North East fire officer savours the chance of protecting his home community
A highly experienced fire officer from the North East says he will savour the task of protecting his home community.
LSO Andrew Wright
I'm very honoured to have been given the opportunity to serve as Local Senior Officer for the region in which I have worked and lived for the past 29 years.
Area Commander Andrew Wright has been appointed as the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service’s Local Senior Officer for Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire and Moray (ACAM).
The role has special significance for Area Commander Wright, who has lived and worked in the Aberdeen area for close to three decades.
He said: "I'm very honoured to have been given the opportunity to serve as Local Senior Officer for the region in which I have worked and lived for the past 29 years.
"There's already a lot of good work being done locally, so it's now about building on that and ensuring we are always there for our communities and that we strengthen and expand our relationships with our partners."
During his 22 years in the fire and rescue service, Area Commander Wright, 48, has enjoyed a varied career serving across several operational roles, including time spent as an instructor training firefighters at local and national levels.
Before beginning firefighter life, Area Commander Wright worked in the healthcare setting.
It was on the recommendation of a firefighter friend that the new LSO first considered the emergency service as a career - and he's not looked back since.
Area Commander Wright explained: "I joined Grampian Fire Brigade in 2002 and it was the best decision I ever made. Since then, I have worked at every Wholetime fire station in the area.
"For me, no matter what rank you are, being part of the fire service gives you the chance to contribute to your community and make a difference to people's lives."
A large percentage of operational crews across ACAM and the North of Scotland are made up of on call firefighters.
On call firefighters respond to emergencies via a pager and often do so while balancing additional employment or family life.
Appealing to people from all walks of life to consider a career as an On call firefighter, LSO Wright said: "The commitment of On call firefighters in supporting and protecting their communities cannot go overlooked.
"They are often the first line of defence for their communities and are exceptional individuals.
"We're always on the look-out for more On call recruits, so I'd urge anyone who's ever thought about becoming an On call firefighter to get in touch with their local station to find out more."
You can find out more about current On call firefighter vacancies and about the role itself on our website