An accurate description of the Defence Fire Services for you.
The Local Authorities under the 1947 and 1959 Fire Service Acts provide fire Services in the United Kingdom. The principal responsibilities of the Local Authority Fire Service (LAFS) is to provide within its area of responsibility a fire brigade, necessary equipment and trained personnel to meet all normal requirements. Ministry of Defence Fire Services (MOD FS) are established to cover special risks where local authorities do not have the specialist equipment, where time is a critical factor in saving life or where time losses due to fire would have a significant effect upon the operational role of the armed forces, therefore, MOD FS can be provided on both flying and non-flying establishments throughout the UK or theatres overseas. Fire Service personnel can either be Military, civilian or locally employed civilians overseas.
Pre Defence Fire Service
The origins of the MOD FS can be traced back to Navy Dockyard Fire Brigades that were first set up in 1958 and, Army Fire Brigades at Aldershot that were established in 1864, following disastrous fires in timber hutted single service sleeping accommodation of that era. For further information of individual services see case files provided.
Headquarters Defence Fire Services / MOD Fire Services
The DFS is part of the MOD Defence System, with its headquarters located in London. The organisation is civilian manned headed by a Chief Fire Officer (CFO). It has a management structure, which is based on the LAFS this has a direct influence on the ranks at which different functions are undertaken. The CFO has overall responsibility for the Royal Navy, Army, RAF Fire Services and the MOD Procurement Executive Fire Service and for Locally Employed Civilians (LACs) and Service fire personnel within the DFS. The current organisation evolved on the 1st April 1990 from the unification of the each of the aforementioned Services into the DFS. In 1994 there was further re-structuring and the Directorate MOD Fire Services was formed to provide the policy for the civilian Defence Fire Service, the Military Royal Naval Aviation and the Royal Air Force Fire Services. The most recent change took place in September 1998, when the Directorate of Safety, Environment and Fire Policy (DSEF Pol) was created by merging the Directorates of these separate disciplines. This major change provided MOD with health, environment, fire and safety under one roof currently housed in London. With regards to safety, all departments are answerable to the Chief Environment and Safety Officer MOD who reports to the Assistant Under Secretary (Security and Support).
The Service has a Fire Service Trials Officer who is responsible for all new items of equipment and the update of current stocks of both major and minor fire fighting equipment and personal protective equipment. The MOD also sponsor the Central Training Establishment based at Manston. This training venue is responsible to provide MOD with appropriate Fire training for Military, Civilians and contractorised Firefighters under any circumstances. This training must not be put at risk despite a annual reviews, optimism in the service’s ability to deliver remains steadfast. The risks we cover are immense and extremely diverse, and as the MOD underwrites its own fire losses, therefore, the service must provide a continued and competent service.
Command Structure
Each management structure of the Service is organised on a Command basis; the Navy is based in Bath, the Army are based in Middle Wallop, RAF Benson and Procurement Executive (DPA) Bristol. Stations within the Commands are manned either by civilian or Service personnel, with elements in Germany (LECs), Cyprus (DFS Officer’s and LECs), Gibraltar (LECs), Ascension Island (LECs), Bosnia (DFS Officer’s and Men plus RAF Firefighters) and finally the Falklands (RAF Firefighters). DFS Officer’s undertake the responsibilities for command and control in those location having civilian responsibilities, the Navy and RAF have their own Service structure.
The Command function is determined by the operational role, property type and monetary value and is equipped with specialist appliances according to the range and extent of the hazard to be protected. The management support role of the DFS Officer has increased with the unification of all three Services, which must be taken into account. Under the new Budgetary Management arrangements, all DFS Officer’s are required to submit proposals and operate within fiscal controls dealing with operating and manpower cost etc.
DFS Responsibilities
The responsibilities of the DFS include not only an excessive ever changing population within MOD but also a modern Fire Service Training School, Petroleum Depots, Armament Storage Areas, Major Airports plus many airfields at home and overseas with some of the largest storage depots in the country including those in the civil estate. On the Fire Safety front the situation is constantly changing as comprehensive fire related legislation is being introduced and the workload for Command Staff increase ensuring the new requirements are complied with. The diversity and scope of the Fire Safety Inspections (e.g. from shops to the largest commercial and industrial premises) has necessitated a structural and uniform approach to Fire Safety Legislation. From the 1st Apr 90 MOD untied from the Property Service agency and therefore, the responsibilities for fire safety measure in new buildings and adaptation schemes is now with the DFS. In practice this means all plans and only the MOD Fire Specialists now see proposals.
The DFS Officer now has the supervising responsibility at the building or adoption stage to ensure all works are carried out to specification is in accordance with final building plans. Like his AFS counterpart, the DFS Officer has an undertaking to oversee all initial inspections of plans and buildings with the specific need to ensure that premises are brought into line with legislative requirements.
All training within the DFS is now carried out at the Central Training Establishment at Manston except specialist courses that maintain parity with the LAFS. The structural sequence of training of the DFS for its Officer’s and men plays a significant part in their promotional development.
Special Services are playing a large part in the DFS working environment they fall into two main categories; the first is rescue or tasks aimed at limiting the danger of suffering to humans and secondly emergencies where the service is likely to encounter a multiplicity of situations from Road Traffic Accidents, fire , bomb and explosion damage, gas explosion, major aircraft disasters and finally salvage operation for the majority of the above scenarios. It is pleasing to note that our brigades through local agreements with some LAFS are attending more incidents outside their perimeter fence.
The Officer’s and men of the Defence Fire Service are a highly trained and committed body, which forms an important and integral part of the Service organisation. This provides the MOD with the full flexibility required in support of all operations and exercises. DFS play a full part in supporting operations including the very important task of station recuperation. For this reason it has been found necessary to seek approval for DFS personnel to be classed as “essential civilians” so that all can receive formal training in Individual Personal Equipment (IPE) / Nuclear Biological and Chemical (NBC). They are also called upon to carry out detached duties at very short notice and because of their training they are able to act as a conduit between their Service and LAFS colleagues at any location without any difficulty.
