Bovingdon firefighter hangs up helmet after 50 years serving Herts community

Hertfordshire Fire & Rescue Service confirmed Kevin Horwood, who became a firefighter in 1974 at the age of 18, is retiring at the end of this year.

The fire service has revealed that the firefighter who started his career in Bovingdon, has enjoyed a challenging but rewarding career. In 1976 he tackled relentless fires in fields and hedgerows during a historically hot summer. Kevin has also been a key part of the service’s community improvement initiatives that are aimed at improving young people’s awareness of safety risks.

His first call out was to a road traffic accident in which the trapped driver of a car tragically lost his life despite every effort to save him, the fire service has confirmed. A spokesperson added that Kevin knew right then that there were going to be many more tough moments ahead, but that he would “just have to get on with it” in order to do the job.

Kevin also told his colleagues that since the 1970s he has witnessed many changes to both the uniforms and vehicles responders use. He has been at the forefront of a change in responsibilities for the service which has expanded to work with communities to prevent fires from happening in the first place.

The last fire he attended was Buncefield in December 2005 - it was the biggest blaze in Europe since the Second World War. In 2006 Kevin switched to a different role in the service becoming a community safety advisor.

Hertfordshire Fire Service has announced that his colleagues describe Kevin as an integral part of the fire prevention team.

Youth engagement manager, Coral Jobson, said: “Kevin is an all-round decent and hard-working guy. We know from feedback he has received that the safety messages he has delivered to young people via community initiatives such as ‘Crucial Crew’* have helped to save lives years down the line. He’s going to be greatly missed.”

When asked what advice he would give to his younger self and to anyone considering joining the fire service, Kevin said: “It’s a career where you learn a lot very quickly, where you meet some incredible people and the friendships you make are second to none.”

He added: “I will miss working with my colleagues, but I won’t miss them as friends because they will stay as friends.”

A spokesperson for the fire service adds that during his time with Hertfordshire Fire & Rescue Service Kevin, who with his partner has four children and four grandchildren, received the ‘Long Service and Good Conduct’ medal after 25 years’ service as well as the Queen’s Golden and Diamond Jubilee medals. He plans to enjoy his retirement by travelling around Europe in his motor home, spending time with his family and his hobby of restoring old MG motor cars.

Hertfordshire Fire & Rescue Service chief fire officer, Alex Woodman, said: “On behalf of the whole service, I would like to say a big thank you to Kevin for the enormous commitment and dedication he has shown to our local communities over five decades."