Teesside fire pro earns global green honour

A training centre has seen one of its long-serving team members earn global recognition for driving greener change.

Mike Dodds, technical services manager at Serco’s International Fire Training Centre at Teesside International Airport, has won a Serco Impact Award for his work to cut the site’s environmental footprint. 

Based in Ingleby Barwick, near Stockton, Mike led the centre’s switch to hydrotreated vegetable oil as its main fuel and improved its water treatment systems. 

Now an award winner, Mike admits he stumbled into the job while studying at university.

He said: “I’ve been here almost 16 years.

“The job was a complete fluke - I was studying at university at the time, and this was a job I happened to come across.

“I was lucky enough to be accepted and, all of a sudden, 15 years later, I’m here and loving it still.

“I started out doing technical support – looking after scenarios – and I’ve managed to work my way up through team leader positions, supervisory roles, and now I’m the technical services manager.”

“The training centre tutors fire crews from the aviation, maritime, offshore and industrial sectors, with more than 40 high-pressure training scenarios delivered on-site.”

Phil Forster, managing director of Teesside International Airport, added: “Mike’s recognition is incredibly well deserved – and his work is a credit to Serco and to Teesside.

“Serco has been a loyal and valued partner at the airport for 40 years, delivering world-class fire training that brings people here from all over the world.

“We’re proud of what Mike and his team are doing – and we hope his career continues to flourish at our airport.”

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