A former senior commander of Grampian Fire and Rescue Service said he is delighted to be awarded the Queen’s Fire Service Medal.
Mark Jones, who is now the chief fire officer for Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service, was awarded the medal as part of the Queen’s Birthday Honours.
The 52-year-old grew up in Burghead and attended Lossiemouth High School.
He joined the fire service in 1985 and held a number of operational firefighting and command roles in Aberdeen.
During his career in Scotland he also enjoyed secondments as an instructor at the Scottish Fire Service Training School in East Lothian, and at Her Majesty’s Fire Service Inspectorate for Scotland, where he assumed overall responsibility for training, human resources, equality, and health and safety.
Talking about his time in the north-east Mr Jones, who now lives in Milton Keynes, said: “I am delighted to have been honoured in this way.
“The lessons I learned working in Grampian Fire Brigade, including the principles of delivering high quality safety services while keeping a tight rein on the costs to the taxpayer, served me well over the years.”
After leaving the Grampian brigade in 2005, Mr Jones became the deputy chief fire officer for Essex Fire and Rescue Service.
He worked there for several years, before being appointed the chief officer in Buckinghamshire in 2010.