Avon Fire and Rescue Service

Avon Fire Brigade was created in 1974, when the county of Avon was created. In 1996, the county was abolished and four separate unitary authorities were created. Administration of the service was taken over by a joint fire authority made up of councillors from the four unitary authorities. In 2004, the Fire and Rescue Services Act was passed. To better reflect the changing roles and responsibilities of the fire service, Avon Fire Brigade changed its name to Avon Fire & Rescue Service.[2]

Fleur Lombard QGM (1974 – 4 February 1996[3]) was the first female firefighter to die on duty in peacetime Britain, while Avon Fire and Rescue Service were fighting a supermarket fire in Staple Hill.[4][5] The Fleur Lombard Bursary Fund provides travel grants so that a junior UK firefighter may visit the fire service of another country.[6]

In September 2017, the service's headquarters was moved from Temple Back, Bristol to the Avon and Somerset Police headquarters in Portishead. Following the move, an unexpected number of support staff left the service, resulting in recruitment delays in finding replacement staff.[7][8]

The role of a modern fire and rescue service has increased from fighting fires to cover the core functions of 'Protecting, Preventing and Responding'. AF&RS now has a wider remit promoting community safety through events and education work, alongside attending a range of incidents and emergencies from road traffic collisions and fires, to flooding and chemical spills. The fire service aims to cut the risk of fire developing in the first place by promoting safety messages to local residents and encouraging people to have working smoke alarms.[16]

AF&RS runs community safety campaigns. The summer 2009 campaign, 'Be BBQ Safe', included a hard hitting interview with a BBQ fire burns victim who spent the previous summer in intensive care after using nitro to light his BBQ.

The Car Clear scheme was launched in 2001, with the intention of promptly removing abandoned vehicles from streets. This eliminates the possibility of arson attacks.[17][18]

In meeting their mission, vision and values, Avon Fire & Rescue Service utilises a range of emergency equipment. These include 81 appliances, 51 pumping appliances, four turntable ladders and 16 special appliances. Adding to the available emergency response can also be their boats, pods, fork lift trucks, a Control Emergency Evacuation Vehicle and a telescopic handler. In 2009 and 2011 the service added two - Polybilt bodied Combined Aerial Rescue Platforms (CARP).[19] The first began service at Patchway fire station and was subsequently moved to Speedwell fire station. The second was assigned to Bedminster fire station.[20] However, both of these appliances have been withdrawn from service by July 2016 and the bodywork has been removed from the chassis to allow for the chassis to be used for new specialist appliances.

Also, in 2009, to better serve the public Yate Fire Station was upgraded to "whole-time/retained status". Firefighters would now be ready to respond from the fire station 24/7. This was a preparedness upgrade from the previously "day-crewed" status of 08:00–17:00 hours daily and firefighters responding from their homes and work places.[21]

As part of the "Investing for the Future" programme, which began in 2014, Kingswood Fire Station was closed for refurbishment.[22] The Kingswood Fire Station project was completed and subsequently Speedwell Fire Station closed permanently all in 2015. In 2016, the Chairman of Avon Fire Authority, Councillor Peter Abraham, stated "The regeneration of Keynsham town centre meant we needed to move the existing Keynsham Fire Station. This has provided us with an opportunity to amalgamate the part-time station at Keynsham and Brislington fire station, which will both close, into a new Wholetime fire station at Hicks Gate" which is situated by the Bristol ring road and opened on 19 April 2016.[23][24]

• Fire service in the United Kingdom
• List of British firefighters killed in the line of duty

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Avon Fire and Rescue Service.

• Official website