NI Fire Brigade rebranded Fire and Rescue Service
The Northern Ireland Fire Brigade became a thing of the past today when it was re-branded as the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service.
The name change reflects the move away from the sole job of fighting fires to its broader and enhanced capabilities as a modern fire and rescue service, which includes specialist rescue work and a wide range of community fire safety activities.
Colin Lammey, chief fire officer with the service said it was part of a modernisation programme and the British government’s vision for strengthening and developing the service in the North.
“Our new name clearly reflects our transition as an organisation from just providing ‘fire cover’ to the provision of holistic ‘emergency cover’ across a wide range of life-threatening situations in Northern Ireland – such as fires, road traffic collisions, collapsed buildings, specialist rescues, chemical spillages etc,” he said.
Public safety was the number one priority, he said, and the renaming underlined the shift in focus from intervention to prevention, which would ultimately save more lives in the North.
“The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service is improving public safety for everyone, through prevention, partnership and an effective response to a wide range of emergencies,” said Chief Officer Lammey.
In line with proposed new legislation the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service will eventually become the single collective title for both the Fire Authority and the Fire Brigade – with the Authority essentially becoming the Board of the Fire and Rescue Service.
To avoid financial waste, the actual roll out of the name change on fire appliances, uniforms and stationery will be slowly phased in over the next financial year.
