Iain Bathgate has served with the Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service since 1978.

During his time with the Service he has worked as an operational firefighter and manager at fire stations across the whole of the Tyne and Wear area.

In addition, he has also served as a training manager for the service, a legislative fire safety inspector in the Sunderland and the South Tyneside area as well as at Area Manager level, based at the Pilgrim Street Headquarters.

He became Assistant Chief Fire Officer in the year 2000 with responsibility for Operations and Logistics and oversaw the delivery of projects such as the replacement fire boat and the introduction of MODAS data.

Promoted to Deputy Chief Fire Officer in 2007, he took responsibility for strategic planning and technical services within the organisation. This principally involves ensuring that the organisation was in a position to meet the emerging challenges and, in doing so, that the services provided were maintained and improved upon.

He also has responsibility for the wide-area radio communications and was the Tyne and Wear lead officer on the FiReControl project.

He took up the post of Chief Fire Officer of Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service on the 25th December 2007.