Barrow firefighting hero Roger Exley to hang up hat after 30 years of service

Roger Exley is retiring as manager of Barrow Fire Station at the end of a month after a career spanning three decades.

The Barrovian said ‘it’s the right time’ to open up the role to someone new and take on another challenge.

The 52-year-old said: “It’s time for some change and I’ve reached my 30 years now which is the goal I set out for myself when I joined the fire service so it seems like the right time.

“It doesn’t mean I will be retiring completely, I’m going to be looking for work in other positions. I’m looking for something that is a little bit less pressurised.

The Barrovian said ‘it’s the right time’ to open up the role to someone new and take on another challenge

“The last 30 years I’ve more or less worked every day. It’s quite a demanding job so I’d like something more relaxed. It’s time to allow a new manager to take over. It’s not been an easy decision but I’m looking forward to a new challenge.”

Mr Exley, who is officially leaving the service on August 31, recalled some of his most memorable call outs across the past 30 years.

He said: “I’ve attended thousands of incidents across the county.

“One of the most memorable ones is the House of Lords fire. That was a that was such a difficult fire to deal with. It was rapid flames and dangerous work which was risking the lives of firefighters.

READ MORE: Barrow Fire station manager Roger Exley remembers House of Lords blaze

“The Brady’s Warehouse fire, the fire at MFI, Furness Abbey and submarine fire are other challenging incidents I’ve been involved in.

“I’ve also dealt with a considerable amount of flooding, most memorably in 2009, 2010 and 2015.

“Road traffic collisions have been really challenging. Finding people in such difficult conditions can be really challenging but I feel proud knowing I’ve made a difference to someone’s life.

“I’ve probably saved over 100 people directly. Some incidents are really tragic especially during my work as a fire investigations officer for the last 15 years.

Roger Exley on his first day at Barrow Fire Station in 1992

“Safety is also a big part of the work we do - protecting the community in Barrow and across the county. I’ve been heavily involved in supporting people through community engagement work which is an area I love to do and will miss the most.”

READ MORE: Barrow firefighters deliver CPR and safety training to Furness Young Carers

Mr Exley reflected on the advancements in firefighting equipment he has seen across the decades.

He said: “When we first started we had rubber wellies, rubber trousers, a pair of gardening gloves and a cork helmet. Now things are so much smarter - we have leather boots and fireproof metal has.

“There’s been significant changes in the crews too. When I first started there was 16 people in Barrow now there is just five. The nature of the callouts we attend are a lot more different now too.

Roger Exley at his passing out parade in December 1992

“When I first started, there was barely any road traffic collisions or flooding. Now we’re dealing with a lot of that.”

Mr Exley described the job as the ‘best in the world’ and encouraged anyone interested to join.

He said: “The job is one of the best in the world because it’s such a varied workplace which supports people in the community. If you want to join the force, do it, it can give you so many opportunities and it’s such an exciting and varied job role that I have loved for over 30 years.”