Four years’ hard work by fire officers and councillors earned the Island’s Fire and Rescue Service glowing commendation last week, with the service being named Fire Service of the Year in the South East region.
Isle of Wight Council’s Chief Fire Officer Paul Street and Councillor Barry Abraham collected the prize in London on the 4th of March, at a ceremony run by Improvement and Efficiency South East (IESE).
Paul Street said the award had delighted all those involved. “It recognises the efforts of all of our staff,” he said.
Support
“We wouldn’t have been able to achieve this without the support of council members and senior council officers who have been instrumental in driving through changes to produce an effective and modern fire and rescue service to be proud of.”
The award represents an effective, swift improvement in the service, with better political support and modernisation shaking off what the Audit Commission termed a ‘legacy of bad leadership’ in 2005.
Cllr Abraham said: “This award is testament to the work we have carried out over recent years to create a modern fire service fit for the island’s needs. I am very proud of our achievements and look forward to building on this success.”
