JONATHON Pryce has been appointed the new chief fire officer of Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service (HWFRS).
He takes over from Nathan Travis who retires on March 31 after dedicating 28 years of his life to the service.
Mr Pryce started his career in 1992 with Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service before moving to London Fire Brigade in 1997.
He joined HWFRS in 2001 and progressed through the ranks to assistant chief before his latest appointment.
“I am delighted to be taking up the position,” he said.
“HWFRS is a fantastic organisation with the most amazing workforce, which I am proud to be part of and now lead.
“We hope to continue building on some great work to keep the communities of Herefordshire and Worcestershire as safe as possible.”
Mr Pryce has helped shape on-call firefighter recruitment nationally and is an active member of the National Fire Chiefs Council.
He has also led on a number of major incidents over the years including the wide area flooding across Herefordshire and Worcestershire in the spring of 2020.
Chairman of the Fire Authority, Coun Roger Phillips, added: “Jon has extensive experience in the fire service sector and strong leadership qualities.
“I’m confident that he will make a great leader and I look forward to working closely with him in the future.”