Christopher Barrett is the Area Manager for Operational Response at Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service.
He began his career with MFRS in April 1997 and has over 28 years’ experience, serving at a variety of community fire stations. In 2006, he joined the Service’s specialist Search and Rescue Team, taking part in complex and challenging incidents locally and further afield.
Throughout his career, Christopher has been involved in the response to major operational incidents, including the Bosley Wood Flour Mill explosion, several large-scale flooding events across the UK, and international water rescue initiatives through the EU WaterSave project.
A member of the UK International Search and Rescue team since 2012, Christopher became Merseyside’s UKISAR Coordinator in 2021. His international deployments have included leading humanitarian convoys to Ukraine and supporting firefighting efforts during severe wildfires in Greece.
Promoted to Senior Officer in 2018, Christopher managed community fire stations and contributed to the delivery of National Resilience capabilities.
In 2022, he was appointed Group Manager for Operational Training before returning to a National Resilience leadership role.
In 2025, he took up his current post as Area Manager for Operational Response, overseeing a number of different departments including Fire Control, Health and Safety, the Operational Assurance Team, Service Delivery, and Time and Resource Management.