Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service

Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service (HFRS) is the statutory fire and rescue service for the county of Hampshire, on the south coast of England. The service's chief fire officer is Neil Odin.[1][2]

Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service
Operational area
Country England
County Hampshire
AddressEastleigh, SO50
Agency overview
Chief Fire OfficerNeil Odin
EMS levelbasic life support
Facilities and equipment
Stations51
Engines77
Platforms3
Rescues6 (3 rescues 1 water rescue 2 animal rescue)
Tenders7
HAZMAT1
USAR8
Wildland19
Website
Official website

History

Until the Second World War, local towns had their own fire services. In 1941, these were combined into the National Fire Service. The Fire Services Act 1947 disbanded the National Fire Service and created county-level fire services. Hampshire Fire Brigade was formed on 4 April 1948. Many meetings and discussions were held prior to the service's creation in 1948 by the Hampshire fire service committees, to discuss who would be appointed the role of chief fire officer and how the service would be structured.

With ongoing expansion, the service was under increasing pressure to open a service HQ. The FRS was originally hoping to use and acquire North Hill House in Winchester for usage as the headquarters – a building still desired by the Admiralty at the time and therefore the service was not allowed to buy it. In May 1948; the admiralty gave up the premises and allowed the service to operate it. However twenty years later in 1968, the service HQ moved to a floor of Ashburton Court, The Castle, Winchester as well as the control room.

In 1974, the service absorbed the Southampton and Portsmouth fire services and changed its name to Hampshire Fire Service.

In 1997, responsibility for the service was transferred from Hampshire County Council to the newly formed Hampshire Fire and Rescue Authority.[3] Following the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004, the service changed its name to Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service.

HFRS are now headquartered in Eastleigh. Since late 2015, it has shared its headquarters with Hampshire Constabulary.[4]

Fire Stations/Appliances
Station Callsign Station Name Duty System Appliances
JH01BasingstokeWholetime/Retained2x EC, 1 IC, 1x RSV, 1x ALP, 1x SFV, 1x CSU
JH02RushmoorWholetime/Retained1x EC, 1x IC, 1x WrT, 1x L4T, 1x WFV, 1x CSU, 1x FESS
JH03BordonRetained1x WrT, 1x WrC, 1x H4T, 1x CRV
JH04FleetRetained1x WrT, 1x WrC
JH05AltonRetained1x EC, 1x WrT, 1x L4T, 1x EPU
JH06WhitchurchRetained1x IC
JH07GrayshottRetained1x WrT, 1x CRV (Shared With Liphook)
JH08Hartley WintneyRetained1x WrL, 1x L4T, 1x CRV
JH09KingsclereRetained1x WrL
JH10OdihamRetained1x WrL
JH11OvertonRetained1x WrT
JH12TadleyRetained1x WrL
JH13LiphookRetained1x WrL, 1x L4T, 1x CRV (shared with Grayshott)
JH14YateleyRetained1x WrT
JH16HavantWholetime/Retained1x EC, 1x WrL, 1x L4T
JH17FarehamWholetime/Retained1x EC, 1x WrL, 1x WrC, 1x L4T, 1x WRU
JH18GosportWholetime/Retained1x EC, 1x WrT, 1x MISU
JH19WaterloovilleRetained1x WrL, 1x WrT,
JH21Hayling IslandRetained1x RP, 1x WrT
JH22WickhamRetained1x WrL, 1x CRV
JH23CoshamWholetime1x EC, 1x WrL, 1x RSV
JH24SouthseaWholetime1x EC, 1x IC, 1x WrT, 1x ALP
JH25HorndeanRetained1x WrT, 1x CRV (shared with Waterlooville)
JH26EmsworthRetained1x WrT, 1x CRV
JH28PortchesterRetained1x WrT, 1x CSU, 1x CRV
JH29PetersfieldRetained1x EC, 1x WrL, 1x CRV
JH30WinchesterWholetime/Retained1x EC, 1x WrT, 1x DIM, 1x ARU
JH31AndoverWholetime/Retained1x EC, 1x WrL, 1x WrC, 1x L4P, 1x CRV
JH32Eastleigh Specialist/Technical RescueWholetime/Retained1x EC, 1x WrT, 1x WrC, 1x L4P, 1x CSU, 1x SRU, 1x SDU, 5x PM, 5x USAR Pods, 2x FRU
JH33RomseyRetained1x WrL, 1x WrT, 1x EPU, 1x CRV
JH34StockbridgeRetained1x WrL, 1x CRV
JH35Sutton ScotneyRetained1x WrT
JH36AlresfordRetained1x WrL, 1x L4T, 1x CRV
JH38BotleyRetained1x WrT, 1x CRV
JH40Bishops WalthamRetained1x WrL
JH41DroxfordRetained1x WrT
JH42HQ(manned by Eastleigh crews)1x ICU, 1x CSU, 1x FESS, 1x OSU
JH43LymingtonRetained1x EC, 1x WrL, 1x CRV
JH44HytheRetained1x WrL, 1x L4T, 1x CRV (shared with Beaulieu and Hardley)
JH45RingwoodRetained1x EC, 1x WrC, 1x L4P, 1x CRV
JH46TottonRetained1x WrT
JH47FordingbridgeRetained1x EC, 1x L4P, 1x HVPU
JH48LyndhurstRetained1x EC, 1x WFV, 1x ARU
JH49BeaulieuRetained1x WrT, 1x CSU
JH50BrockenhurstRetained1x WrT, 1x CRV
JH51New MiltonRetained1x WrL, 1x WrT, 1x CRV
JH52BurleyRetained1x WrL, 1x L4T
JH53RedbridgeWholetime1x EC, 1x RSV
JH54St Mary'sWholetime1x EC, 1x IC, 1x ALP, 1x SFV
JH55HambleRetained1x WrT, 1x CRV
JH56HightownWholetime1x EC, 1x FRC, 1x PM+MDU
JH58HardleyRetained1x EC, 1x L4P, 1x PM+HVPU, 1x PM+HVHL

Fire Appliance Glossary/Callsigns
  • Water Tender Ladder (WrL): P1
  • Water Tender (WrT): P4
  • First Response Capability (FRC): P5
  • Enhanced Capability (Rescue Pump) (EC): P7/P8
  • Intermediate Capability (Light Rescue Pump) (IC): P6
  • Small Fires Vehicle (SFV): L1
  • Water Carrier (WrC): W1/W3
  • Aerial Ladder Platform (ALP): A1
  • Incident Command Unit (ICU): C1
  • Command Support Unit (CSU): C2 (HQ)/C3
  • Environmental Protection Unit (EPU): E1
  • Light 4x4 Pump (L4P): M1
  • Light 4x4 Tender (L4T): M2
  • Heavy 4x4 Tender (H4T): M3
  • Wildfire Unit (WU): M4
  • Response Support Vehicle (RSV): R1
  • Water Rescue Unit (WRU): R2
  • Animal Rescue Unit (ARU): R3
  • Maritime Incident Support Unit (MISU)
  • Fire & Emergency Support Service unit (FESS): S5
  • Prime Mover + High Volume Pump (PM+HVP): T1
  • Prime Mover + High Volume Hose Layer (PM+HVHL): T2
  • Prime Mover + Foam Response Unit (PM+FRU): F1+F2
  • Co-Responder Vehicle (CRV): V1

CBRN Response:

  • Detection, Identification & Monitoring (DIM): H8
  • Prime Mover + Mass Decontamination Unit (PM+MDU): H9

Urban Search & Rescue (USAR):

  • Search & Rescue Unit (SRU): R4
  • Search & Rescue Dog Unit (SDU): R9
  • Operational Support Unit (OSU): T1
  • Prime Mover (PM): T2/T3/T4/T5/T6

Pods:

  • Module 1 - Technical Search Equipment
  • Module 2 - Heavy Transport, Confined Space & Hot Cutting
  • Module 3 - Breaching & Breaking Equipment
  • Module 4 - Multi Purpose Vehicle
  • Module 5 - Shoring Operations

Co-Responder and Immediate Emergency Care

Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service works in partnership with the South Central Ambulance Service to provide emergency medical cover to select areas of Hampshire. Currently, 21 areas have been identified as having a greater need for ambulance cover. Annually, the service attends over 13,000 medical emergencies supporting the ambulance service. The aim of a co-responder is to preserve life until the arrival of either a Rapid Response Vehicle (RRV) or an ambulance. Co-Responder Vehicles are single manned by a specially trained firefighter, who will take the vehicle to his or her workplace/home and will respond from there when alerted to an incident via pager. Each vehicle is equipped with:

  • Defibrillator
  • Bag and mask resuscitator
  • Oxygen
  • Airways
  • Suction units
  • Standard first aid equipment
  • Entonox (analgesic gas)

In addition to co-responding, the service has also rolled out the Immediate Emergency Care (IEC) program which has resulted in all front line fire appliances being equipped with more advanced medical equipment. This includes a defibrillator, Entonox and patient monitoring equipment. As of October 2016, all appliances and front line crews had received the IEC training and equipment.

Operations

Firefighting cover

HFRS provides fire cover according to a system of four risk categories which have traditionally been used across the UK, where every building is rated for its risk on a scale from "A" down to "D". The risk category determines the minimum number of appliances to be sent in a pre-determined mobilisation.

Category "A" includes areas with a high density of large buildings and/or population, such as offices or factories. Three fire engines are to arrive at "A" risks within eight minutes, the first two within five minutes.

Areas with a medium density of large buildings and/or population, such as multi-storey residential blocks, will generally be classified "B" risk. Two fire engines will be deployed, with one to arrive within five minutes and the second within eight minutes.

Category "C" covers lower density, suburban areas and detached properties. One fire engine should arrive at a "C" risk incident within ten minutes. More rural areas not covered by the first three categories will be considered "D" risk. One fire engine should arrive at "D" risks within 20 minutes

HFRS also has fire cover for the ports of Southampton and Portsmouth, including HMNB Portsmouth. and the airports of Southampton and Farnbrough.

Mutual assistance

The Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004 gives the UK fire services the ability to call upon other services or fire authorities in what is known as mutual assistance.[5]

Hampshire Fire and Rescue gives mutual aid to the following services:

HFRS also mobilises to support airport firefighters at Southampton Airport and Farnbrough Airport.

Control

HFRS have their own control, stationed in the HQ, they mobilise appliances for Hampshire and Isle of wight.

The service uses Networked Fire Services Partnership, so if need be, in spate conditions, mobilise on behalf of Dorset & Wiltshire and Devon & Somerset FRS, and vice versa.[6]

Future

In 2015, Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service carried out a risk review to determine how to reduce costs to match a £16m funding gap that would develop by 2020 due to funding cuts.[7] Following a public consultation in late 2015, the final proposals confirmed that none of the 51 fire stations in Hampshire would close and there would be no compulsory redundancies. Costs would be saved by reducing the number of operational firefighters at stations, including allowing some engines to respond to minor incidents with a smaller crew.[8]

The second major change was to introduce smaller engines at some stations. Until 2015, all Hampshire engines were a similar size and design.[9] The changes designated three types of fire engine: Enhanced Capability engines, which are similar in size to a traditional fire engine; Intermediate Capability appliances, which are slightly smaller; and First Response Capability appliances, which are much smaller.

in 2019, the service scrapped the idea for first response capability appliance due to weight distribution and performance issues, instead would be getting 49 intermediate capability appliances and 24 enhanced capability appliances. (73 new appliances in total)

3S Fire

3S fire is wholly owned by Hampshire Fire and Rescue Authority with 100% of all profits being returned to the Authority to assist with running the Fire and Rescue Service.

See also

References
  1. "Chief Fire officer of FRS". Archived from the original on 8 December 2006. Retrieved 25 January 2007.
  2. Statutory FRS/area covered
  3. "History of the service (creation/major changes)". Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 25 January 2007.
  4. http://www.hantsfire.gov.uk/incidents-news-and-events/news/2015/police-begin-groundbreaking-move-to-fire-headquarters/
  5. Fire and Rescue Act 2004 Archived 30 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  6. "Fire Control".
  7. http://www.hantsfire.gov.uk/about-us/a-safer-hampshire/the-challenge/
  8. http://www.hantsfire.gov.uk/EasySiteWeb/GatewayLink.aspx?alId=8716
  9. http://www.hantsfire.gov.uk/EasySiteWeb/GatewayLink.aspx?alId=8716
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.