West Sussex's long-serving firefighter looks back over his 50-year career

Andy Horner joined Selsey Fire Station as a retained firefighter on March 1, 1973, and is now a crew manager there – but over the past five decades, he has served communities across the county.

Throughout his lengthy career, Andy has attended notable incidents such as the fire at Uppark House in 1989, the 1994 Chichester flooding and the Selsey Academy fire in 2016.

Andy said: “A friend I played football with told me that he joined Selsey Fire Station as a retained firefighter. I didn’t know too much about the fire service and had never considered it as a career but I went to visit the station, and the rest is history!"

After becoming a firefighter, Andy got a job in Selsey working as a builder, to ensure he could provide 24-hour fire cover.

He recalled: "Back in those days, the fire stations had loud air raid sirens that would go off when there was an incident. When you heard the sirens, you would have to stop what you were doing and make your way to the fire station. We’d often hear the sirens from East Wittering and Bognor Fire Stations when the wind was blowing in a western direction and turn up at the fire station for an incident we weren’t mobilised to!”

It was only 18 months later that Andy became a wholetime firefighter. He went on to serve in Worthing, Horley and Chichester, as well as working for the service’s training team.

He recalled: "I have attended a huge number of incidents over the years but I will never forget my first call – responding to an incident at the Methodist Hall. My sub officer got me to crawl through the building, keeping my face to the floor, and talked me through the technicalities of the fire. I came out of the building coughing and spluttering everywhere – thankfully the equipment, kit and processes we use nowadays are vastly different.

“One of the biggest changes I’ve seen over the years is the diversity of the fire service. When I first joined, there were no female firefighters, in fact it wasn’t until I joined the training team that a female firefighter joined the service. The service has benefited hugely from becoming more diverse, and it has been my greatest pleasure helping to develop the hundreds of new faces that have come through the fire station doors over the years.

"The kit has been another huge change. Back in the '70s, we wore black plastic half-leggings that were held up with metal clips and attached to a belt that carried an axe – in fact, it was the same kit that soldiers wore in the war. We also had black cork helmets and no fire gloves. Back then we didn’t know any different but in hindsight the kit was so dangerous. I’m so glad that the kit we now use has been designed with a paramount focus on safety."

Andy met Bernice, a fire control room operator at Chichester Fire Station, in 1977 and they married the following year. The couple have three children, Bethan, Nick and Pete, and both sons have followed in their father’s footsteps.

Nick Horner, who is now a group manager for West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service’s organisational assurance and governance team, said: “I joined as a wholetime firefighter at Worthing Fire Station in September 2003 after seeing how much joy the role brought my dad. Over the years, I would hear my dad come home and tell us stories about his day, and he always spoke so fondly of the people he worked with, I knew that was a career I wanted for myself, too. I guess working for the fire service is part of my DNA!”

Pete joined the following year and Andy said he was proud to have both of his sons working in the service.

Andy added: "Christmas dinners are the best as we share the same common denominator, the fire service, and we can talk for hours about the work that we do. Unfortunately, my daughter, Bethan, has had to put up with us speaking jargon over the years but she has been a huge support during our careers.”

Andy retired as group manager for the Chichester district in 2013 and returned to Selsey Fire Station as a retained crew manager.

Sabrina Cohen-Hatton, West Sussex chief fire officer, said: "Andy is an incredible individual whose selflessness does not go unnoticed. During his time with the service, he has won two Lifetime Achievement Awards and, quite honestly, I don’t think there are enough Lifetime Achievement Awards in the world to honour the dutiful career he has given to the communities of Selsey, and West Sussex as a whole.

"Reaching 50 years of service is a hugely significant milestone, and one that very few people achieve. During those years there will have been many spoilt meals and missed birthdays due to emergency callouts but I can truly say that West Sussex is a better, safer place because of Andy’s service.”