Lincolnshire's fire chief to retire
Lincolnshire’s most senior fire officer, Mark Baxter, has announced he is to step down in April next year.
His retirement will mark 35 years in Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue, with more than six years in the top job.
Announcing his intention to retire, Mark said: “I have enjoyed every moment within the fire service and have always been immensely proud to work alongside amazing people during my career.
“I am grateful for all the support, advice, and guidance I have received over the years to help me do the best job I can for our communities.”
He added: “I’ve always been proud to have started my career as an On Call Firefighter in Lincolnshire and continuously served within my home county.”
Mark is originally from Spalding and started his career as an on call firefighter in the south of the county, then became a wholetime firefighter. He now lives near Lincoln.
As part of the senior team and as Chief Fire Officer he has been based at Lincoln South fire station before the service moved its headquarters to Nettleham.
In the fire service’s July inspection by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS), there were said to be signs of strong progress made across the service since the last report in 2023.
In a previous inspection, it was rated inadequate in managing performance and developing leaders and "promoting the right values and culture".
These are now rated adequate, but ensuring fairness and diversity still requires improvement.
There had been limited progress in estate improvements, and the quality and reliability of operational risk information.
The service was rated good in understanding risks and fire prevention.
It was rated adequate in responding to fires, emergencies and major incidents.
Andrew Crookham, chief executive of Lincolnshire County Council, thanked Mark for his service to Lincolnshire communities. He said: “I’m grateful to Mark for his dedication to Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue – from working on the frontline to leading the service. Mark is leaving the fire service in a good place with an impressive recent inspection result that shows great progress.
“As well as being our Chief Fire Officer, he has also chaired the Lincolnshire Resilience Forum – the partnership of agencies that keep the public safe during emergency situations.
“On a personal note, Mark has been a fantastic colleague to me during my time in Lincolnshire and has been an excellent member of the corporate leadership team since I took over as Chief Executive last year. I will miss him greatly.”
The search will now be on for Mark’s successor with plans to recruit to the role in the coming months to ensure a smooth transition and handover of work.