The Service Leadership Board is responsible for making strategic decisions to ensure the effective delivery of Avon Fire & Rescue Services responsibility of protection, prevention, resilience and response. Meeting bi-weekly, the Board manages Avon Fire & Rescue Service on behalf of elected members of Avon Fire Authority.
The Board is led by Chief Fire Officer Simon Shilton and supported by the Director of Corporate Services, along with Assistant Chief Fire Officers Richard Welch and Luke Gazzard, who oversee the day-to-day operations of Avon Fire and Rescue Service.
Chief Fire Officer/Chief Executive
Simon Shilton has recently retired as the Services’ Chief Fire Officer/Chief Executive, and Matt Cook will be joining as Avon Fire & Rescue Services’ new Chief Fire Officer/Chief Executive in May 2025.
Richard Welch – Assistant Chief Fire Officer Service Delivery Support
Richard was appointed Assistant Chief Fire Officer for Service Delivery support in August 2022. Richard joined London Fire Brigade in 1996, progressing through various roles. Notably, he established the Local Intervention Fire Education (L.I.F.E) project in East London, earning the prestigious Mayors London Day Award in 2003. His community engagement extended globally, delivering training to Fire and Rescue Services in the UK and abroad.
Promoted to Station Manager in 2009, Richard held roles at East Ham and Poplar Fire Stations. He later became Borough Commander in Bexley, Southwark, and Lambeth before advancing to Deputy Assistant Commissioner in regulatory fire safety in 2017. Between 2019 and 2022, he served as Deputy Assistant Commissioner for the South East and North East Areas of London.
Luke Gazzard – Assistant Chief Fire Officer Service Delivery
Appointed Assistant Chief Fire Officer for Service Delivery in June 2024, Luke has been with the Service for over 25 years. Joining Avon Fire & Rescue Service in 1999, Luke started his career as a firefighter on Avonmouth Red Watch, followed by working at Southmead, Bath, Patchway and the CYP team before being promoted to Station Manager in the Service’s Learning and Development team.
Luke was promoted to Group Manager working in Risk Intelligence and Technical Services, Nova Way before becoming Area Manager – Head of Operational Response, then headed up the Service’s Improvement Team. Luke holds a BA First Class Honours in Leadership and Management Practice and is also the NFCC Contaminants Working Group Lead.
Paula Lyons – Assistant Chief Fire Officer Service Improvement
Appointed Temporary Assistant Chief Fire Officer in July 2024, Paula’s career has been diverse, with experience across both Greater Manchester and Hampshire, providing her with a deep understanding of the wide-ranging work carried out by fire and rescue services.
Paula’s journey into firefighting began with a strong desire to serve. She started in the sector as a volunteer with the Red Cross Fire Victim Support, and in 2001, became a wholetime firefighter with Hampshire Fire & Rescue Service. She also worked as an on-call firefighter and later worked across Risk, Policy, and Operational Assurance. Her career then took her to Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue Service, where she held positions including Watch Manager, Station Manager, and HMICFRS Service Liaison Officer. She then served as Borough Manager of Manchester and most recently lead Service Delivery Support and Service Delivery (North) managing Bolton and Wigan, Bury and Rochdale, and Salford boroughs.
Paula has a MSc and has a place within the NFCC as a Mental Health joint Chair. She is also a Director for Women in the Fire Service UK.
Amber Foreman – Director of Corporate Services
Amber joined Avon Fire & Rescue Service in September 2018 as the Head of Corporate Communications. Prior to that, Amber worked for Avon and Somerset Police and for the Avon and Somerset Police and Crime Commissioner’s office. Amber holds a BA First Class Honours in Marketing, a Postgraduate Certificate in Strategic Leadership and is an Accredited Practitioner with the Chartered Institute of Public Relations.
Amber is responsible for the strategic direction of Corporate Services, and ensuring the delivery of the function is effective and efficient. The directorate is comprised of Estates & Property Services; Corporate Assurance, Performance and Continuous Improvement; Corporate Communication & Marketing; Procurements & Supplies; and ICT.
Verity Lee – Statutory Finance Officer
Verity was appointed as Statutory Finance Officer in May 2023. Following graduation from the University of Warwick, Verity started her training to become a chartered accountant. In 2012, whilst working as an external auditor she qualified as a Chartered Accountant with the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. Following 4 years working within an Accountancy Firm, Verity spent 9 years working in the Aerospace industry as a Financial Accountant and later as a Finance Manager.
Verity works 3.5 days per week and holds the statutory appointment under Section 112 of the Local Government Finance Act 1988, to make arrangements for the proper administration of the Fire Authority’s financial affairs. Within this role Verity has specific responsibilities for the Fire Authority’s Statutory Accounts and to lead the Financial Strategies, including the 4-year Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP), the Reserves Strategy, Treasury Management Strategy and the 3-year Capital Strategy. Verity is responsible for ensuring there is appropriate financial monitoring and forecasting of the budgets, implementation of internal financial controls and leads the relationship with Authority’s External Auditors.
Amanda Brown – Clerk/Monitoring Officer
Amanda was appointed as Clerk/Monitoring Officer in September 2020. Amanda qualified as a solicitor in England and Wales in 1996 and has two Masters’ degrees, one in law and an MBA. She has decades of experience working in many areas of the law and served as an Army Officer in Army Legal Services between 2000 and 2017, which included a tour of Kosovo and two tours of Afghanistan. She retired at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
Amanda holds a statutory appointment under Section 5 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989, with responsibility for overseeing and reporting upon the lawfulness of decision-making. Within this role, Amanda is responsible for advising upon and overseeing the governance arrangements for the Fire Authority and maintains a Corporate Forward Plan. She ensures that the Fire Authority and Committee meetings are legally convened and deal with all matters set out in the Fire Authority Constitution. Amanda deals with any complaints under the Members’ Code of Conduct and the Whistleblowing Policy. She also provides advice to AF&RS personnel on miscellaneous legal issues.
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