More change is on the way at Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service, as a new approach to the service’s top job is confirmed.
Norfolk County Council’s current director of community, information and learning, Ceri Sumner, will become director of the service on September 5, when interim chief fire officer Tim Edwards retires.
She will be the first woman to lead the county's fire service.
Ms Sumner joined the county council in 2011 having worked with a number of organisations including the British Airports Authority and energy firm Centrica.
Her current council role includes overseeing services such as Trading Standards, customer services, libraries and adult education.
It has also involved leading the authority’s community response during the Covid-19 pandemic and coordinating the ongoing Homes for Ukraine scheme.
Her appointment represents a change in the way the fire service is run, as - unlike the chief fire officer - the director is not a trained firefighter nor expected to carry out frontline firefighting or incident command.
It means Norfolk now has a similar model to those in place at other fire services including in Kent and Hertfordshire.
The announcement follows last week’s publication of an inspection report which showed some key areas of the service were rated as ‘good’ but that the organisation was ‘inadequate’ in its fire prevention work and that 15 areas ‘requiring improvement’ had not improved since the last inspection in 2019.
Ms Sumner said: “It is a privilege to lead such a crucial, well-regarded service of dedicated professionals, who have shown such courage and skill in the face of recent wildfires.
“I have over 25 years’ experience spanning the private and public sector that will bring a different perspective to the service.
“I'll be focusing on working effectively with teams to ensure we address points raised in the recent inspection report, as well as continuing the collaboration with other emergency services in protecting Norfolk’s residents and businesses.”
Mr Edwards retires at the end of this summer having become interim chief fire officer in February of this year after Stuart Ruff’s retirement.
He joined the service as a 16-year-old in 1988 and after serving as a firefighter rose through the ranks to become assistant chief fire officer in November 2019.
He said: "I’ve seen many incidents and served alongside many truly remarkable people. It has been a privilege to serve as interim chief fire officer, and I’d like to thank my colleagues for all their support and hard work.
“I know the service is now in safe hands and pass to Ceri an exceptional team to help protect Norfolk."
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