Brian Mallett rose through the ranks of the Fire Service to become its chief officer

FORMER fire chief Brian Mallett, who led the team which heroically tackled the gas explosion and fireball in Tunnell Street in 1982, died on Thursday 25 February, aged 70.

The son of Leonard and Eunice Mallett, he was born in Jersey in 1939 and remained in the Island during the Occupation.

Educated at St Clement’s School and Hautlieu, he enjoyed maths and started out his working life in an accounts office.

He soon realised that it was not the career for him, and in March 1960, when he was 20, he joined the Fire Service and started a job which was to become a vocation.

On St Patrick’s Day in 1963, he married Irish-born Rita Dowling at St Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church in St Clement.

Mr Mallett became a leading fireman in 1975, and promotion followed rapidly to sub officer, and then to a station officer when he took on responsibility for a watch.

After rising through the ranks to assistant divisional officer in 1979, he became deputy fire chief three years later.

It was in this role that he led the team which dealt with the explosion and fireball at the Gasworks in March 1982, when he suffered burns to his face and hands.

Despite the burns to his hands, which affected the nerve endings, giving him ongoing problems, he always played his role in the incident down by saying that others caught up in it had suffered far worse injuries than him.

To Mr Mallett, the risk of injury was part of the job and one he accepted with resilience and realism.

Other major incidents in which he played a leading role included fires at the Hotel de France and the Dunes Hotel.

He was fire chief from January 1986 until his retirement in December 1994.

Totally dedicated to the job, Mr Mallett always ensured that the crews had efficient, up-to-date equipment, and as a boss was a good listener and took an interest in the lives of the firefighters and other staff.

He was well known at work and in his private life for his sense of humour.
During his career, he received the Queen’s Fire Service Medal at Buckingham Palace for distinguished service.

He and his wife Rita had two daughters, Simone, who lives with her family in the Island, and Siobhan, whose home is in New Jersey, and five grandchildren, Jessica, Emily, Matt, Robbie and Emma.

Throughout his life, Mr Mallett maintained a close friendship with Norman Le Cocq, who replaced him as fire chief following his retirement. Three years younger than him, Mr Le Cocq was also at Hautlieu and joined the Fire Service in 1963.

They both enjoyed playing bridge, were best men at each other’s weddings, and went on holidays together.

In retirement, Mr Mallett, who had a fine tenor voice, was a member of the Harmony Men, and he continued his lifelong habit of taking a daily swim in the summer at Green Island until he was 65.

His wife died in 2005, and towards the end of his life Mr Mallett contracted the very rare condition of amyloidosis, in which protein deposits form in the body, and it caused him severe digestive problems.

Keeping his sense of humour and good spirits, Mr Mallett was one of those very fortunate to be able to say a short time before he died that he could not have had a better life.

The respect in which he was held at the Fire Service was evident on the day of his funeral, when the hearse containing his coffin was saluted outside headquarters in Rouge Bouillon, and officers formed a guard of honour outside St Clement’s Church.

The Jersey Evening Post extends sympathy to his family and friends.