West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service has officially appointed Gary Ball as its new Deputy Chief Fire Officer, following his temporary tenure in the role over the past month.
Gary steps into the position permanently after the departure of former Deputy Chief Fire Officer Matt Cook, who recently became Chief Fire Officer at Avon Fire & Rescue Service.
Gary began his firefighting career in 2002 with Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire & Rescue Service, serving the communities of Portsmouth and Southampton for over a decade. He joined West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service in 2017 as Station Manager at Bognor Regis, before being promoted to Assistant Chief Fire Officer last year.
Reflecting on his appointment, Gary said:
“I am delighted to have been appointed as Deputy Chief Fire Officer and I feel incredibly proud to serve the communities of West Sussex in this role.
“I know that staff throughout the service work incredibly hard to support each other, as well as the people of West Sussex and beyond. It’s a great honour to become Deputy Chief Fire Officer and I will do my utmost to support my colleagues and our communities to the fullest.”
During his time with the service, Gary has played a key role in several strategic projects, including the delivery of the HMICFRS Improvement Plan, which has significantly advanced the service’s transformation efforts. He also helped establish the Performance and Assurance Framework, ensuring strong governance and statutory compliance across the organisation.
Gary also serves as the National Fire Chiefs Council’s Lead for On-call, giving him national oversight of the retained duty system, which supports on-call firefighter operations across the country.
Chief Fire Officer Sabrina Cohen-Hatton, who is herself set to depart for a new role at Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire & Rescue Service, praised Gary’s contribution and leadership:
“Gary has made a huge impact during his time in West Sussex and has a proven track record of successfully delivering improvements and meaningful projects.
“Tenacity, enthusiasm and determination are all qualities that Gary possesses, and these are equally the same traits that will see him thrive as Deputy Chief Fire Officer and continue to drive West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service’s performance even further forward.”
The service is currently working through its succession planning process for the role of Chief Fire Officer, with a formal announcement expected in due course.
