Martin Blunden

Blunden started his career in 1992 as a retained firefighter in Beaconsfield with Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service before joining full-time in 1994. He served at High Wycombe, Beaconsfield (Day Crewing) and Great Holm in Milton Keynes. He was promoted to Station Officer in 2001, leading on the UK wide New Dimension Programme as part of the South East team and then ADO in 2003. In 2004 he was seconded to the Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG) where he led the UK roll out of the successful High Volume Pumps as part of the UK Government's Water Safety and Rescue Project. He and his team were awarded two Excellence in Delivery awards during this time. In 2006 Blunden transferred to Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service where he continued to lead for Water Safety & Rescue for the Chief Fire Officers Association (CFOA) and was part of the team awarded the International Higgins & Langley Award for his contribution to Water Rescue in the UK. In 2008 Blunden transferred to Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service and in 2010 led for CFOA, working with DCLG, on the review and establishment of the Enhanced Logistics Support capability, designed for major incidents across the UK.

In 2013, Blunden was seconded to Surrey Constabulary, working in the Home Office, to lead for the UK FRS on the Joint Emergency Services Interoperability Programme (JESIP). He authored the first version of the JESIP Joint Doctrine. In 2015 he joined South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, serving first as Assistant Chief Officer and then as Deputy Chief Fire Officer in January 2017 until his appointment as Chief Officer of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service in January 2019.[1]

He was awarded the Queen's Fire Service Medal (QFSM) in the 2021 New Year Honours.[2]