KINGSBRIDGE fire fighter Chris Heard has retired from the crew after nearly 37 years of service.

Chris joined Devon Fire Brigade, now Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service, on December 10, 1979, and tonight - Wednesday, November 2 - he will be taking his battery our of his alerter for the last time.

A spokesman for Kingsbridge Fire Station said: ‘During our drill session on Monday night officers visited us to present Chris with a shield and a “Certificate of Service” from the Chief Fire Officer Lee Howell thanking him for his service.

‘We would also like to thank Chris, on behalf of our entire community, for all of his hard work and time spent on call. To thank him for the numerous events and days out that both he and his family have missed as he was serving Kingsbridge and the South Hams as a member of our crew.

‘It is not only his young handsome looks which have changed but also he has had to adapt and learn as there have been huge advances in the equipment and techniques which we use to deal with emergencies throughout his career helping and protecting our community.

‘We are sure that when the sirens wail and the blue lights flash as the appliance goes by; Chris will look back fondly over the many years he has enjoyed the hugely rewarding and varied task of being a Fire Fighter in Kingsbridge.

‘His experience, expertise and sense of humour will be missed at incidents by all of the crew who have been lucky enough to ride on our appliance with him. Although, we are pretty sure we will know where to find him for a catch up, especially on a Friday or Saturday night!

‘If you would like to become a member of our crew in Kingsbridge we will be recruiting to fill some big shoes!’

If you would like to find out more about becoming a fire fighter, get in touch with Kingsbridge Fire Station through their Facebook page, or visit: www.dsfire.gov.uk and click on ‘Working for Us’.

Congratulations Chris, enjoy your retirement!