Chief Fire Officer
At Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service, we are passionate about the communities we serve; we are committed to treating all with dignity and respect; and we are always looking for positive role models to join our leadership team.
If you're looking to progress in an inclusive, supportive, and dynamic service, we would like to hear from you!
Chief Fire Officer
Cumbria Commissioner Fire and Rescue Authority is seeking to appoint a senior strategic leader who will focus on making Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service an outstanding service for the public of Cumbria.
The Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner is looking for an exceptional individual with resilience who can lead the Service and continue to build and motivate a mixed workforce whilst providing a safe and legal service to the communities across the county. At a time of ongoing reform of public services and a challenging financial environment, the Chief Fire Officer will champion the transformation of CFRS, engaging, inspiring, and empowering others, building on our existing open and inclusive culture to seek continual improvement in performance across the Service and the wider strategic footprint of the county. As the Chief Fire Officer, you must be able to lead, manage and inspire all Fire staff, ensuring their wellbeing, acting with integrity and transparency whilst fostering a culture based on trust, both internally within the organisation and with the public. Ensuring public confidence in the Fire and Rescue Service within Cumbria is a key objective.
To succeed in this role, you will need to be an ambitious, dynamic and visionary leader. I seek an individual who can take the opportunity to develop a strategic plan with me which effectively addresses current challenges and aspires to make CFRS an outstanding service; and to continually develop Blue Light Collaboration across the county.
If you believe you can offer this to Cumbria and are ready for this challenging, yet incredibly rewarding role, then I would genuinely welcome your application. Applicants must have Senior Leadership experience. Cumbria Police, Fire & Crime Commissioner is committed to Equal Opportunities and all applicants will be assessed on an equal basis that determines their suitability to the post applied for.
Key Information
Hours: 42 Hours per week
Pay: £134,291 + a 10% Operational Allowance for operational staff.
Location: Penrith HQ
Closing Date: Wednesday 30th September 2026 @ 12 noon
Shortlisting: Tuesday 6th October 2026
Candidate Familiarisation day: Friday 9th October 2026 (Penrith HQ)
Interviews: Friday 16th October 2026
For more information please read our candidate information pack.
Reasonable Adjustments
Please contact the PFCC office to let them know at the earliest stage of the process if you would like to discuss or request arrangements that will assist you in completing the selection process. Any requests for reasonable adjustments will be treated with the utmost confidence.
For support or further information please email:
commissioner@cumbria-ppc.gov.uk
How to Apply
To apply, candidates must:
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Demonstrate how you meet the four levels of leadership, cross referencing this with the job profile (Personal Impact / Outstanding Leadership / Service Delivery / Organisational Effectiveness) This should be limited to 4 sides of A4 (Arial 12 font) with a maximum of 1 side of A4 per element. The NFCC Leadership Framework may assist you
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Please also provide an up-to-date CV;
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A 1-minute video of yourself sharing what your vision for Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service would be as the new Chief Fire Officer.
Please email your completed application documents and video to – katharine.simmons@cumbria.police.uk by the closing date of Wednesday 30th September @ 12 noon. Your email should contain a URL link to your video on Google Drive.
Our Vision and Values
Our Vision
A community-focussed, professional, and trusted Fire and Rescue Service that makes Cumbria a safer place for all.
Our Values
We believe passionately in the delivery of excellent public services to make Cumbria a safer place for all. To do that we need to be clear about the values and behaviours that we need to drive change and achieve our high standards.
