The Home Office has accepted a submission to create a Combined Fire Authority (CFA) between Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
As previously reported by Island Echo, it was originally hoped that the CFA arrangements would come into force in April next year, however, the Government pushed this back to April 2021.
Building on the successful partnership already established between Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Services, the move will provide access to more resources across both counties and further improve what is already an excellent service.
It remains unclear at this stage what will change on the ground in terms of appliances, crewing and stations.
Neil Odin, Cheif Fire Officer for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, has said in a letter to staff:
“This is a positive step as it allows us to continue our work to bring Hampshire and the Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Services together under the leadership of a new CFA.
“This decision highlights the government’s endorsement of the straegic decision made by the two authorities back in January 2019.
“I’d like to reassure you [staff] that we remain totally focused on delivering this important initiaitve, that progress of the current CFA workstreams continue and where possible alignment will be completed prior to April 2021 as planned”.
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The application will now progress and be laid out before Parliament and worked upon by the legal and policy officials at the Home Office.
no, it is just another example of trying to sneak the islands independence as an authority away from it. More and more will be hampshire and the isle of wight until someone says, well we are effectively one authority now anyway. The nhs authority is run by one person for hampshire and the island now – what next.
This is the isle of wight, not mainland hampshire.
Total Joke
Same as police!
Have needed once took a while to get operator on phone to realise I was,calling from island it’s a joke!