Brian Saville LBIPP has announced that he is retiring from West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service after 34 years.
Award-winning photographer Brian has captured some of the county’s largest fires on film over the years – from the Bradford City fire in 1985, Allied Colloids blaze in 1992, the Summit Tunnel fire in 1984, Hickson and Welch in 1992 and the string of firebomb attacks carried out by Mohammed Khalid of Keighley between 1995 and 1996.
Brian, from Bradford, joined West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service (WYFRS) in 1978 as a technician and was promoted to head up the Visual Services department in 1985. Since then, he has completed a number of specialist photography and video courses, including a high profile secondment to the Home Office Forensic Science Laboratory, where he worked alongside Principal Scientific Officer Roger A Cooke. During his time with the Forensic Science Laboratory, he produced training materials which have been used nationally for fire investigation.
During his career, Brian has been awarded National Fire Service Photographer of the year, British Institute of Professional Photography regional winner three times, winner of the UNISON National Photography Awards, winner of the Child Poverty Action Group Award, Fire and Rescue Video Award, Fuji Times Off-Beat Photographer of the Year and a Konika Photography Award.
Brian has also been presented with a commendation from Bradford’s most senior judge, the Honorary Recorder of Bradford Stephen Gullick, for the part he played in Operation Wheel (the Bradford riots) in 2001. He also received a Chief Fire Officer’s Letter of Appreciation following his work at an incident in which eight people tragically died in a house fire in Birkby, Huddersfield.
During his time with WYFRS, Brian has also been responsible for the design and development of new equipment and technology, such as the Search and View Camera System (SAVCam), which enables firefighters to search in confined spaces. He has also designed a CCTV system for the new Incident Control Unit and been instrumental in developing the brigade’s Silent Witness cameras attached to all fire engines across West Yorkshire, which have been rolled out across the country.
Brian hopes to pursue his passion for documentary photography and video when he retires.
“I have flown in helicopters, driven a tank, met and worked with some talented people, including a few famous ones,” said Brian. “Every day has been a challenge and I have enjoyed every second of it.”
No comments:
Post a Comment