Residents in Bembridge are up in arms after learning that the village’s fire engine didn’t turn out to last week’s fatal flat fire just 100 metres from the station – with the first crew taking some 15 minutes to arrive.
Firefighters were mobilised to Crossway last Thursday night after smoke was seen billowing out of a 1st floor flat on the corner of Walls Road. A woman in her 50s was rescued from the property and given CPR at the roadside, but she sadly died in Southampton General Hospital at the weekend, as previously reported by Island Echo.
The first appliance on scene was Sandown, followed by Shanklin and then Ryde – leaving many questioning why Bembridge’s on-call appliance wasn’t sent to the blaze when it is located just seconds away from the scene.
It has been confirmed to Island Echo that Sandown’s retained firefighters arrived at Crossway at 20:58, with the call coming in at 20:43 – meaning it took 15 minutes for the first appliance to arrive. The target time is 10 minutes (including call handling), which Bembridge’s appliance – which is also retained – would have easily met.
Although Bembridge’s fire station remains operational as an on-call station, its appliance has been unavailable to attend call-outs since July 2020 – meaning the village has been without local firefighters for 18 months. Before this date, the station’s availability was poor with August 2019 dropping to as low as 38%. There have been a number of notable fires in the area in recent years that Bembridge’s pump hasn’t attended including a property fire on Heathfield Road, a shed blaze on Downs View Road and a lightning strike on Egerton Road.
Recruitment troubles have been blamed for the pump being off the run, something that Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service is working to improve.
Area Manager James Lucy of Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service has said:
“On-call firefighters provide vital support to their local communities and we value their dedication, professionalism and service.
“At the moment, we do not have enough on-call colleagues to crew Bembridge, despite our efforts to recruit via engagement with our local community, an open day and ongoing work with the parish council.
“Appliances from Ryde or Sandown are available to attend incidents in the Bembridge area and we monitor appliance availability at all times.
“A fire engine is stationed at Bembridge and this is used by our crews to provide further resilience and support across the Island.”
Area Manager Lucy has gone on to say:
“Our thoughts and sympathies are with [the victim’s] family and friends.
“At the height of this incident we had 30 firefighters in attendance and were able to draw on resources from across the Island to stop the fire from spreading and evacuate a number of residents to safety.
“As with all serious fire incidents, we will continue to engage with the local community to offer reassurance and support.”
You can find out more about on-call and recruitment at https://www.hantsfire.gov.uk/careers/become-a-firefighter/on-call-retained-firefighter/.
For more information on home safety and the support the fire service provides via Safe and Well visits, go to https://www.hantsfire.gov.uk/safety/home-safe-home/.
Not true from Manager Lucy, more like smoke & mirrors, yes, Ryde full time is available but only during daytime, Ryde Station should be 24hrs full time if recruitment is so difficult in Bembridge. Even our 24hr station in Newport has less firefighters, I was it used to be 10 on a shift, now it’s only 8 & sometimes there is only 4 firefighters there in the day! it’s cuts I’m afraid, no other word for it
Well if some of the “up in arms” locals volunteered to man the station, it wouldn’t have to be non operational as it states if you read the whole article
Ask about a whole time station at Newport which could have been mobilised immediately as well.Hampshire control should have done this like the island control used to do. Generally most weekdays there are often 4-6 of 10 pumps off the run. It’s a gamble they have been taking for the last few years.
The facts are that the first appliance took 15 minutes to attend when the target is 10 minutes. What are the brigade going to do about this? If there were a similar incident tonight and as Sandown and Ryde are still the nearest 2 appliances, it seems likely that the first appliance will again take approximately 15 minutes to attend. Why set attendance targets that the Brigade have no hope of achieving? Frankly, it’s not good enough!
Shanklin were 2nd pump to arrive according to this report. From what I’ve heard, Ryde will be going full time apparently.
It’s a mad, mad world we live in..?! Surely, we have some able bodies in any of our villages that have some retirees that want or wish to help out in the hour of need.
bonkers I think.
My same reply as given to Dr.jollop, Jonathan. Well said to you also
I really can’t see the angle of “maybe the old codgers of Bembridge should volunteer”. It is a bit like expecting St John’s ambulance to cover for a major road accident. when did it come to be accepted that the Fire Brigade is a voluntary service?
Over 3 billion pounds of the UK tax payers money is spent on this service so why expect locals to take up the slack.
Our Council tax just keeps on going up and up, and yet what do we the people that pay it get for it?
Less and less.
I just hope that the fire stations do become properly staffed or we could end up with a far worse situation happening.