Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service is part of the Community Protection Directorate of Hertfordshire County Council, which is also the Fire and Rescue Authority. The service covers Hemel Hempstead, Stevenage and Watford, as well as St Albans.
29 fire stations are strategically placed across the county to provide emergency response to extinguish fires, with the aim of protecting life and property, rescue people from road traffic collisions, water and height, and deal with other emergencies such as wide-area flooding, chemical incidents and large animal rescues.
The service also plays a role in civil protection, working in partnership with other public bodies and private sector organisations to ensure an integrated approach to dealing with large-scale civil emergencies such as terrorist attacks and major rail or air accidents.
For over 160 years, His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary independently assessed and reported on the efficiency and effectiveness of police forces and policing, in the public interest.
In summer 2017, HMIC (now HMICFRS) took on inspections of England’s fire & rescue services, assessing and reporting on their efficiency, effectiveness and leadership.
