Questions asked over the appointment of a new fire brigade chief who has never worked in the service

Questions have been raised over the appointment of a new fire brigade chief who has never worked in the service.

The Fire Brigades Union said the hiring of Nicci Marzec was ‘highly unusual’ given she had ‘no operational understanding of the role’.

Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue announced on Friday that Ms Marzec, 50, would be taking over as interim boss.

Her appointment comes after previous incumbent Mark Jones resigned to concentrate on recovering from injury. 

The appointment was made by Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner (PFCC) Stephen Mold for whom Ms Marzec previously worked as monitoring officer and head of paid staff.

The Fire Brigades Union said the hiring of Nicci Marzec (pictured) was ‘highly unusual’ given she had ‘no operational understanding of the role’

She was also previously director of early intervention at the office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Northamptonshire on a salary of between £76,425 and £81,816. 

Adam Taylor, of the Fire Brigades Union, said: ‘This is highly unusual, as [she] has never worked in the fire sector.’ 

He claimed the new interim chief had ‘no operational understanding of the role required to keep the communities of Northamptonshire safe’.

He added: ‘The fire service is a complex operation and firefighting is a highly skilled, technical profession. 

‘Recruiting externally for senior operational roles means the most senior decision-maker will have no practical experience of using equipment, responding to incidents or keeping firefighters and the public safe in fires, floods and other callouts.’

The union said the appointment was evidence of the unsuitability of PFCC governance in the service. In a statement the PFCC said Ms Marzec would be supported by incoming deputy chief fire officer Simon Tuhill, who joins next week.

In response to the criticism Mr Mold said there was a ‘wealth of operational ability and talent in the chief officer team’. 

He added that Kent fire service had just received a glowing report for its leadership, culture and for keeping people safe – and it was led by a woman and a non-firefighter. 

He said Ms Marzec had extensive experience at ‘strategic and operational levels across a range of professional fields’.

Ms Marzec said: ‘It is a privilege to have the opportunity to lead Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service… I know all the firefighters and staff are committed to making Northamptonshire a safer county and I am impressed by the hard work and dedication they show every day.’