U-turns and LinkedIn rants plague fire chief search

The troubled West Midlands Fire Service (WMFS) has again been left looking for a permanent leader after the man expected to take charge turned down the role.

The looming question over who will next run the service has been a constant issue since the sudden death in January of former chief officer Wayne Brown.

Controversy, problematic LinkedIn posts and numerous U-turns have plagued the service throughout 2024.

The BBC has looked into WMFS's search for a new leader and why the question of who will take charge of the rudderless service remains to be answered.

West Midlands Fire Service made history in 2023 by appointing Wayne Brown as head of the service, making him the UK’s first black chief fire officer.

But, less than a year later, he would be found dead at his Birmingham home.

On 24 January this year, the service confirmed they had launched an investigation into claims he made on social media relating to a business administration qualification - a requirement for the role.

But, later that day, they announced he had suddenly died.

Greg Brackenridge, chair of West Midlands Fire and Rescue Authority, said his death was not being treated by police as suspicious.

An inquest into the circumstances surrounding his death was opened and adjourned in February and is set to continue in March 2025.

Following the death of Mr Brown, Oliver Lee - who was the youngest full colonel in the Royal Marines since World War Two - was appointed as the service's interim boss.

However, his premiership was plagued with controversy after he made several critical statements about the force.

In a post on LinkedIn in September, he said the service's governance lacked "courage, transparency, care and honesty".

A month later, he again took to the social media site, outlining his intention to issue a vote of no confidence in WMFS.

He then shared what he said were the contents of a message from Mr Brackenridge, purportedly expressing disappointment over Mr Lee's comments.

Mr Lee said the contents of that message - about which he made several accusations - showed why "West Midlands Fire Service can't work".

A week later, Mr Lee was suspended by the service.

In a statement, a WMFS spokesperson said: "This is not a decision the fire authority ever wanted to have to take, or takes lightly."

On 11 October, Mr Lee again took to LinkedIn, this time resigning from the service, claiming he had been "threatened repeatedly, mainly to stay quiet on vital subjects in the public interest".

However, three days later, Mr Lee attempted to withdraw his resignation after Mr Brackenridge also left the authority, over claims about his own CV.

The chairman had previously come under fire from a number of directions, including from opposition councillors, after claims about his qualifications were made on social media.

Mr Brackenridge, an elected member of City of Wolverhampton Council, said events over recent months have been an "unnecessary distraction".

He did not, however, expand on the nature of the events to which he referred.

Mr Lee's attempt to recall his resignation was refused by WMFS, which had launched a search for its next permanent leader.

Following the spate of resignations Wendy Morton, MP for Aldridge Brownhills, called for an independent public inquiry into bosses at the service.

She said there were "deep rooted and troubling problems" and "too many unanswered questions".

In November, it appeared WMFS had found its new boss, announcing the appointment of Ben Brook, who previously served as chief fire officer of Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service.

Mr Brook impressed in a strong field of candidates with his "experience and ability to drive change", a statement said.

But just days later, on Monday, Mr Brook said he had changed his mind after a "period of reflection over the weekend".

"Ben feels the pull of Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service and the work still to be done there is greater than the pull back to the West Midlands, and so he has informed us that he will be continuing in his role there," vice chair councillor Catherine Miks said.

"We had an exceptional field of candidates and the decision of who to offer the role of CFO to was an extremely close one. As such, we are working on our next steps."

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