Isle Of Wight Fire Service Merger: What Does It Mean For Islanders?

Thursday, 1 April 2021 06:00

By Oliver Dyer @olidyer

The launch of the newly-combined Hampshire and the Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service (HIWFRS) has been hailed as a "new era" - but what exactly does it mean for Islanders?

While the merger brings with it a new name and new emblem, the Deputy Fire Officer for the service says it's "more than just a change in the badge".

Critics, however, say it’s a “sad day for many” and the outgoing Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service has been “sold down the river”.

Steve Apter has told Isle of Wight Radio there will be no reduction in the number of firefighters, or appliances on the Island.

He has also moved to reassure Islanders there will be no changes to the number of stations here - be it an increase or decrease.

So, what does the merger mean?

A combined fire authority will provide a "resilience" to the Island's fire service, according to Steve.

"The reality is, it's one of those strange scenarios. For me, success means that our communities don't really see a difference because we're already delivering a great service here", Steve said.

"The drive behind this has always been about resilience. What I mean by that is that the organisation now is part of a large organisation that has got capacity, we've got people in teams within Hampshire, specialists.

"For example, in terms of IT a lot of what we do now is driven by that technology. As part of that organisation we can really tap into some of that expertise which we struggled with in the past, to be ahead of the game."

While there will be no cuts to frontline services, Steve says the merger could mean Hampshire firefighters are seen here in the "very rare" event they're needed for an incident.

But that is "highly unlikely" to work the other way. Steve says he "can't foresee" a situation where Island appliances would attend incidents in Hampshire, as other stations in the region would be able to get to them easier.

He told Isle of Wight Radio that there "could be" occasions where the Island's specialist resources, including its high volume pump, would be needed on the mainland.

It has previously been deployed for flooding in Hampshire and Yorkshire.

"Much-needed investment"

Island fire stations are "not in the best condition", says Steve, and it will now be a "major priority" to get them up to standard.

Sites on both sides of the water are set to benefit from an estate investment programme, as well as improvements.

It's also hoped the combined fire authority will give further career opportunities for staff on the Island.

According to Steve, branding on appliances won't happen overnight either.

The new branding

He said:

"What we've done to minimise the cost so we're not spending taxpayer money on changing everything for the sake of it. Branding on appliances will happen as and when they're brought in for servicing so we can minimise the impact in that respect.

"Broader, for the organisation, it's still a sense of delivering against our safety plan which is making life safer for the community on the Island - for which I'm a resident by the way! So, I've got a vested interest in making sure we continue to deliver the best services."

How did the merger come about?

In 2014, when Steve was the Chief Fire Officer, a decision was made to pursue a strategic partnership with Hampshire "to ensure sustainability for the organisation".

The leadership team became shared, meaning Hampshire fire service provided the strategic leadership but the Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service - which was formed in 1947 - delivered local services.

Around two or three years ago, a decision was taken to move a formal combination of services. James Lucey, a former Isle of Wight fire officer, led a team to secure a merger.

It was supposed to take place last year but, as Isle of Wight Radio previously reported, it was delayed by the Government.

At the time, the Isle of Wight Council blamed "unforeseen pressure" on both Home Office policy and legal resource over the first half of 2019.

The authority was signed off by the Home Office in early 2020.

As of today (Thursday), HIOWFRS will be made up of representatives from Hampshire County Council, Isle of Wight Council, Portsmouth City Council and Southampton City Council.

What do critics say?

The move has proved controversial from the outset.

Group, the Isle of Wight Fire Service review and you say it’s a sad day for many.

It claims the IWFRS has been “sold down the river” by the Isle of Wight Council, management and some of its own officers.

Posting on Facebook, the group said:

“Those jobs have been lost already and others have followed.

“New branding will follow when the council was assured it wouldnt. Paid for by the new precept in your council tax.

”We can can only wait to see what this combination will bring. Is it the promised land of opportunity, newly built stations and ground-breaking equipment, or is it just a bag of magic beans?”

They say the page will remain open to bring future updates.

Fire Precept

The combination of the fire service brings with it a rise in what Islanders pay for the service, as previously reported.

Previously, the amount was included in the main council tax allowance as the service was run by the council.

The merger will now see Islanders pay £7 more for the combined service.

More than three decades after first turning out at Shanklin Fire Station, Steve - a former London Fire Brigade Deputy Commissioner - will be retiring in June.

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