Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s new Chief Fire Officer and Chief Executive, Mark Arkwell began his new role with the Service last week (Saturday, 28 March 2026).
Mark has taken up the role following the retirement of Wayne Bowcock and, until Friday, was RBFRS’ Deputy Chief Fire Officer and Director of Operations. Having worked in the fire and rescue sector for more than 26 years with Surrey and more recently Royal Berkshire, Mark has extensive experience to bring to the role, having started as a trainee Firefighter in 1999.
Mark has set out key priorities focused on continuing to respond effectively to emergencies, and just as importantly, ensuring the work in fire safety and prevention, both in the home and with businesses, continue to be improved to help stop incidents before they happen.
Speaking about his vision, Mark explains:
“The Service continues to adapt to the evolving risks facing communities across Berkshire, and we are committed to continuing to build a modern, inclusive, and forward-looking service that puts our communities first.
“Our people are at the heart of everything we do and I am committed to investing in their development, wellbeing, and ensuring they have the tools and support needed to continue to deliver an outstanding service to the people of Berkshire.
“I know that the future will bring both opportunities and challenges. The world around us continues to evolve rapidly and like many public services we are constrained by finances – organisations like ours must be ready to adapt quickly and think boldly. It’s a huge privilege to lead the incredible teams that make up our organisation and I am really looking forward to collectively working with the Fire Authority, our communities, and partners to deliver exceptional public services that the public rightly expect”
