The combined Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service came into being on 1 April 2016, and serves the local authority areas of Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole, Dorset, Swindon, and Wiltshire.
The organisation delivers a range of prevention, protection and response services to over 1.45 million residents across the Service area, using the following resources:
- 50 fire stations – four wholetime-crewed only, eight crewed by wholetime and on-call personnel, and 38 crewed by on-call firefighters only.
- A Service Control Centre, answering 999 emergency calls 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year.
- Over 1,000 wholetime and on-call firefighters.
- Over 70 fire engines and a large number of specialist support vehicles, equipped to deal with a wide range of emergencies – including fires, road traffic collisions, flooding and water rescue, animal rescue, rescue from height, and helping colleagues in the police and ambulance service.
- Around 300 Corporate staff helping to provide our essential front-line services to both residents and local businesses.
- Over 100 volunteers.
With a Headquarters within the Five Rivers Health & Wellbeing Centre in Salisbury, and offices in Swindon, Trowbridge, Potterne, Poundbury and Poole, the Service is well placed to work closely with a range of partners, including local authorities, Police, ambulance service, health providers and the military.