Protecting a combined population of around 1.9 million people across roughly 515 square miles of South West England, Avon Fire & Rescue Service (AF&RS) is the fire and rescue authority covering the four unitary authorities of Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset, North Somerset, and South Gloucestershire. The service operates from 21 fire stations spread across this considerable geographic area, with 34 fire engines and a wider fleet that includes pumping appliances, turntable ladders, boats, pods, and specialist vehicles. Its headquarters has been located at the Avon and Somerset Police site in Portishead since September 2017, having previously been based at Temple Back in Bristol for many years.
A Service With Deep Roots
The origins of AF&RS go back to 1974, when the county of Avon was created and Avon Fire Brigade was established to serve it. When Avon as a county was abolished in 1996, the four newly formed unitary authorities took on joint responsibility for running the service through a combined fire authority made up of elected councillors from each area. A further change came in 2004, following the passage of the Fire and Rescue Services Act, when the brigade was renamed Avon Fire & Rescue Service to reflect the broadened scope of work that modern fire crews carry out. The relocation of the headquarters to Portishead in 2017 brought some challenges: an unexpectedly high number of support staff chose not to make the move, creating delays in filling those posts through recruitment.
A Name Remembered Across the Service
Fleur Lombard, born in 1974, became the first female firefighter to lose her life on duty in peacetime Britain when she died on 4 February 1996 during a fire at a supermarket in Staple Hill, while serving with Avon Fire and Rescue Service. Her name lives on through the Fleur Lombard Bursary Fund, which awards travel grants to junior members of UK fire and rescue services so they can visit and learn from fire services in other countries.
Community Safety and Day-to-Day Operations
AF&RS now operates well beyond the traditional role of attending fires. Its work includes responding to road traffic collisions, flooding incidents, and chemical spills, alongside ongoing community education and safety campaigns. The service actively promotes smoke alarm use and fire prevention in homes across its area. One long-running initiative, the Car Clear scheme, was launched in 2001 with the aim of quickly removing abandoned vehicles from streets, reducing the risk of arson. On the operational side, the fleet has at various times included Combined Aerial Rescue Platforms (CARP) with PolyBilt bodywork, which were introduced in 2009 and 2011 and stationed at Patchway, Speedwell, and Bedminster fire stations, though both have since been withdrawn from service.