Support staff profile: Steve Michael

In 12 years at Imperial, Steve has been a Security, Fire, and Postal Officer. He is also a Corporal in the Army's Royal Corps of Signals Reserves.

How did you get involved with the military?

I was actually working at Imperial at the time and my route to work took me past the Royal Signals’ Office Barracks in Lincoln’s Inn Fields. I think I’d harboured an interest in the military for a while − it was always there − and curiosity eventually got the better of me and I simply wandered in and spoke with the Captain. After joining, I was hooked. I trained as an Army chef initially and later as a physical training instructor.

How much time do you have to give up?

It’s mostly weekends on exercises. But I’ve also done a six-month operational tour of Cyprus and a short tour of Gibraltar. For the most part it works quite well with my job at Imperial and people are reasonably accommodating. Before joining the reserves my fitness levels weren’t great, but since then I’ve run three marathons and a triathlon for charity. I’ve also had chance to do things I never thought Iwould be able to do like skiing and horsemanship for example. I’m in the 68 Signal Squadron (Inns of Court & City and Essex Yeomanry). When it was formed in the 19th Century its duty was to provide communications for a field army by means of visual signalling, mounted orderlies and telegraph. We still perform a ceremonial mounted duty at various parades including the Lord Mayor’s Show in November, which I’ll be doing for the 9th time this year. I also helped coordinate The Band of The Household Cavalry when they performed at Imperial Festival this year.

You were named Imperial’s security staff member of the year in 2008. How did that come about?

I think it was largely because I was first on the scene of a very serious accident where a student was in a grave situation. I did what I could to help them based on what army medical training I’d done and waited for the emergency services to arrive. Thankfully the student survived.