The first fire station chiefs in the country to study for a pioneering new degree course have graduated at Bradford University.

The tailor-made course was established two years ago to develop the skills of senior officers in the West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service (WYFRS).

Ten officers have studied for a foundation degree in Leadership and Management, developed in partnership with the University of Bradford's School of Lifelong Education and Development. All ten graduated during a special ceremony in the university's Great Hall yesterday.

Bradford-based station managers who graduated included Steve Nunn, who is in charge at Idle and Shipley fire stations, and Martin Speed, who is based at Fairweather Green.

Damian Brown, Birkenshaw training centre commander, and Rob Hamilton, station manager in training support, again based at Birkenshaw, also graduated.

Mr Hamilton said: "I found the course, with its emphasis on management as opposed to command skills, made me much more effective in my role."

Phil Toase, West Yorkshire Chief Fire Officer, said: "The foundation degree is a good example of how partnership working can improve the service we provide to our community."

WYFRS is one of only a handful of brigades in the country to offer the course, which it sees as a cost-effective approach to providing modern, innovative leadership and management training.

West Yorkshire brigade bosses provided course leaders with a copy of the Emergency Fire Service Management Standards and development modules from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, to form part of the curriculum.

The modular approach used during the degree allowed station managers to concentrate on areas of their choice. The degree is being taught at the university's Heaton Mount Management School as well as at the brigade's International Training Centre in Birkenshaw.

West Yorkshire Assistant Chief Fire Officer Allan Hughes said: "This course allows our officers to develop first class managerial skills and this approach will complement our more traditional emphasis on incident command skills."

e-mail: dan.webber@bradford.newsquest.co.uk

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