West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service has announced two senior leadership appointments as the service prepares for the next phase of its development under devolution.
First non-operational director appointed
Sabrina Pennington-Down has been named the service’s first non-operational Assistant Director, marking a historic first for the service.
She has led on organisational assurance and governance for many years and will now take on responsibility for strategy, improvement and assurance.
New Assistant Chief Fire Officer
She is joined by Andy Piller, who steps up to become Assistant Chief Fire Officer. Piller joined the service in 2020 as a Group Manager and has since served as Area Manager for Service Delivery.
Leading through change
The pair will work alongside Interim Chief Fire Officer Gary Ball, who took up post in June.
Ball welcomed the appointments, saying:
“I am delighted to be working alongside Sabrina and Andy. They both bring a wealth of skills and experience to our senior leadership team which will stand us in good stead to lead the service through this exciting period.
As our first ever non-operational director, Sabrina has been at the forefront of the service’s improvement programme for many years. She will bring a unique perspective on us as a service, while recognising the work delivered by our non-operational colleagues.
Andy has a real passion for the service and the drive to take on this role to position the service in the best possible place. I know he will bring a fresh outlook to the role and will be an asset to our senior leadership team.”
The appointments come as the fire service prepares for devolution changes which will reshape local governance and service delivery in the county.
