The top fire chief in Hertfordshire has announced his retirement after 30 years outstanding service.

Darryl Keen, the director of community protection and chief fire officer at Hertfordshire County Council, has taken the decision to retire at the end of July 2021, after thirty years working in the Fire and Rescue Service and the last decade in Hertfordshire.

For almost four years, Darryl has led the council's Community Protection Directorate during a period of substantial change and for the last year he has coordinated the county wide response to Covid as chair of Hertfordshire's Strategic Coordinating Group.

Darryl said: "It has been a privilege to lead such capable, positive and enthusiastic teams and I have been extremely proud of the work the directorate and the Fire Service have undertaken to keep our communities safe.

"The time is now right personally for me to retire and I will be using the next six months to help us through the next stage of the fight against Covid, to press on with the work we have been doing around diversity and inclusion and to prepare the Fire Service for its next formal inspection.

"Having been made a deputy lieutenant of the county in 2019 I plan to remain part of county life in the future but will be doing so on a voluntary basis."

Darryl Keen has been director of community protection and chief fire officer since April 2017 and has been a member of the senior officer team since joining Hertfordshire County Council in March 2011, having served previously in Buckinghamshire and Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Services.

Darryl is also the strategic lead for operational communications for the National Fire Chiefs Council and provides leadership on national communications systems and emergency control rooms.

As part of this he is the chair of the UK's 999 Liaison Committee and is leading national projects to directly connect all the UK's emergency control rooms and to develop new guidance for fire and rescue control rooms.

Work to appoint a successor will commence shortly to allow for a successful handover with more details to follow in due course.

Councillor David Williams, leader of the county council said: "We are extremely grateful for the immense contribution Darryl has made to Hertfordshire County Council, the Community Protection Directorate and especially Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service during his time here.

'We wish him every happiness in the future."