Ministry of Defence Fire Services
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The Ministry of Defence Fire Service is the primary firefighting and rescue service protecting UK defence estates and property.
It was created following the intoduction of the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004
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[edit] Pre 2004 Military Fire Services
Prior to 2004 the Fire Service for the UK Military were known as the Ministry of Defence Fire Services and consisted of :-
a) The Defence Fire Service (Civilian Firefighters) whom protected mainly domestic sites at RAF, Army and Navy installations
b) The RAF Firefighting and Rescue Service (Airmen/Airwomen) which protected mainly RAF airfields and runways
In the RAF airmen and women receive basic military training before going on to train in various "trades " or "areas of expertise" such as mechanics, pilots, electricians, navigators etc
Firefighting is a "trade" which some airmen / women choose to be trained in.
[edit] The Confusion in a Name
There is often confusion over the old name of the MoD's fire services.
The Defence Fire Service described above for example was part of the Ministry of Defence Fire Services.
It would be incorrect however to call it the "Ministry of Defence Fire Service". The "Defence Fire Service" was only one part of "The Ministry of Defence Fire Services"
In 2004 all Military firefighting teams and services simply came under the new banner of the Ministry of Defence Fire Service, regardless of whether they were civilian or RAF crews.
[edit] Modern MoD Fire Service
[edit] Firefighting and Rescue
Both civilian and RAF fire crews are trained in exactly the same way. The training is in line with their local authority fire service counterparts.
Traditionally RAF crews were skilled at dealing with live aircraft munitions, but there was often a cross over of roles with civilians protecting some air bases, and RAF crews protecting domestic sites.
[edit] Over the Fence Response
As a general rule the MoD fire service only operates within the confines of the site it is protects.
However it is a fire service recognised by the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004 and as such it has jurisdiction and powers of entry just like any other local authority fire service at incidents involving fire or risk to life.
As such there are often local agreements for MoD fire services to cover a certain area around the site they protect and can be called for assistance by their local authority fire service colleagues as and when required.
[edit] Other Responsibilities
The new MoD Fire Service is a Fire and Rescue Authority in its own right, and is a statutory Authority for the purpose of enforcing fire safety standards (The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2004) at all defence sites.
It is interesting to note that should a fire safety offence be committed on defence property the MoD could in theory prosecute itself.
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France · Germany · Hong Kong · Singapore · Macao · New Zealand · United Kingdom |
[edit] External links
- Official Website Of MoD Fire Service Training Centre [1]
- Fire Service
