Appointment of Chief Fire Officer

The permanent appointment of Wayne Brown as Chief Fire Officer of West Midlands Fire Service (WMFS) has today (19 April) been confirmed by West Midlands Fire and Rescue Authority (WMFRA).

The selection process, which also included external applicants, culminated in this morning’s final interviews.

CFO Brown had been leading WMFS on an interim basis since December 2022, following the retirement of his predecessor, Phil Loach.

Wayne is a vastly experienced strategic manager who joined WMFS as Deputy Chief Fire Officer in 2019, moving from London Fire Brigade.

Councillor Greg Brackenridge, Chair of WMFRA, said: “I am delighted to be able to offer Wayne the position of Chief Fire Officer, after a thorough application and interview process. I am grateful to Mark Hardingham, Chair of the NFCC, for his support as technical advisor throughout the process.

“I and the rest of the Appointments, Standards and Appeals Committee members were very impressed by Wayne’s vision for the Service, and we are confident he will continue to provide the excellent leadership the service requires to build on our existing successes and help us meet the challenges of the coming years.”

CFO Brown said: “I am delighted to have been offered the permanent position by the fire authority, and equally delighted to have accepted.

“Since I joined WMFS as Deputy Chief Fire Officer in 2019, it has been a total pleasure to be surrounded by so many professional colleagues, who clearly take pride every day in working to make our communities safer, stronger and healthier.

“It is my privilege to have been appointed on a permanent basis. I’m very much looking forward to building on, and enhancing, WMFS’s hard-earned position as one of the country’s leading and most respected fire and rescue services.

“We are already embarked on a journey of improvement and innovation. I’m extremely fortunate to be working with a fantastic team who share my ambitions and aspirations to deliver world-class services to our communities.”

Read more about CFO Brown’s career here: https://www.wmfs.net/set-members/wayne-brown/