Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service’s incoming Chief Fire Officer, Sabrina Cohen-Hatton, has now joined the service ahead of formally taking over the helm on 15th September.
Sabrina, who was appointed as the service’s first female Chief Fire Officer back in April, moves across from West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service. She will spend the coming weeks working alongside the current Chief Fire Officer, Neil Odin, during a short handover period.
The 42-year-old has her work cut out for her as His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services recently found HIWFRS to be ‘requiring improvement’, with the Fire Brigades Union blasting the service as being ‘on its knees’.
But Sabrina is an experienced fire service leader, having previously served in senior roles at London Fire Brigade, Surrey Fire and Rescue Service, and West Sussex, which she joined in 2019. Her distinguished career was recognised in the 2023 Birthday Honours when she was awarded the King’s Fire Service Medal for gallantry and service.
Throughout her career, Sabrina has completed several national secondments, including with the Welsh Government, HMICFRS, and as interim Deputy Chief Fire Officer in Surrey. She currently serves as the National Fire Chiefs Council’s Improvement Chair and National Lead for Working Dogs.
Sabrina Cohen-Hatton, incoming Chief Fire Officer, has said:
“I am truly honoured to have been appointed to lead Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service and am incredibly excited to begin this new role to ensure that the Service continues to deliver for the residents of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
“I would like to formally put on record my thanks to the Service’s current Chief Fire Officer, Neil Odin, who I have been privileged to work alongside for many years. I know that his time leading the Service will leave a lasting legacy that I will work with to ensure that residents in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight are kept safe from the risk of fire and emergencies.
Article continues below this advertisement “I am very much looking forward to working with all colleagues at Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service to uphold all of the fantastic work that all of its teams deliver each and every day to keep the residents living and working in its communities safe.”
Current Chief Fire Officer Neil Odin is retiring after a 34-year career in the fire service. He began his career in Hampshire in 1991 before spending over 2 decades with West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service. He returned to Hampshire in 2012 as Assistant Chief Fire Officer.
Neil became Chief Fire Officer for both Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Services in January 2018. He later oversaw the successful merger of the organisations in April 2021.
‘I was a homeless teen, but now I’m a firefighter with a PhD’ – The Jewish Chronicle – The Jewish Chronicle
her story
And so Sabrina Cohen-Hatton is doubly unusual. She is one of the 3.1 per cent of British firefighters who are women, and probably one of a handful who are Jewish. This month Sabrina, 36, was appointed Chief Fire Officer in West Sussex, making her almost certainly the only Jewish woman CFO in Britain.
Great to see the island is getting mainland talent,
experience is crucial for such a role.
Good luck in your new role Sabrina.
I wish her well in her new job. It is not the easiest of times to take over given the financial pressures which have been discussed at length recently. She will have her work cut out.
She seems very fond of herself, hopefully she has good reason for that She also seems very fond of being pictured from the side angle .
This is just a career move, on her way to a metropolitan Service. We used to call them butterflies, come in, land for a short while then move on. Don’t expect great things.
Has not come through the ranks then. Kings Fire Service medal for gallantry? What the hell did she do to get this??? I wonder if she will keep the Bembridge station open so that the people of Bembridge can receive the proper cover and response times? Fancy that your house has started to go up in flames and someone could be trapped and they have to wait for an appliances to come from either Ryde or Sandown or both and on island roads, bloody madness.
Time to worry? the current state of Surrey and West Sussex Fire Brigade is causing concern