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WORSHIPFUL
PROFILES OF
COMPANY OF
THE MASTER
FIREFIGHTERS
AND THE NEW
WARDENS
COMMON HALL 2005
Master Alan Wells, QFSM,
FIFireE
New
Freemen
Livery
New Court Assistants
Martin Coffey
Common Hall
this
year was due
to
take place on
Friday 8th
July but
had
to be postponed
following
Alan was born
in Twyford, Hampshire
in 1940.
the
terrorist bomb outrage on
the London
Following
early
career
starts
in patent
agency,
Underground
the day before. Common Hall
office
equipment
and
furniture
restoration
he
finally
took place
at 4.00pm on
the
rearranged
joined
the
Fire
Service
in Hampshire
as
a part
date, Tuesday 23rd August,
at
the
Insurance Hall.
time
firefighter
in 1962
and became
a
professional
firefighter
in 1964.
Alan moved
as
A
fair
gathering of members
and
guests were
an
instructor
to
the
Fire
Service College
in
present
to
hear
the Master, Upper Warden
and
Gloucestershire
from 1974-76 before
Clerk present
their
reports
for
the previous
year.
secondment
to
the Home Office
in 1976 where
These
all
showed
that
the Company
had
he
assisted
the
research
and development of
continued
to make
steady progress
and was
also
firefighting
equipment,
extinguishing
agents
and
gradually
enhancing
its
reputation
amongst
the
tactics.
Some of
that work
included
the
other Livery Companies
and
institutions
in
the
development of
thermal
imaging
cameras
for
fire
City.
service
use.
The Master's
chain was weighed
and
found
to be
In 1988 Alan
transferred
to
the Kent
Fire Brigade
of
the
correct weight
and was
then placed
upon
where
he
served
as
a principal officer.
During
the New Master’s
shoulders. The New Master,
that period
he was
involved with
the design
and
Alan Wells, duly made
his declaration
and was
future operation of
the Channel Tunnel
as
a
invested with
the Master's
chain
and
gown.
member of
a UK Delegation
responsible
for
the
Martin Coffey,
the
new Upper Warden
and Viv
Rescue
and Public
Safety parameters of
the
Jones,
the
new Renter Warden
also made
their
Tunnel.
For part of
that work Alan was
chairman
declarations
and
received
their badges of office.
of
a
Sub-Group
responsible
for
the
safety of
Unfortunately
James Blott,
the
new Under
people with
limited mobility.
Warden was
unable
to
attend
the
re-arranged
In 1992 Alan was
seconded
to
the-then
Fire
and
Common Hall
and
subsequently made
his
Emergency Planning Department of
the Home
declaration
at
the Dedication
Service
held
at
St.
Office
and
appointed one of Her Majesty's
Lawrence
Jewry-Next-Guildhall on Monday 5th
Inspectors of
Fire
Services with
a
responsibility
September.
for
training
throughout
fire brigades
in England
and Wales. He
retired
from
local
authority
The
following were
admitted
as
Freemen of
the
employment
in 1995, but
continued
in
his
role
Company: Paul
Settle, Tony
Skinner,
Ian Tarran,
with HM
Fire
Service
Inspectorate
upon
re-
Kelly
Fairman
and Douglas Vaday.
appointment
as
a
civil
servant,
until
his
retirement
in 2000. During
his
time with
the
Fire
Inspectorate Alan was
responsible
for
the
The
following were
clothed
in
the Livery of
the
production of
firefighting
training publications
and
Company: Patrick Hanifan, Paul Rose
and Derek
initiatives
to develop National
Standards of
Thurlow.
Competence
for
the
firefighting profession
and
the development of
facilities
and
safe
systems of
work
to
enable
firefighters
to
undertake
The Company welcomes
the
following
new
meaningful,
real or
simulated
fire-fighting
training.
Court Assistants: Alan Mabbutt, Ronald Brown,
Harry Paviour
and Beryl
Jeffery
Alan was
awarded The Queen's
Fire
Service
Medal
in 1993,
is
a
holder of
the
Fire
Service
Common Hall was
also
the
last official
event
Long
Service
and Good Conduct Medal
and
a
conducted by Margaret Holland Prior,
the
Fellow of
the
Institution of
Fire Engineers.
outgoing Company Clerk. The Company
thanked
Margaret
and
extended
their
very best wishes
to
The
sea
has
always
held
a
fascination
for Alan,
her
for
the
future.
probably
instilled by
his
Father who
served
in
HM
Submarines
throughout WWII. Though Alan
Following Common Hall members
enjoyed
a
had
little
actual
sea-going
experience, within
a
mouth watering buffet,
fine wines
and
an
few weeks of
leaving
the
Fire
Service,
he
set
sail
opportunity
to mix
informally.
crewing
a boat
in The Times Clipper 2000
2
The Master
and
his Wardens during
the Common Hall 2005.