Dave’s incredible career began in 1964 when he became Liverpool’s first cadet firefighter at just 16. After two years of intensive training, he officially began responding to incidents at 18. His early years were quiet, but as he gained experience, he attended major fires, traffic accidents, and In 1982, he was posted to Toxteth Fire Station—one of the busiest in Europe. With reporters calling daily for updates on the latest incidents, Dave found himself at the centre of many headline-making emergencies. A journalist suggested he write a book, so he began documenting his experiences. However, his journey to publication wasn’t easy—his stories were even copied by London’s Burning before he forced them to return his manuscript!

Alongside his firefighting career, Dave also wrote children’s books about fire safety, creating Phil the Fire Engine to teach young readers about the dangers of fire. After years of perseverance, his memoir was finally published in 2019, just before the COVID lockdown.

His incredible story is now available in our library—thank you, Dave, for sharing your experiences with us!