Tributes paid to 'outstanding' Bedfordshire fire chief

Tributes have been paid after the death of Bedfordshire's chief fire officer Paul Fuller.

Mr Fuller, who was 61, had been the county's chief fire officer since 2002. A spokesperson for the service said he died from a short illness this morning with his family at his side. They said he would be remembered as a 'great mentor'. 

Bedfordshire’s Deputy Chief Fire Officer, Andy Hopkinson said: “We are still coming to terms with the loss of our beloved Chief, an incredibly well respected man whose outstanding leadership of Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service during almost 2 decades made such a positive difference to our staff, our partners and our communities. There are undoubtedly people walking the streets of Bedfordshire today thanks to Paul’s dedication and devotion to the Fire and Rescue Service.

"He was an outstanding man with a big character, admired by so many people and whose reputation and influence amongst the fire service community means his loss will be felt not just within Bedfordshire and the UK but around the world. Paul was a personal friend of mine and a great mentor to me during my time here in Bedfordshire and I will personally miss him dearly. This will be an incredibly difficult time for Paul’s family, friends and colleagues, past and present, and our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with them all”

Paul joined the Fire Service in 1978 and became Chief Fire Officer in Bedfordshire in 2002, having worked in West Midlands, West Sussex, Staffordshire and Wiltshire, as well as a secondment to Warwickshire.

Paul’s contribution to the UK fire and rescue service was recognised in 2008 when he was awarded the Queens Fire Service Medal, made a Freeman of the City of London in 2012, and made Commander of the British Empire by her Majesty in the 2016 New Year’s Honours.  He was appointed Deputy Lieutenant of Bedfordshire in 2017 and made Member of the Order of St John in 2018.

 The Chair of the Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Authority, Cllr John Chatterley, said : “I was devastated to learn that Paul had passed away this morning. His leadership and sound advice during the past 19 years as Chief Fire Officer was exemplary, and I know I speak for the whole Fire & Rescue Authority that his loss will be felt by all of us. It is particularly sad as Paul was due to retire at the end of June. I know Paul also invested a lot of his time fundraising for a range of charities including the Firefighters Charity, the Children’s Burns Trust and even achieved the incredible feat of climbing Kilimanjaro in 2019. Our thoughts are with his family at this very sad time”