As many of you will know Tas Valley Fire (UK)Ltd was built on the reputation of one man – our founder and director David Woodward.
There’s a good reason why people trust David with their fire protection needs and that’s because of his long and celebrated career in the Norfolk Fire Service. So we’re going to take you for a walk down memory lane as David tells us what inspired him to join up…
“I grew in the 1960s which was a wonderful and exciting time to be a young man,” says David. “From an early age I really loved getting involved in community activities – whether it was in my church, or putting on dances or helping out at public events. But when it came to a career, I was a bit stuck.
“I started off trying to do some teaching, before taking a job as a trainee in an accounting firm. The people were nice, the work was fine but I just wasn’t in love with it and I knew whatever I did would have to be a vocation. Thank goodness, I happened to bump into a friend one day who asked me to join him at an introductory meeting for the King’s Lynn Auxiliary Fire Service. From the moment I arrived, something felt different and by the end of the session I knew I’d found my perfect career.
“Training to be a fireman is tough but I’m a fitness fanatic and I was so driven to succeed that I wasn’t going to let anything get in the way of me reaching my goal. It was an amazing day when I finally qualified and was an official firefighter! One of the things that I most loved about the job is that I was making a huge difference in people’s lives. It’s tough to be on hand when people are facing tragedy and terrible fear, but knowing that I was part of the team that tried to help meant a great deal. It’s an incredibly interesting and diverse job, and I wasn’t stuck behind a desk – although I’ll admit the shifts could be a killer!
“Throughout my career, I moved up the ladder and I ended up being a station officer. This was the perfect job for me because it meant more responsibility and very interesting work, but I remained working out and about, not tied to an office for days on end.
“When I retired, it was a big moment because I’d loved my career and the Fire Service was a huge part of my life. But I knew I’d never be able to leave that world behind and that’s why I set up my own fire consultancy. Funnily enough, as well as covering people’s fire protection needs, I’m doing a lot of training these days. I guess that short foray into teaching wasn’t a waste of time after all!”