News Story
At its last meeting for the year the Brigade tonight honoured one of its former members who went on to a distinguished career in the Fire Service and recently retired. Ray Coleman served in the forerunner of Operational Support, the Volunteer Fire Police Corps, which he joined in 1970 responding from his home in Avondale. Ray then enlisted in the service fulltime and, after a period fire-fighting decided to focus on fire prevention and investigations. This lead to further specialisation and study in the USA, resulting in a formal intervention programme for young people involved in fire-setting and inappropriate fire-play. In 2004 he received the Queen's Service Medal in the Queen's Birthday Royal Honours list. Tonight Chief Fire Officer Glenn Teal, on behalf of the Brigade, presented Ray with a certificate honouring 40 years' service, just a tad late because his total volunteer and career service spanned 42 and a half years.
