Station Officer Lester Bytheway
lester.bytheway@wmfs.net
DTT: 0121 380 6424
MTT: 07779 586790
Regional Deputy Fire & Resilience Co-
During my 23 years service with WMFS I have commanded, managed and motivated numerous operational watches, with responsibility for all aspects of competence, personal and welfare issues, mentoring suitable staff towards promotion. During my service I have gained H&S, NEBOSH, Prince II, NVQ Assessors and RoSPA, QSA Audit Qualifications.
I am currently Mobilising Officer for WMFS, which requires close liaison between Fire Control, Senior Officers and stations for all aspects of Brigade resource mobilisation, dealing with day to day issues and writing and implementing procedures and policies.
I control the Section 13/16 Mutual Assistance Agreements with surrounding Services,
producing data of inter-
I also attend various meetings with the Transport and Planning Departments for all
nine Borough Council Councils within the West Midlands. These cover matters relating
to traffic, road closures and future developments, producing mobilising procedures
to tight timescales.
I advise and assist with the selection, placement and balance
of the Flexi Duty Officer Command Group Rota system, proposing nominations for courses
for specialist skill requirements, together with monitoring and planning for future
changes.
I was responsible for introducing, controlling and managing an existing IT system which allowed fire stations the ability to book a number of fire appliances on a timed period of protection from immediate operational response. This allows them to carry out planned training or prevention based activities. I still manage this system and compile and issue annual schedules for these activities across the brigade, also, schedules on behalf of the Equality & Diversity section enabling statutory ‘Living The Values’ training for all staff, at all levels, to be undertaken.
I am presently involved in the Project Team for managing the scheduling, programming
and implementation of new Firelink Radios to be installed in all front line, new
dimension and reserve resources, including all flexi-
In 2004 WMFS simultaneously introduced 3 major strategic changes:
A new operational shift pattern
A reduction in appliance resource availability
A completely new attendance IT system
These changes created massive continuity problems as many fire appliances were unavailable for immediate response as the appropriate personnel were not in the right place at the right time. The CFO asked me to resolve this.
I selected and managed a team of 8 Station Officers dealing with the twice daily movement of 300 unmotivated staff (following the Fire Service National dispute) to ensure all appliances and resources were available for immediate emergency response from the beginning of their shifts. This evolved into planning and implementing future staff movements and developing IT systems to support this.
I managed this team for 12 months initiating a duty system, negotiating payments
and conditions. The team proved so successful the idea was adopted by the service
on a permanent basis and is now a separate full time staffing department dealing
with all operational staffing issues -
I am a confident, competent, self motivated individual with very good interpersonal skills in dealing with people of all levels.
Station Officer Lester Bytheway
West Midlands Fire Service
Mobilising Officer – Operations Support
Vauxhall Road
Birmingham
B7 4HW