The Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service is responsible for an area of around 125,914 hectares, from Slough and Langley in the east to Lambourn and Newbury in the west. It employs more than 600 uniformed and support staff, who serve a population of approximately 860,000 people.
The service’s highly-trained fire crews deal with incidents ranging from road and rail accidents to fuel and chemical spills, aviation and waterway accidents, collapsed buildings, large animal rescues and, of course, fires.
Along with providing a swift and effective response to incidents, one of the service’s aims is to educate people on how to prevent fire and other emergencies. It works with schools, businesses, residents and community groups throughout Berkshire to raise awareness and educate people about a wide variety of safety issues.
The service has joined forces with Oxfordshire Fire & Rescue Service and Buckinghamshire & Milton Keynes Fire & Rescue Service to establish a shared emergency call handling centre.
For over 160 years, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary has 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.
Trevor Ferguson
