Issue - meetings

To receive any announcements the Chairman may wish to make.

The Chairman provided an update on the Fire Service’s response to Covid and the Chief Fire Officer confirmed that teams and organisations across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight had worked exceptionally well together. Cllr Dave Stewart, Leader of the Isle of Wight Council, also passed on his thanks to the Fire Service teams and NHS for their work.

An update was provided on the HMICFRS virtual inspection that took place at the end of 2020 and a summary had been published in January 2021. Three areas for focus were highlighted as well as areas of success and these would be analysed for a further report by Fire. Despite being an interim inspection, the Chief Fire Officer was pleased at the improvement in how staff felt in working for the Service.

Following Wholetime Firefighter recruitment, the Chairman was excited to confirm a good response to the point that a ‘talent pool’ had been established for future positions that arose due to the number of applicants.  There had also been a noticeable increase in women applying for roles, which was a positive step forward as the Service continued to strive in diversifying the workforce.

The Chairman ended his announcements by confirming that the meeting would be the final meeting of the Shadow Authority and the April meeting would be the first formal meeting of the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Authority (HIWFRA). The Authority thanked the Chairman for his leadership.