New North Yorkshire Deputy Chief Fire Officer appointed – who played role in Salisbury Novichok poisonings response

Following a rigorous interview process where candidates were interviewed by an independent panel of stakeholders, Mat Walker was appointed to the role by Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Zoë Metcalfe.

Mr Walker joined the South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service in 2003 before moving to National Resilience as the Command and Control Advisor where he oversaw the response to several major incidents – including east coast flooding and the Salisbury Novichok poisonings.

Commissioner Metcalfe said: “I am delighted to be able to appoint Mat into this permanent role. He faced a strong challenge from an excellent field of candidates but I’m confident he’s the right person to help lead North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service on its continuing transformation.

“This is also an exciting time to be joining the Service as we begin to put in place our refreshed plans on how to keep the people of North Yorkshire safe, and feeling safe over the next two years.”

The 43-year-old father-of-three worked in a number of roles across West Yorkshire as an Area Manager responsible for Service Assurance and Improvement. Most recently, he joined the North Yorkshire Service in June as the Interim Deputy Chief Fire Officer.

In May, commissioner Zoë Metcalfe appointed Jonathan Dyson as the new Chief Fire Officer for North Yorkshire after the incumbent Jon Foster retired following 38 years of service.

Jonathan Dyson, the county’s Chief Fire Officer, said: “Mat has been with us for a number of months and is already well on his way to being familiar with our service. It is great to be able to welcome him on permanent basis and I look forward to working closely with him in the coming years.”