Cornwall Fire & Rescue Service Newsdesk

at 17/03/2005 15:12

Assistant Chief Fire Officer Mark Yates will be leaving Cornwall County Fire Brigade on the 31st March 2005.as the following day he takes up the position of Deputy Chief Fire Officer in Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service.

Mark has been Assistant Chief Fire Officer for Cornwall County Fire Brigade since the summer of 2002 and is currently responsible for operations throughout the county.

He has spent 21 years in Cornwall County Fire Brigade and during this time has served in most parts of the county including being stationed at Bodmin, Liskeard, Newquay and Truro Fire Stations before being promoted to Divisional Officer when he took more specialist roles in Brigade Headquarters.

Mark has been involved in many innovative projects within Cornwall County Fire Brigade, most notably in promoting community safety through engaging young people in a number of successful youth projects.

This includes the fire cadet scheme which Mark introduced in 1997. The Brigade has fire cadet groups at four locations in the county: Newquay, Bodmin, Saltash and St Austell with Polruan starting shortly.

In 2004 Mark received his Long Service and Good Conduct Medal from HRH Prince Edward at a ceremony at St. Austell Fire station
Mark has attended many fires and other incidents in his time in Cornwall and as a senior officer has been in charge of some of the largest incidents in the county. He has also been the Brigade spokesperson for many media interviews, most notably during the recent industrial action, when his regular press briefings ensured the public were kept up to date with developments at a local and national level.

Mark said: “My time in Cornwall has been most enjoyable, this enjoyment being in no small part due to the people I have worked with; from Chief Officers to mechanics, accountants to teachers, drivers to secretarys and of course all firefighting and fire brigade staff.”

He added: “I leave the county with an absolute belief that Cornwall is unique and the communities it contains are unique. This is a major strength and one that should neither be under-estimated nor forgotten”

Mick Howell, Chief Fire Officer said “Hertfordshire’s gain is Cornwall’s loss. Mark is a very talented officer and his career success in rising through the ranks in Cornwall County Fire Brigade is entirely deserved. We all wish him well in his new post. I am certain he will play a major part in improving services in Hertfordshire as he has done in Cornwall over the last twenty one years.

Mark’s replacement is due to be appointed in April.