Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue’s new Chief Fire Officer (CFO) will be John Buckley – who will take over from retiring Chief Fire Officer Frank Swann on 1 April 2014. John is the current Deputy Chief Fire Officer and was appointed as the new CFO on 13 December.
Chairman of the Fire Authority, Councillor Darrell Pulk said, “I’m delighted that we interviewed the current Deputy and the entire appointment committee’s view was that John will make an exceptional Chief.
“We are sorry to see Frank go – but at the same time we are looking forward to working with John to help create even safer communities across the county. John went through a demanding set of tests and we got support from some external independent experts and we are happy he is the right person for the job.”
John joined NFRS in 1996 as a firefighter, worked his way through the ranks and has been Deputy Chief Fire Officer since May 2012.
John said, “I’m really proud to have started here and now reached the most senior position. My aim is to continue the fantastic work we are already doing to make Nottinghamshire a safer place – and it’s by working together with the community, firefighters and staff, and the Fire Authority that we’ll achieve this.”
Chief Fire Officer Frank Swann retires on 31 March 2014 after being NFRS’ Chief since early 2007 and there will now be a handover period between Frank and John.
Assistant Chief Fire Officer Dave Horton will also retire later in 2014 and, to ensure there is a smooth transition due to two senior officers retiring at a similar time, Area Manager Craig Parkin will be acting as a temporary Assistant Chief Fire Officer with immediate effect.
