The head of Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service is set to retire later this year after more than three decades in the fire service.

Mark Preece, Chief Fire Officer and Executive Director of Community Safety at Gloucestershire County Council, will step down on Thursday, October 1, ending a career that began in 1991 when he joined Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service as a firefighter.

Mr Preece joined Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service in December 2019 as Assistant Chief Fire Officer before being promoted to Deputy Chief Fire Officer in 2020. He became Chief Fire Officer and Executive Director of Community Safety in 2022.

During his time in Gloucestershire, he has overseen significant changes across the service, including investment in new fire appliances, an increase in workforce capacity through the creation of 44 additional posts and a programme of modernisation aimed at improving service delivery and organisational culture.

One of the most challenging periods of his tenure came during the Covid-19 pandemic when Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service played a key role in supporting communities. Firefighters and staff assisted vaccination centres, delivered essential supplies and supported ambulance services, while the wider Community Safety directorate helped vulnerable residents across the county.

Mr Preece also led the service through a period of scrutiny and improvement, successfully addressing three Causes for Concern raised by His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services. The service was subsequently removed from the HMICFRS Engage process.

Other developments during his leadership included the introduction of a Workplace Charter following recommendations from an Independent Cultural Review and the rollout of new firefighter uniforms, including the return of traditional blue shirts bearing the service crest.

More recently, Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service supported Trading Standards in major enforcement operations, including the county's largest seizure of illegal cigarettes and action against a fireworks supplier for breaches of health and safety legislation.

Reflecting on his career, Mr Preece said: "It has been a privilege to serve the people of Gloucestershire and to lead Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service.

"I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved together, particularly during some of the most challenging periods the Service has faced.

"Everything we have accomplished has been made possible by the dedication, professionalism and commitment of colleagues across the organisation. I would like to thank everyone I have worked with over the years and I look forward to seeing the Service continue to go from strength to strength in the future."

Councillor Paul Hodgkinson, cabinet member responsible for the fire and rescue service, praised Mr Preece's leadership and contribution.

He said Mr Preece had guided the service through a period of considerable change while maintaining a focus on community safety, adding that his leadership had delivered significant improvements and secured investment in people and resources.

Gloucestershire County Council's Appointments Committee is due to meet on Wednesday, July 2, to consider arrangements for recruiting a successor. Subject to approval, temporary leadership arrangements will be put in place ahead of Mr Preece's retirement while recruitment is expected to begin in 2027.