The chair of Devon and Somerset Fire Authority, Mark Healy, has been quoted as saying of local Fire Chief Lee Howell’s new job as fire advisor to the Welsh Government: “He might make the odd phone call – it is not an onerous task”.
Responding, Fire Brigades Union Welsh Region Executive Council member, Grant Mayos, said: “These comments are extremely insulting: we are talking about the needs of an entire country here.
“The job of Welsh fire advisor will require an awful lot more than ‘the odd phone call’ if done correctly.
“This is an outrageously arrogant comment, from someone who clearly displays a distinct lack of understanding of the politics in Wales and a failure to respect the needs of both firefighters and the public in Wales.”
Healy also said that Howell would be working ‘in his own time’. However, it has been stated publicly that the Welsh role requires two days per week working in Wales.
