05-08-2025
Distinguished firefighter retires after four decades of life-saving service
A firefighter from Wiltshire is retiring from the service after over four decades of service.
Neil Chamberlain, who has worked for the service in Swindon and Westlea celebrated his retirement along with the Dorset & Wiltshire Fire Service on August 1.
He was a part of the service for 41 years after he first joined the London Fire Brigade in 1984, being stationed in Kingston.
In 1987, he joined Wiltshire Fire Brigade first being stationed at Swindon then transferring to Westlea.
Neil worked his way through the ranks from firefighter to leading firefighter then Sub Officer.
In 2014, Neil retired from operational duties, taking up important roles including Home Safety Manager and Business Fire Safety Inspector, which was his role upon retirement.
Neil, who is 65 and lives in Purton, spoke about his time with the fire service, he said: "It is a fantastic job to do serving the community and not many people get the chance to do it, so it is a sought-after job.
"I always wanted to be a firefighter since I was boy, it was a dream. A fire engine came to visit my school one day and I realised that is what I wanted to do.
"Since retiring from operations in 2014, I had the opportunity to run cadets courses. The operational time was so fantastic and there was always a lot of adrenaline, especially in the early days when you were still getting used to the call-outs."
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Now being 65, Neil has decided it is time to hang the safety gear up and focus on the future.
His retirement plans include joining the local bowls team, learning the guitar again and being able to spend time with his grandchildren.
He continued: "I loved every minute of it. It is a fantastic organisation to work for. Everyone is of like mind - same attitude and same principles.
"I will miss the people most, you built some great relationships. Even in the safety team, you work together and bounce off each other."
A friend of Neil's had this to say about the retiree: "He is a big personality who has been admired and respected by his colleagues and senior officers alike.
He will tell you that the fire service has given him a fantastic career which he has thoroughly enjoyed with no regrets.
He has seen many changes through his career, with improvements in equipment and safety for firefighters, but he still thinks the fire service was more enjoyable when he first joined.
