These web pages provide a brief guide about the background and operation of Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service. Use the various links to navigate to the relevant sections for further information.
Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS) provides cover 24 hours a day, 365 days a year from 19 fire
stations across the county, stretching from Slough and Langley in the east to Lambourn and
Newbury in the west.
RBFRS is responsible for an area of 125,914 hectares, bordered by London, Surrey, Hampshire, Wiltshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire,; and serves a resident population in excess of 800,000. Risks within the area are variable, ranging from industrial to rural. Principal risks include Windsor Castle, Broadmoor Special Hospital, and the Atomic Weapons Establishments at Aldermaston and Burghfield. The county of Berkshire also includes one of Europe’s busiest motorways - the M4, and includes busy urban centres - such as Reading, Slough and Newbury, suburban communities and large rural areas.
• See a map of our fire stations
Our 600 highly-trained firefighters, including 150 of whom work as retained staff, attend some 12,000 incidents every year, ranging from road and rail accidents to fuel and chemical spills, aviation and waterway accidents, collapsed buildings, large animal rescues and of course - fires.
Last year, Berkshire firefighters dealt with more than 5000 fires, in houses, industrial premises, vehicles and open spaces. They carried out more than 2000 rescues of members of the public, including those trapped or at risk in buildings or in road accidents.
RBFRS is responsible for an area of 125,914 hectares, bordered by London, Surrey, Hampshire, Wiltshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire,; and serves a resident population in excess of 800,000. Risks within the area are variable, ranging from industrial to rural. Principal risks include Windsor Castle, Broadmoor Special Hospital, and the Atomic Weapons Establishments at Aldermaston and Burghfield. The county of Berkshire also includes one of Europe’s busiest motorways - the M4, and includes busy urban centres - such as Reading, Slough and Newbury, suburban communities and large rural areas.
• See a map of our fire stations
Our 600 highly-trained firefighters, including 150 of whom work as retained staff, attend some 12,000 incidents every year, ranging from road and rail accidents to fuel and chemical spills, aviation and waterway accidents, collapsed buildings, large animal rescues and of course - fires.
Last year, Berkshire firefighters dealt with more than 5000 fires, in houses, industrial premises, vehicles and open spaces. They carried out more than 2000 rescues of members of the public, including those trapped or at risk in buildings or in road accidents.
When a 999 call is received at the Fire and Rescue Service control room, the response
is instantaneous. Appropriate resources are immediately deployed, with our fleet of emergency vehicles
carrying firefighters and a huge range of equipment straight to the scene of the incident.
We maintain a number of specialist vehicles such as the Chemical Incident Unit, Incident Control Unit, Aerial
Ladder Platform and Hydraulic Platform all designed to cope with any eventuality. Our firefighters train regularly
for a wide range of demanding scenarios, in addition to their daily duties.
• See a list of our vehicles [ xls spreadsheet]
• Find out all about being a firefighter
The Fire and Rescue Service works hard to try and prevent such incidents happening in the first place and devotes much effort to community fire safety initiatives, working with local authorities, the police and the community to educate and inform the public on fire prevention measures. We work work with commerce and industry to train managers and staff in how to reduce the risk of fire and how to ensure premises are as safe as possible.
• Find out about Community Fire Safety
• Find out about Fire Safety for business
• Find out about our Training Courses for business
We maintain a number of specialist vehicles such as the Chemical Incident Unit, Incident Control Unit, Aerial
Ladder Platform and Hydraulic Platform all designed to cope with any eventuality. Our firefighters train regularly
for a wide range of demanding scenarios, in addition to their daily duties.
• See a list of our vehicles [ xls spreadsheet]
• Find out all about being a firefighter
The Fire and Rescue Service works hard to try and prevent such incidents happening in the first place and devotes much effort to community fire safety initiatives, working with local authorities, the police and the community to educate and inform the public on fire prevention measures. We work work with commerce and industry to train managers and staff in how to reduce the risk of fire and how to ensure premises are as safe as possible.
• Find out about Community Fire Safety
• Find out about Fire Safety for business
• Find out about our Training Courses for business
The Fire and Rescue Service’s aim is to contribute to securing a safe society by reducing
the incidence of death, injury and damage to property from fire and other emergencies. It is proud
of its reputation as “can do” service and continues to work towards improving the
service it provides for all those who live, work and play in the Royal County of Berkshire.
The Fire and Rescue Service’s aim is to contribute to securing a safe society by reducing
the incidence of death, injury and damage to property from fire and other emergencies. It is proud
of its reputation as “can do” service and continues to work towards improving the
service it provides for all those who live, work and play in the Royal County of Berkshire.
Quick Links
Use these links to find out more.
- What We Do
- How We Do It
- A Safer Berkshire
- Organisation Structure and Staff
- Preventing Protecting Responding
- Firefighting and other roles
- Community fire safety
- Fire safety for business
- Training courses
- How to find us - location Maps [PDF]
- Headquarters location [interactive map]
- Training Centre location [interactive map]
- Fire station locations
