This month the Brigade appointed a new Deputy Commissioner following the recent departure of Dom Ellis who retired after 35 years’ service. The new post holder, Charlie Pugsley, comes with a wealth of experience, having served in London for the Brigade for 28 years.
Charlie has worked in various leadership roles in the Brigade, most recently as an Assistant Commissioner for Prevention and Protection. Prior to 2022 he was the Deputy Assistant Commissioner in Fire Safety for five years. Charlie’s experience before working at Brigade headquarters, included heading up the Fire Investigation team based at Dowgate fire station in the City. He was also involved in major fire investigations from 2004 until 2017 including spending many months on the incident ground following the tragic Grenfell Tower fire.
The Deputy Commissioner joined LFB at the age of 28 years old, after a number of varied jobs, ranging from tool hire to ICT support. Charlie said: “While I’ve attended all manner of incidents including fires, floods and road traffic collisions over my time with the Brigade, one thing has stayed the same at each and every one of them – the professionalism, teamwork and courage shown by our firefighters and officers in the most challenging of conditions.
“Fire Investigation has taught me so much, not just about how fires start or spread, but especially about how fires seriously impact people’s lives. As an investigator, you get to spend a lot of time with the victims of fire, their families, neighbours and our communities. Time is spent at fire scenes but also at Inquests. Seeing people who have suffered a fire in the most challenging of circumstances, and witnessing their bravery in the aftermath is so humbling. It’s a stark reminder of why we must all continuously strive to provide the best service with equity.”
Charlie’s expertise has been called upon on a national scale - he is currently the National Fire Chiefs Council’s lead officer for both Electrical Safety and Fire Investigation. He has been involved in high profile safety campaigns such as the Brigade’s successful #ChargeSafe campaign which calls for action to stop dangerous lithium battery powered e-bike and e-scooter products reaching the marketplace. Charlie has also appeared numerous times live on national television to help amplify the Brigade’s public safety messages, including the Brigade’s work to make white goods safer with the Total Recalls campaign.
Settling into his new role at the Brigade, Charlie is ready to take on new challenges. Charlie explains: “I’m honoured to be taking on this role and proud to be working alongside the current team. The Brigade is a thriving community of passionate individuals, and I look forward to the journey ahead helping to lead the Brigade through the challenges and successes we face in the future while continuing to make our communities safer.”