New assistant chief fire officer for Avon Fire & Rescue Service: Luke Gazzard takes on new role

by Featured NewsPeople

Avon Fire & Rescue Service announces new assistant chief fire officer

Avon Fire & Rescue Service has announced the appointment of Luke Gazzard as the new Assistant Chief Fire Officer for Service Delivery.

Luke Gazzard, who has over 25 years of dedicated service with the organisation, assumed the position this month.

In his new role, Gazzard will lead the Service’s operational response, overseeing operational firefighters, control operators, and the Prevention and Protection Departments.

He will also be part of the Service Leadership Board.

Luke Gazzard’s career and vision for the role

Luke Gazzard expressed his enthusiasm for the role, stating: “After a tough recruitment process, I’m excited to have been successfully appointed as the Assistant Chief Fire Officer for Service Delivery.

“As I take on this new role, I’m keen to ensure that people, professionalism, and pride are the golden thread through everything I do.”

Gazzard has been with Avon Fire & Rescue Service since 1999, starting as a firefighter on Avonmouth Red Watch.

He has served in various capacities, including roles at Southmead, Bath, and Patchway, and as a Station Manager in Learning and Development.

He also worked in Risk Intelligence and was the Area Manager Head of Operational Response before leading the Service Improvement Team over the past year.

Support from leadership

Chief Fire Officer Simon Shilton expressed his support for Gazzard’s appointment, saying: “We are thrilled to have Luke accept this position within the Service.

Luke brings a wealth of experience to the Service Leadership Board.

His passion and dedication to the sector will be vital in driving our Service forward.”

Shilton also noted the competitive nature of the recruitment process, highlighting Gazzard’s exceptional performance and leadership skills.

He added: “I look forward to working with him closely to make our Service stronger and our communities safer.”

Luke Gazzard’s goals for the future

Looking ahead, Luke Gazzard is focused on continuing to influence positive changes within the Service.

He remarked: “Throughout my career, I’ve seen many changes in Avon Fire and Rescue Service and the wider sector.

I’m looking forward to working closely with all of our staff to influence our journey as we move forward.

As I join the Service Leadership Board, I’m excited to be a part of the strategic change as we work towards being the best Service that we can be.”

Gazzard’s appointment is expected to bring a fresh perspective to the operational and strategic initiatives of Avon Fire & Rescue Service, ensuring that the organisation continues to evolve and improve.

Avon Fire and Rescue upgrades critical communications system

by Featured NewsProjects

Critical communications for Avon Fire and Rescue Service (FRS) will continue thanks to a network upgrade by communications specialist Telent.

Telent has designed, tested and deployed a future-proof solution to replace the back-up Paknet service connecting the station end to the control room. Station End systems are the critical link between control rooms and fire stations, firefighters and fire appliances and are connected using a network that has both primary and secondary back-up bearers.

Telent said that Avon FRS turned to them when the technology it was using for secondary back-up bearers was scheduled to be withdrawn from service. The new solution ensures firefighters can respond to an emergency even if the main network goes down. Telent also upgraded the organisation’s fire coders – the core hardware technology that mobilises crews.

Barry Zielinski, Telent’s Operations and Services Director said: “Avon FRS provides emergency and protection services to a population of over one million people and we helped the organisation replace existing systems that were imminent for retirement to ensure its fire stations remain connected. Telent is the partner of choice for emergency services organisations looking to work alongside a company with the knowledge, expertise and vision to innovate services in the years ahead.”

Replacing legacy technology

Telent’s solution, based on a powerful router device from technology partner Cradlepoint, uses a mobile network data service for over-the-air connectivity and is equipped with a multi network SIM. This allows the most appropriate mobile service provider to be automatically selected, eliminating any coverage issues in rural and remote based stations. It is also compatible with the ESN Connect service and ready for the future transition to the Emergency Services Network.

“Our collaboration with Telent has allowed us to upgrade and replace our legacy technology for our mission-critical station end communications in readiness for the transition to future technologies,” said John Craig, Station Manager at Avon Fire and Rescue Service. “Working with Telent has provided us with the complete confidence that our firefighters have access to unfailing and continuous communications to effectively and diligently undertake their daily duties.”

Many secondary bearers across the UK have been rapidly approaching end-of-life and need upgrading and replacing. PSTN is scheduled to be retired in 2025 and mobile operators announced the phased withdrawal of 3G and 2G networks from 2023.