Dave Watson is the Area Manager for National Resilience (NR) at Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service (MFRS).
Dave joined MFRS in 1993, having served the people of Merseyside at several Community Fire Stations and in a range of Service functions. Throughout his career, he has led several key local and national workstreams.
Between 2011 and 2013, Dave was seconded into Her Majesty’s Government as the national Fire and Rescue Service (FRS) Senior Security Advisor within the Chief Fire and Rescue Adviser (CFRA) unit. In this role, he developed the FRS Protective Security Framework and supported the transition of national guidance to a sector-led approach.
He also worked strategically with the Metropolitan Police on security and resilience arrangements for the 2012 London Olympic Games.
Dave has significant operational experience, responding to high-profile incidents across the UK, including wide-area flooding and hazardous materials incidents.
His experience includes Tactical and Strategic Command roles, the Government Emergency Operations Room, and Central Government Emergency Response.
He is a Member of the Institution of Fire Engineers and an Associate of the Institute of Explosives Engineers.
He has been Lead Officer and Project Manager for several major initiatives, including MFRS’s response to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, the delivery of the specialist rescue station at Aintree, and the creation of the MFRS Training and Development Academy (TDA) and National Resilience Centre of Excellence.
Dave’s previous role as Area Manager for Operational Preparedness provided strategic leadership and governance across operational training, intelligence, procedures, and equipment to ensure effective response to foreseeable risk.
In 2025, Dave received both the Chief Constable’s Commendation and the Chief Fire Officer’s Certificate of Meritorious Action for his response to the Southport attacks investigation.
In his current role, Dave is the National Resilience Lead Officer, providing strategic oversight of specialist operational capabilities across the Fire and Rescue Services in England.