Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service
Encyclopedia
Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service is the statutory fire and rescue service covering the Isle of Wight
off the south coast of England
.
In March 2007, the Isle of Wight Council
voted to maintain the independence of the Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue service, instead of a merger with the Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service
.
Later in February 2009, plans were announced for a three-year £8 million replacement programme changing part-time stations to full-time. The move would be done in an attempt to reduce response times to 999 alerts. It could see Ryde's fire station change to full time, and possibly Sandown's, but part time stations would continue to operate as normal in rural areas. The extra investment would also minimise chances of a future merger with the rest of Hampshire.
On a recent assessment by a government watchdog, the service was found to be performing well, getting a three star rating out of four. This has been part of steady improvements in recent years after the 2006 when the service was judged as two-star. In 2005 the service was one of the few in the country to be rated as poor by the commission.
Wholetime/Retained
Day Crewed/Retained
Retained
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
off the south coast of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
In March 2007, the Isle of Wight Council
Isle of Wight Council
The Isle of Wight Council is a local council. It is a unitary authority covering the Isle of Wight, South East England. It is currently made up of 40 seats, with the Conservatives as ruling party with 24 councillors at the latest local election in June 2009....
voted to maintain the independence of the Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue service, instead of a merger with the Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service
Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service
Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service is the statutory fire and rescue service for the county of Hampshire, on the south coast of England. The service's chief fire officer is John Bonney.-History:...
.
Later in February 2009, plans were announced for a three-year £8 million replacement programme changing part-time stations to full-time. The move would be done in an attempt to reduce response times to 999 alerts. It could see Ryde's fire station change to full time, and possibly Sandown's, but part time stations would continue to operate as normal in rural areas. The extra investment would also minimise chances of a future merger with the rest of Hampshire.
On a recent assessment by a government watchdog, the service was found to be performing well, getting a three star rating out of four. This has been part of steady improvements in recent years after the 2006 when the service was judged as two-star. In 2005 the service was one of the few in the country to be rated as poor by the commission.
Fire Stations
The Isle of Wight has a total of ten fire stations, one wholetime/retained, one day crew/retained and eight solely retained.Wholetime/Retained
- NewportNewport, Isle of WightNewport is a civil parish and a county town of the Isle of Wight, an island off the south coast of England. Newport has a population of 23,957 according to the 2001 census...
Day Crewed/Retained
- RydeRydeRyde is a British seaside town, civil parish and the most populous town and urban area on the Isle of Wight, with a population of approximately 30,000. It is situated on the north-east coast. The town grew in size as a seaside resort following the joining of the villages of Upper Ryde and Lower...
Retained
- CowesCowesCowes is an English seaport town and civil parish on the Isle of Wight. Cowes is located on the west bank of the estuary of the River Medina facing the smaller town of East Cowes on the east Bank...
- East CowesEast CowesEast Cowes is a town and civil parish to the north of the Isle of Wight, on the east bank of the River Medina next to its neighbour on the west bank, Cowes....
- BembridgeBembridgeBembridge is an affluent village and civil parish located on the easternmost point of the Isle of Wight. It had a population of 3,848 according to the 2001 census of the United Kingdom, leading to claims by residents that Bembridge is the largest village in England, and occasional claims that it is...
- SandownSandownSandown is a seaside resort town and civil parish on the southeast coast of the Isle of Wight, England, neighbouring the town of Shanklin to the south. Sandown Bay is the name of the bay off the English Channel which both towns share, and it is notable for its long stretch of easily accessible...
- ShanklinShanklinShanklin is a popular seaside resort and civil parish on the Isle of Wight, England, located on the east coast's Sandown Bay. The sandy beach, its Old Village and a wooded ravine, Shanklin Chine, are its main attractions. The esplanade along the beach is occupied by hotels and restaurants for the...
- VentnorVentnorVentnor is a seaside resort and civil parish established in the Victorian era on the south coast of the Isle of Wight, England. It lies underneath St Boniface Down , and is built on steep slopes and cliffs leading down to the sea...
- FreshwaterFreshwater, Isle of WightFreshwater is a large village and civil parish at the western end of the Isle of Wight, England. Freshwater Bay is a small cove on the south coast of the Island which also gives its name to the nearby part of Freshwater....
- YarmouthYarmouth, Isle of WightYarmouth is a port and civil parish in the western part of the Isle of Wight, off the southern coast of mainland England. The town is named for its location at the mouth of the small Western Yar river...