A senior fire officer will celebrate a promotion with a New Year’s honour from the Queen.
Dad-of-two David Walton, of Meltham, will be promoted from West Yorkshire’s assistant chief fire officer to deputy chief fire officer on January 1.
The promotion coincides with the award of the Queen’s Fire Service Medal for distinguished service and his 30th anniversary as a firefighter.
Mr Walton, who joined the West Midlands Fire Service in January 1985, holds senior national positions in dealing with major incidents including terrorist attacks and other multi-agency emergencies.
Mr Walton said: “I have the privilege of having spent every day of my working life working with people who are selflessly dedicated to the safety and well being of others.
“The fire service contributes so much more to communities than just our response to fires and other emergencies and I would like to thank each and every member of staff who has supported me in carrying out the role for which I have been honoured.
“The fire and rescue service faces enormous challenges in the years to come as we manage an ever decreasing budget and fundamental change is inevitable.
“I feel reassured that the personnel of West Yorkshire Fire Service and our fire authority are more than able to deal with that challenge.”
Tributes were led by fire authority chairman and Almondbury Labour councillor Judith Hughes who said: “David has demonstrated incredible commitment to national and local projects over recent years and takes every opportunity to help ensure that West Yorkshire is a safer place to live and work in.
“He has excelled himself on a national level as the Chief Fire Officers Association lead officer for hazardous materials technical response as well as working closely with Government and our blue light partners to ensure an effective response would be made to a malicious attack similar to what we have sadly witnessed elsewhere in recent months.”
Dr Nisreen Booya, formerly medical director of the South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, received the MBE for services to health care particularly mental health.
A consultant psychiatrist from 1985-2014, Dr Booya’s is an associate non-executive director of the Mid-Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs Dewsbury District Hospital.
Other current roles include medical panellist for the Medical Practitioners’ Tribunal Service and specialist advisor for the Care Quality Commission.
She is a member of the North of England Mental Health steering group for the Faculty of Medical Leadership and Management, clinical associate consultant advisor on clinical due diligence for Grant Thornton and honorary president for Support to Recovery (S2R) Kirklees.
