Northern Ireland

NI's chief fire officer Peter O'Reilly to leave his post in June

Peter O'Reilly was appointed by the Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service (NIFRS) as their new chief officer last year. Picture by Kelvin Boyes/Press Eye/PA Wire
Peter O'Reilly was appointed by the Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service (NIFRS) as their new chief officer last year. Picture by Kelvin Boyes/Press Eye/PA Wire Peter O'Reilly was appointed by the Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service (NIFRS) as their new chief officer last year. Picture by Kelvin Boyes/Press Eye/PA Wire
By Suzanne McGonagle

NORTHERN Ireland's chief fire officer is to leave his post in June, it was confirmed last night.

In a statement, the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) also said Peter O'Reilly had resigned last Thursday.

It comes after

[ The Irish News yesterday reported ]

that the senior firefighter had decided to step down just six months after his high-profile appointment.

Mr O'Reilly, who was the chief fire officer in Greater Manchester at the time of the 2017 bombing at an Ariana Grande concert, only took over the post with the NIFRS in September.

But it is believed that Mr O'Reilly, who is originally from Co Antrim, was frustrated by slow progress in efforts to modernise the service since taking over the role.

In a statement issued last night, a spokeswoman for the NIFRS confirmed that Mr O'Reilly was to step down.

"Peter O’Reilly, chief fire and rescue officer, notified the chair of Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue of his resignation on Thursday,10 March 2022," she said.

"Peter is required, by contract, to work a three month notice period until 10 June 2022.

"Peter was appointed on 1 September 2021 following an open recruitment exercise."

Mr O'Reilly has more than 25 years experience within the fire and rescue services after joining the then Northern Ireland Fire Brigade in 1990.

He served for most of his career in Belfast as a firefighter, junior officer and district commander before moving to Ballymena to become assistant area commander and later northern area commander.

He later joined Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service and was chief fire officer at the time of the bombing at Manchester Arena that killed 22 and injured more than 1,000.

Mr O'Reilly retired from the position four months after the attack.

Speaking last year about his new role as NIFRS chief fire and rescue officer, which commands a salary of around £128,000, Mr O'Reilly said he was "extremely proud to lead it going forward and work with over 1,800 exceptional operational and wider supporting team members, as we continue to deliver our prevention and emergency response service to protect our community".