Derbyshire’s new fire chief is ready for the challenge

Derbyshire’s new fire chief has spoken of the challenges which lie ahead.
Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Authority is pleased to announce the appointment of a new Chief  Fire Officer/Chief Executive for Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service  Mr Terry McDermott.Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Authority is pleased to announce the appointment of a new Chief  Fire Officer/Chief Executive for Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service  Mr Terry McDermott.
Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Authority is pleased to announce the appointment of a new Chief Fire Officer/Chief Executive for Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service  Mr Terry McDermott.

Terry McDermott has taken up the position of chief fire officer/chief executive, succeeding Sean Frayne who is retiring in April next year.

Mr Frayne was found not guilty of a rape allegation and has been on gardening leave since he was charged.

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Mr McDermott was hired as deputy chief fire officer last year.

Speaking of his promotion, he said: “I feel very privileged to be given the opportunity to lead such dedicated staff.

“Everyone who works in the service, from firefighters and support staff alike, are completely committed to delivering our mission of “Making Derbyshire Safer.

“The service has worked hard over the last 10 years to reduce the number of incidents it attends by 48%. I am looking forward to driving continued improvement through our prevention activities and developing new initiatives with our partners.

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“This is a challenging yet exciting time for the service as we look towards moving into a new joint fire and police headquarters next year. I have no doubt that this move will deliver better outcomes for public safety as a result of closer working with our police colleagues whilst recognising budgets are becoming ever tighter.”

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Mr McDermott’s career began in 1989 at Greater Manchester where he served in a variety of roles including operations and fire protection.

In 2008 he joined Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service on promotion to Group Manager and was later promoted to Area Manager, Head of Service Delivery.

Cllr Roland Hosker, chairman of Derbyshire Fire Authority said: “Derbyshire is an excellent fire and rescue service that is forward thinking and strives for excellence in everything it does. We are sure Terry, who brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the role, will be able to capitalise on all of this good work”.