Firefighter Gets Royal Invitation

10 January 2019, 09:08 | Updated: 10 January 2019, 09:11

A man who's spent 44 years as an on-call firefighter in Cumbria has received a royal invitation.

John Bradley - who's based at Bootle Fire Station - will be at a garden party at Buckingham Palace in May.

John said: “I’m really excited to be invited to a garden party at Buckingham Palace in May. The invitation really took me by surprise – I had to read it a few times before it sunk in! I have met the Queen before when she visited the county in 2008 and I was presented to her and Princess Anne.”

As Watch Manager at Bootle Fire Station, John has been instrumental in supporting significant service delivery changes, including implementation of a new style fire engine and the building of a brand new community fire station in the area in 2015.

During his years of service as an on-call firefighter, John has attended a wide range of incidents including property fires, road traffic collisions and floods.

Steve Healey, Cumbria’s Chief Fire Officer, said: “John thoroughly deserves this recognition for his long and outstanding years of service to Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service. He personifies the values and ethos that are part of the positive culture of Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service and I hope he will inspire others to consider becoming an on-call firefighter in the county.”