Paul Walker has been appointed as the new chief fire officer for the Cornwall Fire, Rescue and Community Safety Service.

Geoff Brown, Cornwall Council cabinet member for communities said: “Paul has shown himself to be an outstanding candidate with vision and excellent self-awareness. I have every confidence in his appointment as CFO and look forward to working with him in the future.”

Paul joined Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service in September 2009 as deputy chief fire officer following 20 years operational and managerial experience in Somerset County Fire Brigade, London Fire Brigade and Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service.

He took up the chief fire officer role in Cornwall on January 1 on an interim basis while Cornwall Council undertook a national selection process for a substantive appointment for this risk critical CFO strategic role.

A keen advocate of people-centred leadership, Paul completed the FRS executive leadership programme in 2010 and went on to gain a Master of Science (MSc) degree in public management at Warwick University in 2013.

Over the past five years Paul has led many change and improvement projects supporting the service in gaining sector and partner recognition as a high performing service that embraces and delivers wide reaching and varied community safety prevention and response services across Cornwall.

“I am delighted and very proud to be appointed as the chief fire officer for Cornwall Fire, Rescue and Community Safety Service,” said Paul. “I look forward to leading this fantastic service over the coming years to ensure we continue to maintain and develop our wide reaching community safety prevention and intervention services for residents, businesses and visitors across Cornwall.

“I will continue to focus on developing and enhancing our partnership working arrangements with colleagues from the emergency services sector as well as other organisations, services and agencies in Cornwall.

“Our new Emergency Services Community Station in Hayle, Camborne Pool Redruth Community Fire Station and our new service headquarters at Tolvaddon provides a wonderful opportunity to join up teams, work with partners and to improve our support and delivery arrangements.

“We will realise the tangible financial and service improvement benefits from this significant investment by Cornwall Council. Above all I look forward to working with and leading our professional and dedicated staff who continue to support and deliver our valuable and sometimes lifesaving services across Cornwall.”