Burnham-On-Sea fire station officer Ian Hazelton is retiring this month after 35 years of dedicated front-line service.
Devon and Somerset Fire Service’s Chief Fire Officer Gavin Ellis visited Burnham fire station on Wednesday evening (December 20th) to present him with several long-service awards and recognise his service.
“Ian has been a great ambassador for the service over the decades and without people like him our service wouldn’t exist,” Gavin told Burnham-On-Sea.com.
“His commitment and dedication have been superb – and we thank him for his work.”
Ian joined the fire service in Burnham in May 1988 and was appointed station officer in 2002. He has led the response at many thousands of incidents over the years, with the Burnham crew called out around 350 times every year.
He told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “I have loved the role, helping our community in many different ways. You never know when the alerter will sound at any time of the day what type of incident you will be called to.”
“There have been sad incidents over the years such as the terrible M5 crash near Taunton in 2011 and the huge Highbridge Caravans fire in 2016 – plus many incidents with positive outcomes such as rescuing kittens from trees, people stuck in lifts, and even a llama trapped in a ditch.”
“I will miss the team here greatly and thank them for all their work over the years – and my family for their support.”
Ian, 58, says he plans to spend more time with his family – pictured below – in his retirement and also enjoy his hobbies of fishing, DIY and motorbikes.
“That said, I look forward to not having to get up at 3am or 4am at a moment’s notice for call-outs!” he adds.
Gavin says recruitment of new firefighters is actively underway at Burnham Fire Station: “You need to be over 18, live within five minutes of the station, and be a strong team player. Those interested should see the Devon and Somerset Fire Service website.”
