Jon Pryce, chief fire officer for the Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service (HWFRS), is to receive the King’s Fire Service Medal for his hard work and dedication after serving for 32 years.
CFO Jon Pryce said: “I am proud and humbled to receive the King’s Fire Service Medal in this New Year Honours List, something I never expected to receive in my career.
“Whilst this honour is personally something I will cherish, more importantly I accept it on behalf of all the staff in HWFRS who together deliver such amazing services to our communities every day. My holding of the KFSM is only a reflection of the superb fire and rescue service that I have the immense privilege to lead.”
The Chairman of Hereford & Worcester Fire Authority, Cllr Kit Taylor said: “The Fire Authority are delighted with the announcement.
“The awarding of the King’s Fire Service Medal (KFSM) to Jon Pryce, our chief fire officer is very well deserved and is testimony not only to his hard work but also to his dedication and support given to all of us at the Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service.”
CFO Jonathon Pryce KFSM has served more than 32 years in the fire and rescue service, starting his career in 1992 as a firefighter in Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service.
He later transferred into HWFRS in 2001, and was appointed chief fire officer and chief executive in April 2021.
We reported in August 2022 how, by chance, Mr Pryce was the first member of Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service at a massive fire in Great Witley, near Worcester.
The main Esso petrol station and several homes were just yards away from being consumed by the inferno.
Mr Pryce praised all his crews, working in 35C heat wearing safety gear which he compared to ‘running around wrapped in a duvet for hours’.
Mr Pryce also praised ‘brilliant’ members of the public who helped stop the spread including Steve Walker, an ex-firefighter who worked at the garage.