An award has been presented to Hampshire’s fire service in recognition of its work with the armed forces community.
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service (HIWFRS) has earned a silver award from the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme, which honours employers who demonstrate or advocate support to defence and the armed forces community and align their values with the Armed Forces Covenant.
Shantha Dickinson, deputy chief fire officer at HIWFRS, said: "The silver award is a great honour for the service, recognising the support we provide to those from the armed forces community.
"Coming from a military background it is so important to me that we do what we can to support those leaving the armed forces, and we are proud to say that many of our own people have joined us having served with the navy, army or the RAF."
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With a large naval base in Portsmouth, a major Royal Air Force base at Odiham, the Army Headquarters in Andover and the home of the British Army in Aldershot, the local population HIWFRS serves is made up of a significant number of people with military connections.
Luke Holdcroft, a former naval and current reserves officer who now serves as crew manager at Winchester Fire Station and chairs the HIWFRS FireFORCES staff network group, said: "We recognise the vital role of the armed forces, and the valuable contribution they make to our defence, communities and the civilian workplace.
"This led to us signing the Armed Forces Covenant in 2015.
"We know that many of the skills trained and developed within armed forces roles are transferable to the various roles across the fire service."
Mr Holdcroft said the service area is unique. He said: "The area we cover is unique in having all three services in the area, and one of the largest populations and highest concentrations of the armed forces community.
"These are our communities and we need to ensure we understand them and deliver the best service."
FireFORCES aims to bring together and streamline all strands of work within HIWFRS involving armed forces communities both internally within the service, as well as its communities.
The group includes veterans, reservists, cadet leaders and families of serving personnel.
The network also provides a support system for employees who identify with the armed forces community, complementing other established groups focused on ethnic diversity, gender equality, disability and the LGBTQ+ community.
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