West Sussex fire station manager Marvin Smith retires

During his three decades Marvin Smith has played a key role in the response from West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service, having attended notable incidents including the Chichester floods and Whaley bridge dam collapse.

In 1990 Marvin started his illustrious career as a retained firefighter at East Wittering.

He then joined the service as a wholetime firefighter two years later and has since served the communities of Shoreham, Chichester and Horley.

He finishes his career as station manager for the service’s technical rescue unit and a Gatwick liaison officer.

Marvin is also a national flood rescue tactical adviser, a role which evolved from the Lewes floods in 2000 and has attended national emergencies such as the River Thames flooding in Berkshire, an expected east coast flood inundation in Norfolk and the Cockermouth flooding.

During the Lewes flooding, West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service sent boats from Storrington and East Wittering to the scene and Marvin played a part in shaping West Sussex’s response to the emergency.

Marvin Smith has been instrumental in local and national responses for 30 years (Image: West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service)

More recently he has joined the National Fire Chiefs Council’s Air Transportation Group, looking at risks and training requirements for small and large airfields.

Marvin has also been part of the wider group contribution for Virgin Orbit’s "LauncherOne" rocket which is due to take off from UK soil later this year.

His passion for aircraft safety stems from his role as a pilot, a qualification he acquired in a personal capacity six years ago.

Reflecting on his career, Marvin said: “When everyone is running away from a situation, you’re running towards it and that has always been the most important thing for me – being there for someone at their time of need and helping to put it right.

“A career highlight for me was leading the service’s training centre and running five whole time recruits courses.

“I loved working with people who had little to no experience of the fire service and seeing them go through the journey to become firefighters.

"All those people are now great colleagues, and that’s the biggest thing I’ll miss about the fire service – the people.”

Marvin has played a key role in the fire service's response to incidents (Image: West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service)

Chief fire officer Sabrina Cohen-Hatton wished Marvin the “very best” and praised his “determination”.

“Marvin is a hugely influential person within the fire and rescue sector and is held in high regard by everyone that has worked with him,” she said.

“He has pushed the boundaries and driven policy change at a national level, and for that we are all safer in our communities.

“Marvin embodies determination and has led an extremely varied and dutiful career. I wish him all the very best in his retirement, wherever that may take him.”