Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service
Operational area
CountryEngland
AddressHertford, Hertfordshire, SG13 7LD
Agency overview
Established1925 (1925)
Employees1,000
Chief Fire OfficerAlex Woodman[1][2]
Facilities and equipment
Stations29
Website
www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/services/fire-and-rescue/fire-rescue-and-being-prepared.aspx

Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service (HFRS) is the statutory fire and rescue service for the county of Hertfordshire, England. HFRS covers an area of 1,514 square miles (3,920 km2) and a population of 1.19 million.[3]

The service headquarters is located in Hertford whilst the Training and Development Centre (JESA (Joint Emergency Services Academy)) and Fire Control Centre are located in Stevenage. It is administered by a Fire Authority which is an internal part of Hertfordshire County Council. The service is led by Chief Fire Officer Alex Woodman, who was appointed in Sept 2021

In December 2005, the service dealt with what is thought to be the largest fire since World War II following an explosion at the Buncefield oil depot near Hemel Hempstead. The incident saw a large scale national response involving many UK fire services.

Organisation

HFRS has 29 fire stations and 40 fire appliances.[3] The stations use a number of crewing models:[4]

  • Wholetime fire station. 24/7 crewed.4 watches working 2 days, 2 nights, 4 rest days
  • Wholetime + On-call fire station As wholetime station but with a second on call fire engine, where firefighters have another primary job and respond via pager from home or work when available
  • Day-crewed fire station. Daytime cover on station, night time via pager from home
  • New Day-crewed fire station Daytime cover on station, night time via pager from adjacent accommodation block
  • On Call Fire Station. Firefighters have another primary job and respond via pager from home or work when available

The protection area includes four large settlements with a population between 50,000 and 100,000: Hemel Hempstead, Stevenage Watford, and the city of St Albans.[3] Almost 89% of residents live in urban areas, comprising 32% of the county; while the remaining population live in the 67% of the county that is rural.[4]

Performance

Every fire and rescue service in England and Wales is periodically subjected to a statutory inspection by His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS). The inspections investigate how well the service performs in each of three areas. On a scale of outstanding, good, requires improvement and inadequate, Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service was rated as follows:

HMICFRS Inspection Hertfordshire
AreaRating 2018/19[5]Rating 2021/22[6]Description
EffectivenessRequires improvementGoodHow effective is the fire and rescue service at keeping people safe and secure from fire and other risks?
EfficiencyRequires improvementRequires improvementHow efficient is the fire and rescue service at keeping people safe and secure from fire and other risks?
PeopleRequires improvementGoodHow well does the fire and rescue service look after its people?

See also

References

  1. ↑ Corr, Sinead (8 June 2021). "Herts County Council appoints new director of community protection and fire and rescue service chief". Bishop's Stortford Independent. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  2. ↑ Wild, Bianca (2 June 2021). "New director of community protection and chief fire officer in Herts". The Comet. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 "Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service". HMICFRS. Retrieved 14 June 2021.
  4. 1 2 "Integrated Risk Management Plan 2019-2023" (PDF). Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service. Retrieved 14 June 2021.
  5. ↑ "Hertfordshire 2018/19". Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS). 20 December 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2021.
  6. ↑ "Hertfordshire 2021/22". His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS). 20 January 2023. Retrieved 30 June 2023.
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