Q&A with Mark Smitherman
Mark Smitherman Chief Fire Officer and Chief Executive, South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue joined the SFP Board in May this year. Here we ask him a few questions about Sheffield:
- What’s your favourite place or space in Sheffield?
I think the Sheffield Winter Garden is a great place to visit in the city centre. It is very prestigious and really stands out, whether people are just walking though or stopping off for a coffee the atmosphere is really welcoming and I would definitely recommend people have a look for themselves. - What would you like to see Sheffield famous for?
It would be great if Sheffield was famous for being a high quality shopping destination around a vibrant city. The new plans for the Sevenstone shopping area will really help to turn the Sheffield shopping experience around and the new bars and restaurants that have opened, like Leopold Square, are making the area feel very cosmopolitan. - Do you think the perception of Sheffield is changing?
Yes, very much so as a result of the present and intended city re-developments. - Burning Issue – What needs to get better in Sheffield?
I feel there have been some great improvements in the transport links but there is still work to be done in that area. - How does South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue help in building communities?
We carry out a significant amount of work to make all our communities safer. That ranges from fitting free smoke alarms and helping residents to prevent accidental fires, to ensuring that business premises are safe.
Eighty per cent of our fire calls are to anti-social behaviour fires and we work with our Safer Neighbourhood Team partners to educate young people and ensure abandoned cars and rubbish are removed. We’ve even got a team of officers patrolling known arson hotspots on bicycles!