Retained firefighter Mike Wills retired from Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service on 1st January after serving the communities of Penrith and the wider area for over 30 years.
He joined the service on 1st November, 1993, and once his initial training course was completed, he was on call at Penrith, giving more than 80 hours of cover a week.
Mike then became a driver and, due to where he lives, he often drove the first appliance to incidents.
Over the years he has responded to major incidents such as the flooding in 2009 and 2015.
Despite his own home being flooded, he always put others first and was keen to get involved and help his community.
“Mike has responded to thousands of incidents in the Penrith and wider area over the last 30 years, always doing so with a smile and an excellent attitude,” said station manager Scott Cameron.
Mike attended the final training night of the year on 18th December for his retirement presentation, which was attended by members of Penrith crew, Patterdale, Shap and Appleby fire stations, but, most importantly Mike’s family were there to celebrate his 30 years and receive his retirement axe from the chief fire officer.
Scott said: “Mike will be a huge miss to the crew at Penrith. He has had an impressive 30 years on call serving his community with a positive attitude. He has always provided mentorship to the newer firefighters and even inspired his son Jonny, who currently works in the training department, to join.
“I would like to thank Mike on behalf of the fire service for 30 years of dedicated service and also thank Mike’s family and friends who have supported him throughout his career when his missed birthdays and other important events while going out to protect his community.
“We wish him all the best in his retirement.”
