Former fire chief proud of service's good culture

Chris Strickland retired from his role as Cambridgeshire's chief fire officer in June

A county's former fire and rescue chief who recently retired from the position said he was proud to have left a positive culture within the service.

Chris Strickland, 59, departed from his role as Cambridgeshire's chief fire officer in June, following a career that spanned more than 40 years.

He was appointed in 2016 and four years later was awarded the Queen's Fire Service Medal.

Matthew Warren, Cambridgeshire's new chief fire officer, said Mr Strickland had "done a grand job at making the service better".

Chris Strickland was awarded the Queen's Fire Service Medal in 2020

"I wasn't the most studious at school. I left with only four O-levels. But thought I'd visit the career library," Mr Strickland said.

He said that was the moment that he first thought about becoming a firefighter.

"I immediately liked the shift-working element. Plus the chance to do something worthwhile really appealed. My mum said that there was no way I was going to become a firefighter. So that was it. My mind was set!"

Former Chief Fire Officer Chris Strickland at a Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Awards Evening in 2018

Mr Strickland joined Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service in 2007 to take up the role of assistant chief fire officer, after serving 24 years with Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service.

He was promoted to deputy chief fire officer in 2008 before becoming chief fire officer in 2016.

"During my time at Hertfordshire, I moved 18 times in 24 years. Every time I got used to a new position or role, I thought to myself, it is time for a new challenge."

He described his 17 years in Cambridgeshire as both successful and challenging, as he was responsible for more than 600 staff.

"Most of Cambridgeshire is predominantly a part-time service - made up of on-call stations, where the firefighters have other, full-time jobs but carry pagers, and can be called to action as and when there is a fire.

"Cambridgeshire is big, but mainly rural - so we didn't quite have the resources of a Hertfordshire or London boroughs, where you always knew the cavalry were just around the corner."

Agile response

Mr Strickland added that Covid had a big impact during his career. "That was interesting. I remember as it hit, thinking that it was affecting London more than here. So we had a bit more time to plan.

"If half the force came down with Covid, we needed to know we could still function. Getting the right personal protective equipment was a real challenge. I sent a member of staff off to Homebase and B&Q, to hoover up as much as possible. So that we could keep doing our job. And ultimately, we did."

Mr Strickland said he had not yet decided what his next challenge would be following his retirement. But he spoke openly over what he would like his legacy to be at Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service.

"I have always wanted to get the best out of people. I wouldn't profess to be the best at it. However, as a team, we wanted people to come to work, enjoy what they were doing and ultimately give their best.

"The past three HMI [Inspectorate] inspections have shown our culture to not only be good, but improving each time a new inspection comes around.

"I know that I am leaving a great team. Because we developed it. So when we see some of the other issues at other fire and rescue services, such as misogyny and bullying and all the other things that have been in the news - that doesn't happen in Cambridgeshire."