The Isle of Wight Fire & Rescue Service will change names and will be predominantly commanded from the mainland from April next year, in one of the biggest shake-ups of the fire service in over 70 years.
A new logo design has been released showing that the fire service will be known as Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire & Rescue Service from 1st April 2021, bringing an end to the Isle of Wight Fire & Rescue Service as a stand-alone entity with its own identity.
It’s in April that control of the fire service will pass from the hands of the Isle of Wight Council to the Hampshire Fire Authority. The merger will see decisions about the Isle of Wight’s firefighters, appliances, stations and strategies made off-Island, although the Island will have just 1 of 11 seats on the authority’s board.
It will be the first time the Island’s service has been commanded from the mainland since the Isle of Wight Fire Brigade was formed in 1948, following on from the wartime National Fire Service. The current name and logo have been in place since 1986, which developed from the Isle of Wight Fire Brigade.
In 2015, the Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service entered into a strategic partnership with Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service (HFRS) with many fearing at the time it was a precursor to a full merger – which now seems to be the case. It was 5 years ago that Island Echo reported that reassurances had been given by officials that the Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service would keep its identity and remain accountable to the Isle of Wight Council.
Hampshire took over fire control operations from Surrey in April 2017.
It’s unknown if, in time, any stations will be closed as a result of the merger, with buildings in need of £3million of repair and crew numbers low at stations like Bembridge. However, reassurances have been given that there are no current plans for closures.
Wonder how much it cost to come up with this amazing clever design!
I guess they will also get free ferry travel when required to tackle fires?
Makes us feel safe now doesn’t it knowing it’s all rebranded and part of Hampshire
Sorry you can’t stop my house burning, you’ve rebranded and part of Hampshire come back when its changed
As always, never trust ANYTHING that our Council tell us.
Vote them OUT next time, don’t leave it to others, YOU get out and vote.
Island people will likely die because of this.
Since the RSPCA moved it’s call centre to the mainland, it is hopeless trying to inform some person who doesn’t even know where the Isle of Wight is, let alone a remote, nameless location on such.
Our council lie as is proven here, and it will be the same with the housing plans, we see. They will tell us a doctors, schools, community centre etc will be built, or land is planned for industrial use, BUT once they grant ‘themselves’ planning, it will all be changed and in reality, more social housing will be built, as the council get paid to take on mainland council’s overspill.
They lie as easily as they breath, so remember that at election time, it could be your children burning to death in a fire, with a late arriving appliance coming just that bit too late.
Why will people die because if this???
The call centre has been off the island for many years and has been in Hampshire for the last few.
Have you seen a increase in fire deaths due to this.
In case you didn’t know the answer is NO!
Money should be spent on firefighters and equipment, not stupid rebranding exercises.
How do you that is not been????
I wonder how many more “managers” there will be on each station, or maybe they’ll revert to the original “rank” system 🙂
Hold up, I thought this change was advertised as two services under one fire authority a year ago… How did they sneak this through the backdoor?!?!?!?