Egg farmer by day, firefighter by night: 'Trev the Egg' hangs up fire service helmet after 40 years
A Shropshire firefighter has stepped down after dedicating 40 years of his life to the service.
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On-call firefighter and watch manager at Clun Fire Station Trevor Willams has spent four decades ‘juggling’ his firefighting career alongside his family poultry business, which has earned him the moniker among colleagues of ‘Trev the Egg’.
Trevor joined the Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service when he was 18.
In 2004 he took it upon himself to write directly to the then Chief Fire Officer Ian Kerr, who in turn took this to the fire authority, highlighting the pressures of being an on-call firefighter.
This influenced the ’Best Value Review’, the result of which saw an £800,000 investment, the introduction of eight Retained Support Officers and XL cab appliances to single pump stations amongst other improvements to the service.
Trevor said: “One of the proudest moments as a firefighter was when I was nominated for the ‘Spirit of the Fire Award’. My family and I were invited to Downing Street and met the then Prime Minister, Gordon Brown.
“In my time we have had a great team at Clun and have all done our best to ensure the safety of our local community, the on-call service is a unique example of local people helping and protecting their own community.
“I am looking to spend more time on the golf course, and still be working in the family farm business."
Trevor, who in 2007 donated a kidney to his son Zach who was born with chronic renal failure and is now leading a healthy life working on the farm, thanked his family for all their support over the last four decades.
“It has been a great experience, and it is a very rewarding job, although it has not always been easy,” he said. “A huge thank you must go to all the family, especially my wife Jacqui and two sons Ben and Zach, who without their support and understanding the role would have been impossible.”
Rob Simcox, assistant group commander, said he wanted to “extend a huge thank you to Trevor for his dedication and commitment to the service”.
He added: “He is a fine firefighter and his presence at Clun Fire Station and within Shropshire Fire and Rescue will be hugely missed.”
