The Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS) is responsible for an area of around 125,914 hectares, from Slough and Langley in the east to Lambourn and Newbury in the west. It employs more than 600 uniformed and support staff.
The service’s fire crews deal with incidents ranging from road and rail accidents to fuel and chemical spills, aviation and waterway accidents, collapsed buildings, large animal rescues and, of course, fires.
RBFRS is under the direction of a combined Royal Berkshire Fire Authority, which is made up of representatives from the county’s six unitary authorities. RBFRS also works alongside Thames Valley Police, South Central Ambulance Service, Public Health and other public service providers in Berkshire.
The service has joined forces with Oxfordshire Fire & Rescue Service and Buckinghamshire & Milton Keynes Fire & Rescue Service to establish a shared emergency call handling centre.
For over 160 years, His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary has independently assessed and reported on the efficiency and effectiveness of police forces and policing, in the public interest.
In summer 2017, HMIC (now HMICFRS) took on inspections of England’s fire & rescue services, assessing and reporting on their efficiency, effectiveness and leadership.
