Having spent most of his career in Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service, Rick was not around when an independent report by Irene Lucas described the culture in Essex County Fire and Rescue Service as ‘toxic’. As part of the fallout from this report, the PCC for Essex ended up taking on governance of fire in the county and Roger Hirst became the first Police Fire and Crime Commissioner in 2017.

Reflecting on this history, Rick says that the reputation of Essex is outdated. He asks people to judge Essex as it is today, although he recognises the low point from which Essex started it is an improvement journey that he is entirely committed to continue.

 

Read the full article on our digital issue, page 25-26.

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