HUDDERSFIELD fire station has a new commander.

Paul Taylor’s philosophy on fire safety is simple – if the Queen can have a fire then anyone can.

Station Manager Taylor said the 1992 blaze which badly damaged Windsor Castle shows that everyone is vulnerable to fire.

And he will be carrying on West Yorkshire Fire And Rescue Service’s pioneering work with vigour to take fire safety right into homes and businesses.

The 47-year-old has been in the fire service since 1987 and after the first 10 years at Bradford and Odsal he was promoted to Cleckheaton as a leading firefighter and two years later joined Batley fire station as a sub officer.

In 2001 he was promoted to station manager on an operational support rapid response vehicle which went to potentially serious incidents across West Yorkshire, including in Huddersfield.

After a short spell at the fire service headquarters in Birkenshaw, he became station manager at South Elmsall between Pontefract and Doncaster.

Station Manager Taylor said: “I regard Huddersfield as a premiership station. It’s one of the busiest in West Yorkshire serving a diverse range of communities.

“The fire service is not just about putting fires out, it’s now a case of looking at the bigger picture which includes fire prevention and community safety. It is about making people safe in their homes and when they go to work. We have a massive responsibility to look after the public of West Yorkshire.”

There are a number of areas in Huddersfield referred to in fire service speak as Super Output Areas where statistically more incidents happen than elsewhere.

These include Crosland Moor, Almondbury, Newsome, Fartown, Rawthorpe, Dalton and Botham Hall.

These will be targeted for fire safety with specific projects – but anyone can ask for a free safety inspection in their home at any time. Firefighters also fit smoke detectors for free and many thousands have been put into Huddersfield homes over the last few years.

Station Officer Taylor revealed a dramatic example from his time at South Elmsall of how they can save lives.

He said: “We were alerted by social services about a vulnerable family who needed a home safety check and smoke detectors fitting. We went that day and put three detectors up – and the same night we were called to a fire at the house after a chip pan caught fire. The family escaped unhurt.’’

An Arson Task Force is being set up in Huddersfield to look for potentially high fire risks and take fire safety to the heart of the community in a bid to cut the number of incidents.

Crews out and about will also make a note of rubbish left in specific areas so fire chiefs can liaise with council officials to get it cleared away quickly.

“What can be rubbish one day could be a fire incident the next,’’ said Station Manager Taylor. “When we are dealing with rubbish fires it takes the engine away from community fire safety work and more serious incidents.”

Station Officer Taylor was an electrician before joining the fire service and worked for a company in Bradford.

He lives in Gomersal with wife Margaret and 16-year-old son Bradley.