to the future, I think it’s important that we maintain that level of pride and engagement we have with our communities; for me, it is what sets us apart from others.”

During his tenure as chief, Chris has awarded a Chief Fire Commendation to a select number of firefighters who have gone above and beyond the call of duty in order to rescue members of the public. He himself was also awarded a CFO Commendation.

Speaking about his plans for the future, Chris said: “In the short term, I’m going on holiday and I’ll use that time to recharge my batteries. What I’m saying to people is that I am retiring from the Fire Service, but I’m not ready to grow a ponytail and a long beard just yet, I’ll do something new, but I don’t know what at this moment in time.

“I can honestly say that I have loved every minute of my career. It has been an honour to serve as Chief Fire Officer for 8 of those years and, although I have made friends and connections here that will stay with me for the rest of my life, I will dearly miss the Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service family.

“Thank you to every member of staff for your dedication and hard work during my tenure as Chief Fire Officer, I wish you all the best for the future.

“Diolch yn fawr a hwyl fawr.”