The Committee for Home Affairs has announced that Les Britzman, a former Chief Fire Officer in the UK, has been appointed as the new Chief Fire Officer for Guernsey Fire & Rescue Service.
He will take on the role upon the retirement of Jon Le Page, current Chief Fire Officer, in early 2025.
Les Britzman (pictured) has served in a number of fire services with a successful career spanning more than 27 years and has gained a wealth of senior leadership experience and expertise. Most recently Les has been working as a consultant following his retirement from Lincolnshire Fire & Rescue Service where he served as Chief Fire Officer and Director of Public Protection for three years.
Les began his career as a professional engineer before deciding that his calling lay in public service. He started his fire career with Nottinghamshire in 1995 as a Recruit Firefighter and served operationally in rural and city stations. He gained experience as a staff officer, brigade instructor and in the Community Fire Safety team before going to Norfolk Fire and Rescue where he led the technical services and Safety teams. He was later promoted to Area Manager as Head of Fire Protection and Fire Service Operations for the East of the County.
In 2012, Les undertook a two-year secondment to the Office of the Chief Fire & Rescue Advisor in London. Here he supported government and fire services during the 2012 Olympic Games and national emergencies such as countrywide flooding. Upon his return to Norfolk, he was responsible for Service Resources and later promoted to Assistant Chief Fire Officer responsible for Operational Service Delivery across the County.
In 2018, Les moved to Lincolnshire Fire & Rescue as Deputy Chief Fire Officer, before taking over as Chief Fire Officer and Director of Public Protection in 2019. He retired from Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Service and the County Council in 2022 and has since worked as a consultant in the Fire Sector supporting technological innovation and continuing his passion for staff development and the skills of incident command.
Les is an avid motorcyclist who enjoys touring the UK and Europe. He has ambitions to explore Iceland and Eastern Europe. He has also volunteered extensively in New York City and London for homeless and mental health charities.
Les will join Guernsey Fire and Rescue on 24 March 2025 and will formerly assume the role of Chief Fire Officer on 1 April 2025 to coincide with the official retirement of Jon Le Page on the 31 March 2025.
Les Britzman, new Chief Fire Officer, said: “I am delighted that I will soon be joining the team at Guernsey Fire and Rescue. I am very much looking forward to meeting the many new faces of the people that serve and support the fire and rescue service.
“I will enjoy exploring and getting to know the beautiful Island of Guernsey and its surrounds. I appreciate there will be unique challenges for the Fire and Rescue Service due to being based on an island. Nevertheless, I am confident that together we will continue to develop and improve from a sound base and ensure we have a service the Island can be proud of.
“I would like to thank Chief Fire Officer Le Page for his support and sound stewardship of the Service and I am grateful for this opportunity to serve the people of Guernsey.”
Deputy Rob Prow, President of the Committee for Home Affairs, said: “We are pleased to have been able to appoint Les to this role and I look forward to welcoming him to Guernsey, where he has already said he is keen to build more of an outdoor lifestyle. With a distinguished career spanning nearly 30 years, Les is well-equipped to lead the Service into the future. I am confident the fresh perspective he has gained from working across diverse areas in the UK will prove to
be of immense benefit.
“I also wish to take this opportunity to thank the outgoing Chief Fire Officer, Jon Le Page, for his many years of dedicated public service. He has provided professional, and inclusive leadership to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the community. I have no doubt that Les will continue his hard work.”
Jon Le Page, current Chief Fire Officer, said: “We are very fortunate to have attracted Les to this post, as he will bring a great deal of valuable experience to the Guernsey Fire & Rescue Service.
“Having gotten to know Les when we were both students of the National Fire Service Executive Leadership Programme in 2011/2012, I am confident that I will be leaving the Guernsey Fire & Rescue Service in safe hands under his leadership, and I am sure he will positively develop the Service into the future.”
