A chief fire officer has been appointed at the Isle of Man Fire and Rescue Service.

Mark Christian has been given the permanent position following an open recruitment process.

Initially acting as interim chief fire officer, following the retirement of the previous chief, Mr Christian has been in the role for the last year. He joined the fire and rescue service in 1994 as a retained firefighter, becoming a whole-time firefighter in 1997.

Since then, he has held various positions including station commander, technical fire safety officer, deputy head of fire safety and head of operational support.

During his time in the service, he has gained a wealth of experience, managing operational crews, working as a hazmat advisor, breathing apparatus instructor and delivering a number of strategic projects.

In 2017 he was promoted to divisional officer - head of operational support.  Mr Christian managed a team responsible for supporting the operational response of the Fire and Rescue Service. This includes the purchase of fire appliances, specialist equipment, fire firefighting clothing, training, health and safety and staff wellbeing.

He introduced a number of technology advances during this period to improve the safety of the island's firefighters.

During his tenure as interim chief fire officer, Mr Christian has overseen an internal restructure to improve service delivery, led the response to the Local Government Association’s peer review and commissioned work to inform an integrated risk management plan.

John Wannenburgh, department member with delegated responsibility for Fire and Rescue Services, said: ‘I’d like to congratulate Mark on his successful appointment to chief fire officer. Mark has been an integral part of the IOMFRS for many years now, and I am pleased that he will be able to continue his work in making improvements and modernising our Fire and Rescue Service.’

Mark added: ‘I’m immensely proud to have been made permanent chief fire officer, and I’m looking forward to continuing to work with the exceptional team at IOMFRS to tackle the challenges faced by the service, and ensure that we continue to protect residents and keep our island safe for everyone.'