by
David Prior
BBC North West Tonight presenter Beccy Barr is to leave the corporation after six years to become a firefighter.
Barr, who was born and raised in Lancaster and still lives in the city, announced on Twitter that she will be joining Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service as a wholetime (full-time) firefighter.
Barr said she had completed a “really tough selection process” and was “excited/terrified” about the new challenge.
👩🏼🚒Personal news👩🏼🚒 In September I’ll be joining @LancashireFRS as a wholetime #firefighter. It’s been a really tough selection process & I’m so excited/terrified about this new challenge! (Please check your smoke alarms asap) 😃 🔥 #notjustfires #firefamily
— Beccy Barr (@BeccyBarr1) July 22, 2019
She starts her new role on September 9th at Lancashire Fire Service training centre.
Barr originally joined BBC North West Tonight as a presenter and reporter back in March 2013 having spent five years presenting financial news at CNBC in London.
Previously, she was in New York as a reporter with the Bloomberg financial news organisation.
She began her career in print journalism as a reporter for The Blackpool Citizen before moving to London to join trade paper Money Marketing.
Alongside her role on North West Tonight, Barr has had stints presenting BBC Radio Lancashire’s breakfast programme, as well as covering business news for BBC Radio 5 Live, presenting Sunday Politics North West and reporting for BBC Inside Out.
Barr told Prolific North: “I still love journalism, but after almost 20 years and lots of different jobs, I’m ready to push myself with a new challenge.
“I’ve always had a strong sense of public service and the idea of a 999 job where I can help people on their worst day really appeals.
“I’ve still got another 20-odd years of work in me yet and I find myself at 41 fitter and stronger than I’ve ever been. It seemed like a great time to try and do something in my own community in Lancashire where I can be useful to other people and have an adventure.”
