Assistant Chief Fire Officer Rob Cole

Rob served as Station Commander at both Hightown and St Mary’s fire stations in Southampton, before leading on specialist response projects, and then as Group Commander for East Hampshire.

In his role as regional lead for the Fire as a Health Asset initiative, Rob designed a clinical governance policy which enabled firefighters to deliver advanced medical care.

He also led numerous health prevention initiatives and was invited to deliver the keynote speech at the NHS England Annual Conference, highlighting the benefits of prevention strategies in healthcare. During this time, Rob was also invited to present to services across Sweden.

As an area manager, Rob was first responsible for Prevention and Protection, leading the Service’s post-Grenfell response concerning high-rise buildings, ensuring remedial works were initiated and inspections conducted in line with findings from the tragic incident. In this role he was asked to update Hampshire MP’s at Westminster and speak at national conferences.

Rob coordinated the Service’s operational response during the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, overseeing the support provided to our partners, including the deployment of firefighters in intensive care units, emergency ambulance driving, cardiac arrest response and vaccination efforts.

In July 2024, Rob was promoted to Assistant Chief Fire Officer, serving as Director of Operations.

Throughout his time in the Service, Rob has attended a wide range of incidents, including aircraft, ships, trains, high-rise buildings, and large industrial sites.

In 2002, Rob was commended by the Royal Humane Society for life-saving actions during a serious high-rise fire.

As well as being a qualified Hazmat Officer, National Incident Liaison Officer (NILO), Maritime Officer, Family Liaison Officer and Co-Responder, Rob has a master’s degree in business administration, alongside diplomas and awards in Executive Leadership and Incident Command.

He is a member of the National Fire Chiefs Council and is involved in several working groups.

Outside of work, Rob has been a youth football coach for 10 years, volunteered as a community responder for 10 years, and enjoys family holidays, skiing, and dinghy sailing.