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The Chief Fire Officer and Deputy Chief Fire Office have been suspended from Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service following the outcome of an independent cultural review.
ITV News reported late last week that: “Senior council figures were told at a meeting on Tuesday that Chief Fire Officer Graeme Binning and Deputy Chief Fire Officer Jim McNeil have been suspended by Northumberland County Council, which oversees the fire service.”
Since then, James Robinson, local democracy reporter for Chronicle Live, reported that ACO Lynsey McVey from neighbouring Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service had stepped into the role of interim chief, with Northumberland ACO Stephen Kennedy now interim deputy.
Graeme Binning was appointed as Chief Fire Officer in August 2023 and his deputy joined him from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service in December 2023.
In February, Chronicle Live reported that Northumberland County Council had commissioned an independent review of culture of the fire and rescue service in the county. A spokesman for the council said : “Some concerns have been raised by individuals, so it’s important we take stock and the time to listen to colleagues. To do that we have commissioned an external, neutral assessment into the culture of the organisation.”
Northumberland County Council has not published the review of the culture of the fire and rescue service. It said it would: “continue to work through the appropriate next steps following the neutral assessment findings.”
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