Hertfordshire's retiring chief fire officer leaves big shoes to fill, says leading councillor

Darryl Keen is due to retire at the end of July
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Leading councillor Morris Bright has paid tribute to the contribution of chief fire officer Darryl Keen, as he counts down to his retirement.

Mr Keen, who is also the county council’s director of community protection, is due to retire at the end of July.

And at a meeting of the council’s public health and community safety cabinet panel on Friday, June 11, Cllr Bright said they were ‘big shoes to fill’.

Chief fire officer Darryl KeenChief fire officer Darryl Keen
Chief fire officer Darryl Keen

Cllr Bright – who is the council’s executive member for public health and community safety – said his own mantra was always to leave something in a better state than when you find it.

And he said he had no doubt that Mr Keen had done that.

He also referenced the Mr Keen’s role as chair of the Strategic Co-ordinating Group of the Local Resilience Forum through the pandemic.

And he said: “I think many of us will have worked with him in the past – and it was always a privilege to do so.”

Mr Keen has been a member of the senior officer team since joining Hertfordshire County Council in March 2011.

And he took on the director of community protection and chief fire officer role in April 2017.

At the meeting of the cabinet panel – the last Mr Keen would attend before his retirement – Liberal Democrat Cllr John Hale said he wished to echo Cllr Bright’s remarks.