Surrey Fire and Rescue Service
Encyclopedia
The Surrey Fire and Rescue Service is the statutory
fire and rescue service for the County of Surrey
, England
, with 24 fire stations. It comes under the administrative and legislative control of Surrey County Council
, who fund the service by collecting a precept via council tax
, and from central government funds, known as a grant settlement.
kilometres. The region features several large urban areas such as Guildford
, Redhill
and Woking
; 64 miles of motorway; and is in close proximity to two major airports in
London Gatwick and London Heathrow.
A total of 24 fire stations are strategically sited throughout the County. 17 of these are crewed on a wholetime basis, with fire engine
crews available at the fire station
24 hours a day and seven are crewed on a part-time basis (i.e. the crew live and work in the near vicinity and are available on
call).
Historically, fire cover was set to national standards that were defined back in
the 1930s.
They also have a compressed air foam system or "CAFS" as it is known. This produces class 'A' foam through a hosereel or standard layflat hose. The class 'A' foam can be used to coat buildings and cars to continue absorbing heat after standard water would have run off. The system is useful for defensive firefighting operations but is unpopular with crews because the installation of a CAFS hosereel replaces one of the standard water hosereels used for offensive firefighting operations. Therefore a CAFS appliance carries only 60 m of hosereel compared to 120 m on the older appliances.
The fire service has also received money to buy a new rescue boat which will be based at Walton-on-Thames
and used during flooding incidents.
Statute
A statute is a formal written enactment of a legislative authority that governs a state, city, or county. Typically, statutes command or prohibit something, or declare policy. The word is often used to distinguish law made by legislative bodies from case law, decided by courts, and regulations...
fire and rescue service for the County of Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part 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...
, with 24 fire stations. It comes under the administrative and legislative control of Surrey County Council
Surrey County Council
Surrey County Council is the county council that governs the non-metropolitan county of Surrey in England. The council is composed of 80 elected councillors.The council is controlled by the Conservative party.The leader of the council is David Hodge....
, who fund the service by collecting a precept via council tax
Council tax
Council Tax is the system of local taxation used in England, Scotland and Wales to part fund the services provided by local government in each country. It was introduced in 1993 by the Local Government Finance Act 1992, as a successor to the unpopular Community Charge...
, and from central government funds, known as a grant settlement.
The fire and rescue service
Surrey Fire and Rescue Service employs approximately 1000 staff and looks after a population of over one million people spread across an area of 1663 squarekilometres. The region features several large urban areas such as Guildford
Guildford
Guildford is the county town of Surrey. England, as well as the seat for the borough of Guildford and the administrative headquarters of the South East England region...
, Redhill
Redhill, Surrey
Redhill is a town in the borough of Reigate and Banstead, Surrey, England and is part of the London commuter belt. Redhill and the adjacent town of Reigate form a single urban area.-History:...
and Woking
Woking
Woking is a large town and civil parish that shares its name with the surrounding local government district, located in the west of Surrey, UK. It is part of the Greater London Urban Area and the London commuter belt, with frequent trains and a journey time of 24 minutes to Waterloo station....
; 64 miles of motorway; and is in close proximity to two major airports in
London Gatwick and London Heathrow.
A total of 24 fire stations are strategically sited throughout the County. 17 of these are crewed on a wholetime basis, with fire engine
Fire apparatus
A fire apparatus, fire engine, fire truck, or fire appliance is a vehicle designed to assist in fighting fires by transporting firefighters to the scene and providing them with access to the fire, along with water or other equipment...
crews available at the fire station
Fire station
A fire station is a structure or other area set aside for storage of firefighting apparatus , personal protective equipment, fire hose, fire extinguishers, and other fire extinguishing equipment...
24 hours a day and seven are crewed on a part-time basis (i.e. the crew live and work in the near vicinity and are available on
call).
Historically, fire cover was set to national standards that were defined back in
the 1930s.
New equipment
On 26 March 2007, fire crews across Surrey took delivery of 12 Scanias, amongst the UK's most advanced fire appliances. The vehicles seat eight firefighters instead of six, and each has a "tough book" computer system that contains every address in the county.They also have a compressed air foam system or "CAFS" as it is known. This produces class 'A' foam through a hosereel or standard layflat hose. The class 'A' foam can be used to coat buildings and cars to continue absorbing heat after standard water would have run off. The system is useful for defensive firefighting operations but is unpopular with crews because the installation of a CAFS hosereel replaces one of the standard water hosereels used for offensive firefighting operations. Therefore a CAFS appliance carries only 60 m of hosereel compared to 120 m on the older appliances.
The fire service has also received money to buy a new rescue boat which will be based at Walton-on-Thames
Walton-on-Thames
Walton-on-Thames is a town in the Elmbridge borough of Surrey in South East England. The town is located south west of Charing Cross and is between the towns of Weybridge and Molesey. It is situated on the River Thames between Sunbury Lock and Shepperton Lock.- History :The name "Walton" is...
and used during flooding incidents.
Wholetime
- CamberleyCamberleyCamberley is a town in Surrey, England, situated 31 miles southwest of central London, in the corridor between the M3 and M4 motorways. The town lies close to the borders of both Hampshire and Berkshire; the boundaries intersect on the western edge of the town where all three counties...
(2 x Water Tender Ladders, Water Carrier, Landrover 4x4), ChertseyChertseyChertsey is a town in Surrey, England, on the River Thames and its tributary rivers such as the River Bourne. It can be accessed by road from junction 11 of the M25 London orbital motorway. It shares borders with Staines, Laleham, Shepperton, Addlestone, Woking, Thorpe and Egham...
(Water Tender Ladder, Aerial Ladder Platform, Prime Mover), Dorking (Water Tender Ladder, Water Carrier, Landrover 4x4, Environment Protection Unit), EghamEghamEgham is a wealthy suburb in the Runnymede borough of Surrey, in the south-east of England. It is part of the London commuter belt and Greater London Urban Area, and about south-west of central London on the River Thames and near junction 13 of the M25 motorway.-Demographics:Egham town has a...
(Water Tender Ladder), EpsomEpsomEpsom is a town in the borough of Epsom and Ewell in Surrey, England. Small parts of Epsom are in the Borough of Reigate and Banstead. The town is located south-south-west of Charing Cross, within the Greater London Urban Area. The town lies on the chalk downland of Epsom Downs.-History:Epsom lies...
(2 x Water Tender Ladders), EsherHinchley WoodHinchley Wood is a residential community approximately south-west of London, England. At the 2001 census it consisted of 1,429 households with a population of 3,674. It developed largely because of the railway line which passes through the area, and many of its residents are commuters to London. ...
(Water Tender Ladder), FarnhamFarnhamFarnham is a town in Surrey, England, within the Borough of Waverley. The town is situated some 42 miles southwest of London in the extreme west of Surrey, adjacent to the border with Hampshire...
(Water Tender Ladder, Water Carrier, Landrover 4x4), GodstoneGodstoneGodstone is a village in the county of Surrey, England. It is located approximately six miles east of Reigate at the junction of the A22 and A25 major roads, and near the M25 motorway.-History:...
(Water Tender Ladder, Water Carrier, Incident Response Unit), GuildfordGuildfordGuildford is the county town of Surrey. England, as well as the seat for the borough of Guildford and the administrative headquarters of the South East England region...
(2x Water Tender Ladders, Aerial Ladder Platform, Prime Mover), LeatherheadLeatherheadLeatherhead is a town in the County of Surrey, England, on the River Mole, part of Mole Valley district. It is thought to be of Saxon origin...
(Water Tender Ladder, Water Carrier, British Red CrossBritish Red CrossThe British Red Cross Society is the United Kingdom branch of the worldwide impartial humanitarian organisation the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. The society was formed in 1870, and is a registered charity with over 31,000 volunteers and 2,600 staff. At the heart of their work...
Fire & Emergency Support Unit), PainshillCobham, SurreyCobham is a town in the Borough of Elmbridge in Surrey, England, about south-west of central London and north of Leatherhead. Elmbridge has been acclaimed by the Daily Mail as the best place to live in the UK, and Cobham is a prosperous part of the London commuter belt...
(Water Tender Ladder, Incident Command Unit, Forward Command Vehicle), ReigateReigateReigate is a historic market town in Surrey, England, at the foot of the North Downs, and in the London commuter belt. It is one of the main constituents of the Borough of Reigate and Banstead...
(2 x Water Tender Ladders, Search and Rescue Tender), StainesStainesStaines is a Thames-side town in the Spelthorne borough of Surrey and Greater London Urban Area, as well as the London Commuter Belt of South East England. It is a suburban development within the western bounds of the M25 motorway and located 17 miles west south-west of Charing Cross in...
(Water Tender Ladder), Sunbury-on-ThamesSunbury-on-ThamesSunbury-on-Thames, also known as Sunbury, is a town in the Surrey borough of Spelthorne, England, and part of the London commuter belt. It is located 16 miles southwest of central London and bordered by Feltham and Hampton, flanked on the south by the River Thames.-History:The earliest evidence of...
(Water Tender Ladder), WokingWokingWoking is a large town and civil parish that shares its name with the surrounding local government district, located in the west of Surrey, UK. It is part of the Greater London Urban Area and the London commuter belt, with frequent trains and a journey time of 24 minutes to Waterloo station....
(2 x Water Tender Ladders)
Variable
- HaslemereHaslemereHaslemere is a town in Surrey, England, close to the border with both Hampshire and West Sussex. The major road between London and Portsmouth, the A3, lies to the west, and a branch of the River Wey to the south. Haslemere is approximately south-west of Guildford.Haslemere is surrounded by hills,...
(2 x Water Tender Ladders, Landrover 4x4), Walton-on-ThamesWalton-on-ThamesWalton-on-Thames is a town in the Elmbridge borough of Surrey in South East England. The town is located south west of Charing Cross and is between the towns of Weybridge and Molesey. It is situated on the River Thames between Sunbury Lock and Shepperton Lock.- History :The name "Walton" is...
(2 x Water Tender Ladders, Swift Water Rescue Vehicle and Pod, Rigid Inflatable Boat)
Retained
- ChobhamChobham, SurreyChobham is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Surrey Heath in Surrey, England, about 15 minutes drive from the London railway line stations at Woking to the south and Sunningdale to the north...
(Water Tender Ladder), CranleighCranleighCranleigh is a large village, self-proclaimed the largest in England, and is situated 8 miles south east of Godalming in Surrey. It lies to the east of the A281 which links Guildford with Horsham; neighbouring villages include: Ewhurst, Alfold and Hascombe....
(2 x Water Tender Ladders), DunsfoldDunsfoldDunsfold is a village in the Waverley district of the county of Surrey, England, 8.7 miles south of Guildford. The census area Chiddingfold and Dunsfold has a population of 3,812.-History:...
(Water Tender Ladder, Landrover 4x4), GodalmingGodalmingGodalming is a town and civil parish in the Waverley district of the county of Surrey, England, south of Guildford. It is built on the banks of the River Wey and is a prosperous part of the London commuter belt. Godalming shares a three-way twinning arrangement with the towns of Joigny in France...
(2 x Water Tender Ladders), Gomshall (Water Tender Ladder), GuildfordGuildfordGuildford is the county town of Surrey. England, as well as the seat for the borough of Guildford and the administrative headquarters of the South East England region...
(1x Water Tender Ladders), LingfieldLingfield, SurreyLingfield is a village and civil parish in the Tandridge district of Surrey, England. It is most famous for its horse racing course, Lingfield Park. Lingfield lies to the east of a section of the A22 which runs between Godstone and East Grinstead...
(Water Tender Ladder), OxtedOxtedOxted is a commuter town in Surrey, England at the foot of the North Downs, north of East Grinstead and south-east of Croydon.- History :The town lay within the Anglo-Saxon administrative division of Tandridge hundred....
(2 x Water Tender Ladders)
See also
- Fire Service in the UK
- FirefighterFirefighterFirefighters are rescuers extensively trained primarily to put out hazardous fires that threaten civilian populations and property, to rescue people from car incidents, collapsed and burning buildings and other such situations...
- Bushfire
- Country Fire ServiceCountry Fire ServiceThe SA Country Fire Service is a volunteer based fire service in the state of South Australia in Australia. Many parts of Australia are sparsely populated whilst at the same time they are under significant risk of bushfire. Due to economics, it is prohibitively expensive for each Australian town...
- FDNY
- Fire/Burglar alarmsBurglar alarmBurglar , alarms are systems designed to detect unauthorized entry into a building or area. They consist of an array of sensors, a control panel and alerting system, and interconnections...
- Fire apparatusFire apparatusA fire apparatus, fire engine, fire truck, or fire appliance is a vehicle designed to assist in fighting fires by transporting firefighters to the scene and providing them with access to the fire, along with water or other equipment...
- Fire stationFire stationA fire station is a structure or other area set aside for storage of firefighting apparatus , personal protective equipment, fire hose, fire extinguishers, and other fire extinguishing equipment...
- FireboatFireboatA fireboat is a specialized watercraft and with pumps and nozzles designed for fighting shoreline and shipboard fires. The first fireboats, dating to the late 18th century, were tugboats, retrofitted with firefighting equipment....
- Fire safetyFire safetyFire safety refers to precautions that are taken to prevent or reduce the likelihood of a fire that may result in death, injury, or property damage, alert those in a structure to the presence of a fire in the event one occurs, better enable those threatened by a fire to survive, or to reduce the...
- Glossary of firefighting equipmentGlossary of firefighting equipment- A :* Adapter: plumbing accessories for connecting hoses and pipes of incompatible diameter, thread, or gender. See also reducer, increaser, double male, double female, water thief. May contain combinations, such as a double-female reducer...
- Glossary of firefighting termsGlossary of firefighting termsFirefighting jargon includes a diverse lexicon of both common and idiosyncratic terms. One problem that exists in trying to create a list such as this is that much of the terminology used by a particular department is specifically defined in their particular standing operating procedures, such that...
- Glossary of wildland fire termsGlossary of wildland fire termsThe following is a glossary of wildfire terms. Except where noted, terms are taken from a 1998 Fireline Handbook transcribed for a Conflict 21 counter-terrorism studies website by the Air National Guard....
- Incident Command SystemIncident Command SystemThe Incident Command System is "a systematic tool used for the command, control, and coordination of emergency response" according to the United States Federal Highway Administration...
- LAFD
- List of historic fires
- SmokejumperSmokejumperA smokejumper is a wildland firefighter who parachutes into a remote area to combat wildfires.Smokejumpers are most often deployed to fires that are extremely remote. The risks associated with this method of personnel deployment are mitigated by an extremely well developed training program that has...
- Smoke detectorSmoke detectorA smoke detector is a device that detects smoke, typically as an indicator of fire. Commercial, industrial, and mass residential devices issue a signal to a fire alarm system, while household detectors, known as smoke alarms, generally issue a local audible and/or visual alarm from the detector...
- Water tenderWater tenderA water tender, also known as a tanker in some regions, is a specialized firefighting apparatus designed for transporting water from a water source to a fire scene...
Other Surrey emergency services
- Surrey PoliceSurrey PoliceSurrey Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing the county of Surrey in the south of England.The force is led by Chief Constable Mark Rowley and has its headquarters at Mount Browne, Guildford, Surrey...
- South East Coast Ambulance ServiceSouth East Coast Ambulance ServiceThe South East Coast Ambulance Service is the NHS Ambulance Services Trust for south-eastern England, covering Kent , Surrey, West Sussex and East Sussex . It also covers a part of north-eastern Hampshire around Aldershot...
- SURSAR