County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service (CDDFRS) is pleased to announce the appointment of Rob Cherrie as Deputy Chief Fire Officer.
Rob began his fire and rescue service career in Northumberland in 2001 before joining CDDFRS in 2010.
He has held senior leadership roles across Training, Community Risk Management, Workforce Development and Emergency Response, delivering major organisational improvements such as the Service’s first
Community Risk Profile, the nationally recognised firefighter apprenticeship programme, and the implementation of an AI driven scheduling assistant that aligns firefighter productivity to risk.
Most recently he has acted as the Service’s Director of Emergency Response, responsible for overseeing all frontline fire stations, Fire Control and County Durham and Darlington Local Resilience Forum.
Following the departure of former Deputy, Keith Carruthers, who has gone to take the lead job at Northumberland Fire and Rescue, Rob has now been formally appointed to the role of Deputy Chief Fire Officer.
Speaking about his appointment, Rob said: “I am most looking forward to continuing the excellent work already underway, ensuring our staff are given all the support they need to maintain the high levels of
performance they consistently deliver.”
Reflecting on what he values most about the organisation, he added: “It’s the people that make CDDFRS what it is and that makes me proud to work here. I’m really pleased to be able to help lead the Service and I’m very excited to get started in my new role.”
Outside of work, Rob is a passionate Newcastle United supporter, enjoys taking part in Ironman triathlons and spending time with his wife and three children.
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