Celebrating over 850 years of service: Long Service awards honour Essex firefighters and staff

Essex County Fire and Rescue Service celebrated 39 colleagues at the Long Service and Good Conduct Awards evening last week.

The ceremony was held at the Lion House in Boreham, recognising colleagues for their dedicated careers spanning 20 and 30 years.

Family, friends, and fellow firefighters came together to celebrate these remarkable milestones, which together represent more than 850 years of service to the community.

The ceremony was opened by Chief Fire Officer and Chief Executive Rick Hylton, alongside Deputy Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Jane Gardner. Deputy Chief Fire Officer Moira Bruin and Assistant Director Emily Cheyne-Guess co-hosted the event, with Standard Bearer Len Stevens welcoming attendees. The High Sheriff of Essex, David Hirst, and members of the Service Leadership Team were also in attendance to honour the occasion.

The Lord Lieutenant of Essex, Jennifer Tolhurst, presented the Fire Service Long Service and Good Conduct Medals to uniformed colleagues. Support staff were also recognised with Long Service glass awards, underscoring the critical contributions of all team members, both in the field and behind the scenes.

Chief Fire Officer Rick Hylton expressed his pride, stating, “As Chief Fire Officer, it makes me incredibly proud that we come together as a Service to celebrate the achievements of our people. Together, they have given more than 850 years of dedicated and exemplary service protecting our communities.”

In closing the ceremony, CFO Rick Hylton extended his gratitude to all colleagues for their unwavering dedication and professionalism. He also acknowledged the vital role that the families of fire service personnel play in supporting them, making sure that Essex remains a safer place for everyone.

Awards winners on the night:

20 Years:

David Archer – Crew Manager at Billericay Fire Station

Thomas Bunting – Firefighter at Chelmsford Fire Station

Steven Byrne – Station Manager/Watch Manager at Halstead Fire Station

Jeremy Castle – Firefighter at Colchester Fire Station and Urban Search and Rescue Team

James Chambers – Firefighter at Colchester Fire Station

Peter Conyard – Crew Manager at Southend Fire Station

Robert Cork – Firefighter at Southend Fire Station

Graham Currie – Fire and Investigations Dog Handler based at Urban Search and Rescue Team

Matthew Edwards – Crew Manager at Grays Fire Station

Brendan Gibbs – Firefighter at Chelmsford Fire Station and Cadet Instructor at Clacton

Jason Gould – Station Manager of Basildon, Billericay and Wickford Fire Station

Andrew Hannon – Firefighter at Dovercourt and Instructor at Service Training Centre

Kay Harris – Watch Manager Organisational Assurance at Service Headquarters

Christopher Houlder-Greenway – Firefighter at Basildon Fire Station

Toby Ingham - Flexi Station Manager, Service Lead for Water Incident Management and the National Interagency Liaison Officer roles, National High-Volume Pump Tactical Adviser

Ricky Jones – Crew Manager at Southend Fire Station

Andrew Knowles – Firefighter at Grays Fire Station

Ben Manning – Watch Manager at Southend Fire Station

Lorraine Melton – Firefighter at Newport Fire Station

Dan Partridge - Assistant Director/Area Manager for Protection and Prevention at Service Headquarters

Kim Polley - Apprenticeship Support Manager for wholetime firefighters

Chay Pumfrett - Firefighter at Halstead Fire Station

Ray Sanders – Firefighter at Burnham on Crouch

Steven Small – Firefighter at Chelmsford Fire Station

Sarah Stibbs – Firefighter at Southend Fire Station

Daniel Swansborough - Fire Investigation Officer at Service Headquarters

Ben Turner - Group Manager for Risk at Service Headquarters

Mark Twin – Firefighter at Grays Fire Station

Tom Whiteley - Watch Manager Technical Services team at Service Headquarters

Anthony Wichelow – Firefighter at Urban Search and Rescue Team

Gemma Bunting – Crew Manager for the Control Room

Julie Love – Crew Manager for the Control Room

James Durrant - Pensions Technical Manager at Service Headquarters

Rebecca Wenborn – Information Governance Officer at Service Headquarters

30 years:

Kieran Davis – Watch Manager at Grays Fire Station

Tony Knight – Retired firefighter at Epping Fire Station

Alison Loades – Watch Manager for the Business Engagement Team at Service Headquarters

Neil Saville – Crew Manager at Newport Fire Station

Daniel Trendell – Watch Managet at Southend Fire Station and Crew Manager at Shoeburyness Fire Station