The Trowbridge Area Board met to discuss a range of community safety and wellbeing issues, including updates from the Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service, Wiltshire Police, and Community First, as well as considering grant applications and the reinvigoration of the Wiltshire Carers Champions. Watch Manager Liam Diffey from Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service provided an update on the service's activities since December.

Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service Update

Watch Manager Liam Diffey, based at Redhill Park Fire Station, presented an overview of the Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service's activities since the last update in December. The update covered a range of incidents, prevention efforts, training exercises, and community engagement initiatives.

Incidents:

• Heath and Cliff Fires: The unusually dry spring led to significant fires affecting areas such as Moors Valley Country Park, Upton Heath, and Camford Heath. Upton Heath alone saw approximately 51 hectares of land affected. Heathland patrols were conducted with BCP Council, Dorset Heath, and Wessex Rescue, using small 4x4 appliances from various fire stations. The service invested in a new Unimog appliance, based at Wareham Fire Station.
• Former Eye Hospital Fire: A fire devastated the roof and upper floors of the former Eye Hospital in Weymouth Town Centre on January 4th, affecting a restaurant business.
• Thatch Fire in Durrington: Multiple fire crews responded to a fire involving the roof and first floor of a thatched property in Durrington on April 12th.
• Waste Site Fire in Wareham: Approximately 400 tonnes of household rubbish caught fire at a waste site in Wareham over the Easter weekend.
• WW1 Hangar Fire at Old Sarum Airfield: A listed WW1 hangar caught fire at Old Sarum Airfield near Salisbury on April 17th, drawing national media attention. The incident involved a partially derelict hangar and an adjacent café. Investigations are ongoing, led by Wiltshire Police. Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service also assisted.
• Beach Hut Fire in Bournemouth: Seven beach huts were destroyed and two were damaged at East Beach in Bournemouth on May 27th. The fire also affected an area of the cliff.

Prevention Efforts:

• E-bike and Mobility Scooter Fire Risks: The protection team collaborated with prevention teams to create a video highlighting the fire risks associated with e-bikes and mobility scooters stored indoors, particularly in communal areas. The video is available on the Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service website.
• Business Fire Safety: The business fire safety team hosted four webinars covering fire risk assessment requirements and practical safety tips for businesses. They are also developing a business fire safety newsletter.

Training Exercises:

• Mass Flooding Water Rescue Exercise: A mass flooding water rescue exercise was held in Blandford in January, involving wading teams from Dorset and Wiltshire and Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service, as well as technical rescue teams from Weymouth and Poole, and water teams from Wessex Rescue.
• Exercise Ringside at Poole Port: The service participated in Exercise Ringside at Poole Port in January, testing the response to a major terrorist incident.
• Exercise at Great Western Hospital: In April, an exercise was conducted at the Brunel Treatment Centre at Great Western Hospital in Swindon, testing response procedures and communication between the fire service and NHS teams.
• Exercise at Salisbury Cathedral: An exercise was held at Salisbury Cathedral in April to test the response to a fire at the base of the spire, involving the evacuation of 20 people. Students from Wiltshire College acted as casualties.

New Welfare Units:

Two new welfare units have been introduced to provide better facilities for crews at incidents, including toilet, hand wash, and sanitary provisions. These units are based at Corsham and Ferndown.

Day Duty Systems:

New day duty systems at Christchurch and Dorchester started at the end of March, with whole-time firefighters working fixed shifts from 7:30 am to 7:30 pm. Work is ongoing to move staffing at Westleigh to 24-hour on-station cover by the autumn.

Fundraising:

A firefighter from Wareham raised over £6,400 for the Firefighters Charity by running a 5km loop from the fire station every hour for 24 hours in full fire kit. Station car washes raised around £4,000 for the Firefighters Charity, with proceeds also benefiting Action Medical Research and the British Red Cross. Fundraisers were held at Amesbury, Trowbridge, and Pewsey.

Recruitment and Staffing:

New whole-time firefighters are joining the service this summer, following a recruitment process that included online tests, fitness testing, practical job-related tests, and interviews.

Community Engagement:

Ahead of International Women's Day in March, corporate and operational staff joined local residents for the Free the Night walk through Trowbridge to highlight women's safety and gender equality.

Retirements:

Two on-call firefighters with nearly 90 years of combined experience retired in March: Keith Prince from Cranbourne and Tom Reid from Wareham Fire Station.

Awards Ceremony:

The annual awards ceremony was held on May 9th at the Tidworth Garrison Theatre, with presentations for long service, good conduct, and Making a Difference awards. The Beehive Cafe on Portland was named On-Call Employer of the Year. The Chief Fire Officer Andy Culp headed the ceremony.

Wiltshire Police Update

The Trowbridge Area Board also received an update from Wiltshire Police. The details of this update are available in the Trowbridge Area Board Sept 2025 Wiltshire Police document.

Community First Update

The board received a Community First update. Additional information can be found in the Appendix to Community First Update.

Wiltshire Carers Champions

The board discussed the reinvigoration of Wiltshire Carers Champions.

Grant Applications

The Trowbridge Area Board considered various grant applications. Details of these applications can be found in the Trowbridge Area Board Grants document.