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Colleagues bid a fond farewell to Salisbury Fire Station manager Richard "Fred" Kemp who has retired from the service after almost 30 years. DB4383P1

SALISBURY'S longest serving fire officer retired on Monday, after 27 years with Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service.

Richard Kemp, 52, spent all but two of those years at Salisbury Fire Station where he has filled a number of roles from firefighter, to sub officer to station manager. The other two years were spent at a training centre in Devizes.

Mr Kemp, known as Fred, said he was a bit emotional as he said goodbye to friends and colleagues at the station on Monday, where they presented him with gifts and had a farewell breakfast.

He said: "I've seen an awful lot of changes over the years, it's difficult to conceive this is the last day."

In his retirement, Mr Kemp is looking forward to playing golf and visiting his children in Devon but will also be making time for the long list of jobs his wife has for him.

He joined the service in 1981 because the building trade, which he was working in at the time, was going through a recession. "We'd just bought a house so I was looking for a job which would train me and I also knew a few of the guys and what sort of people they were."

Working his way up through the ranks, Mr Kemp retired on Monday as station manager in charge of the Technical Fire Safety department.

Speaking about the good and bad elements of the job, he said: "The best thing is the people. Obviously, the job itself is a tremendous reward - I've always seen myself as being able to help people. But the people I work with are also tremendous and generous.

"I won't miss getting out of bed at two o'clock in the morning!"

His colleagues at the fire station were all sad to see him go.

Phil Jones, group manager for Salisbury, said: "It's leaving me traumatised. He's one of the nicest men I have met and it's going to be a really different place without him."

10:41am Thursday 3rd July 2008

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