Firefighter: From Rookie to Chief

Firefighter: From Rookie to Chief tells the tales of Ivor Dower, a retired British fire officer who served from 1950 to 1983. His tales provide insight into life in the services at that time, the characters he met, the incidents that took place-some funny, some sad-and the moves he took to climb his way up the greasy pole from rookie to chief and on to inspector.

Alwin Ivor Dower was born on 2 December 1925 in Todmorden, Lancashire. Ivor, as he is known as to friends and family, was one of six children and spent his childhood and early adult years in Todmorden. Ivor's working life began in the cotton mill, which was where he remained until he was called up to join the Royal Air Force (RAF) as a flight mechanic in 1943. After the end of World War II, in 1945, he returned to Todmorden and found a job working as a gas fitter. In 1946, he married his sweetheart, Sarah Patricia. Both were 21 years old. They went on to have three daughters, Jennifer, Elaine, and Fiona. Ivor began his British Fire Service career in 1950 and retired in 1983, moving to Menorca, Spain, in 1987, which is where he lives today. Firefighter: From Rookie to Chief captures some of the stories, incidents, and anecdotes that he encountered in his career-in which he started out as a rookie and climbed the "greasy pole" to chief.