A NEW deputy chief fire officer has been appointed to the senior post at North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service following a 'rigorous' interview process.

Jon Foster started his career at North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service in 1983 as an on-call firefighter at Boroughbridge. He pursued his ambition to join as a whole-time firefighter in 1994 and has since worked in a wide range of roles across the county, before progressing to Interim Deputy Chief Fire Officer last October.

Andrew Brodie, Chief Fire Officer, said: “This was a tough recruitment process, with an excellent field of candidates, all of whom were passionate about the opportunity to lead on service transformation in the enviable setting of North Yorkshire.

“Jon’s ability, character, personal strengths and attributes make him the ideal appointment and I look forward to working closely with him in delivering a service that continues to keep our communities safe and feeling safe.”

Before his permanent appointment he served as the interim deputy chief fire officer and helped to oversee changes designed to overcome challenges to progress service delivery in the organisation.

Julia Mulligan, North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, said: “I am delighted to be able to appoint Jon. He faced a strong challenge from some extremely able candidates, but throughout the process his personal strengths, integrity and experience shone through.

“His job is to lead the delivery of fire and rescue services to the public and I have every confidence he will do this extremely well, ensuring we deliver the best possible service to our communities across North Yorkshire.

“I’d also like to thank the other candidates who put themselves forward - although not successful this time, they did themselves real credit."