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South Wales Fire and Rescue Service (SWFRS) has launched its Operational Training, Leadership and Personal Development Academy to empower staff across the organisation to become innovative, compassionate and successful leaders.
The service has seen substantial changes over the last 18 months, following the Fenella Morris Review with new staff, strategies, protocols and ways of thinking pushing the organisation forward.
With the launch of the academy, SWFRS not only wants to build an organisation that brings together best practice, but become the organisation that others come to, to learn best practice. To achieve this, the service needs to shift how it supports, empowers and upskills its people. The academy is about wider development, ensuring that everyone within the organisation has an opportunity to build their leadership skills and personal development through targeted training.
The launch event, held on 28 April 2025, saw SWFRS staff and external delegates take part in a series of workshops and learnings around leadership within the service, including: a Search and Rescue demonstration (featuring Cooper the search and rescue dog) and a Critical Incident Leadership Training Taster and Group Coaching.
This was followed by a panel discussion featuring Dr Katherine Griffiths (Occupational Health Doctor), Fin Monahan (Chief Fire Officer), Jake Alpert (incoming Chief of Staff) and the newly appointed Strategic Lead for the Academy, George Gilbert.
“We already have excellent leadership on the operational side, at the incident ground. I’ve seen that many times now – it’s superb. We also have a learning and leadership development team, that also deliver our ‘development pathways’ which are excellent.”
Chief Fire Officer Fin Monahan, who has spearheaded the academy.
He reflected further on the importance of the Academy; “We also need to invest in conceptual thinking. The way we think, the way we fight fires and rescue people in the future to ensure we really are at the top of our game as we modernise. If we look back through the history of uniformed services that have been really successful as they formed or when they needed to modernise, there is a central theme. That theme is that they really invested in their education, training, and culture. I need to make sure that leaders throughout the organisation are empowered, have the knowledge and have the experience levels to be making decisions that stabilise the organisation in a much better way. Whether someone is a new firefighter, a watch manager, or a strategic leader, there will be a clear development pathway that supports their personal and professional growth.”
Leading the way is Georgina Gilbert – Strategic Lead for the Academy. A firefighter with over 26 years at SWFRS based out of Maindee Station, George brings extensive operational experience alongside her work as a public speaker, adventurer, and advocate for gender equality.
She co-founded the Antarctic Fire Angels, a duo of UK firefighters who completed a record-setting expedition to the South Pole in early 2024 to inspire women and girls to break boundaries. Known for her resilience and drive, George has consistently challenged stereotypes and championed diversity in the fire and rescue sector.
“I’m a big advocate for saying yes to opportunities. And I took this as an opportunity and wanted to lead by example. I’ve always said you don’t need to be a rank to progress through the service and do different roles. I’m living by my conviction.”
“I’m still a firefighter, and I will go back a firefighter — having done something absolutely amazing, which traditionally would have only been available to someone with more seniority.”
Georgina Gilbert – Strategic Lead for the academy.
Her appointment reflects SWFRS’s continued commitment to inclusion, innovation, and strong leadership across all levels of the service. The academy marks a bold step in shaping a future-ready fire and rescue service—one that leads with purpose, learns without limits, and empowers every individual to thrive.
Catherine Levin will be visiting the SWFRS academy on Monday next week to observe a multi agency RTC training exercise with medical students, so keep an eye out for a feature on that in due course.
