News

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GOOD NEWS!  (05/11)

By recent decision of the WRFA Executive Committee members who require to bring a carer to accompany them to a WRFA social event can claim any subsidy on offer for the carer’s meal price.

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DEATH OF JOHN HINTON  (31/10)

We regret to announce the death of John Hinton. He served at Royal Wootton Bassett from 1965 to 1984, and retired as leading firefighter.

His widow, Mary, has requested that as many of his old colleagues as possible attend and form a guard of honour (with medals), as John is taken in to the crematorium.

The funeral will take place at North Wiltshire Crematorium, 1300hrs on Thursday 13th November.

PUMPS FERRIED TO I.O.W FIRE  (26/10)

On 18th October a building formerly trading as The Cygnet Hotel, Sandown, Isle of Wight caught fire. Four pumps were available to respond but Fire Control for Hampshire & IoW FRS sent two to the fire when pumps were made four and held two back to maintain fire cover on the island. They also mobilised five pumps to be sent by ferry across The Solent from Hampshire mainland stations to the island. When the ferries docked one pump was sent to the fire and the others provided fire cover for the island.

The FBU have been severely critical of how this fire has exposed the lack of adequate numbers of firefighters to protect the residents on the island and their property. The response to the FBU from the CFO is that the arrangements made to deal with this fire were in keeping with the mobilising policy of the service.

LUCY POWELL MP & THE FBU  (20/10)

The FBU has won the support of Lucy Powell MP in their campaign for fire authorities to restore 5,000 wholetime posts of the 12,000 that have been cut in recent times. At the recent FBU conference the motion to campaign for the 5,000 posts was passed unanimously and Lucy Powell was in the conference hall to witness the vote. The vote was taken after those present heard that to extinguish a fire in Dorset it required pumps and crews to be called in from as far away as Northumbria, Greater Manchester, Merseyside and 14 other fire & rescue services. Lucy Powell is a contender for the Deputy Leadership of the Labour Party and she has promised to give the FBU campaign her full support.

PRIME MINISTER SPURNS FIRE CHIEFS ADVICE  (18/10)

A number of organisations have advised the Government to allow controlled burning of UK moorland as a means of preventing the summer wildfires that spread to involve large areas of moorland. One of those organisations is the NATIONAL FIRE CHIEF’S COUNCIL. The NFCC together with scientists, farmers, land managers and environmentalist are urging the government to allow controlled burning but Kier Starmer and his ministers have refused to change their policy despite the summer of 2025 being the worst for many years for moorland fires being difficult to control before large areas burn.

It is being claimed that the Labour Party is using the ban as part of its class war. Left wing ideology believes that the controlled burning supporters know that by controlled burning the breeding grounds for grouse are given a measure of protection.

HOME OFFICE “UNFIT FOR PURPOSE”  (18/10)

Shabana Mahmood MP, the very recently appointed Home Secretary has very quickly come to the conclusion that the Home Office is unfit for purpose and has made her view public. The Home Office has a vitally important function at the core of UK government with responsibility for oversight of the fire & rescue service as part of its duty.

It is the Home Office that inspects fire & rescue services and also police forces to monitor the quality of their performance.

CAPITA FINED £14m  (18/10)

The massive company handling the outsourced business of a multitude of organisations, CAPITA, has been fined £14m by the Office Information Commission. The financial punishment is for allowing a cyber-attack to access and steal the personal records of 6.6 million people Capita is the company that has IT contracts with many UK fire & rescue services. Capita also provides the fire & rescue services on many Ministry of Defense airfields and sites. The Fire Service College is also in the hands of Capita.

LABOUR TARGET ELDERLY DRIVERS  (11/10)

The Transport Secretary is preparing proposals for changes to the law applying to elderly drivers. The information that has so far been given is that drivers over a designated age will be required to undergo a mandatory eyesight test when their licence comes up for renewal. This is likely to apply to all drivers over the age of 70. It is not yet clear if the test will be free but it seems likely that the applicant will have to pay the cost. Further proposals are said to be under consideration. These apply to drivers applying for licence renewal when they have certain medical conditions. The drivers to whom this new rule will apply will have to submit to a medical examination in addition to an eye sight test.

DEATH OF JANE COX  (13/09)

With deep sorrow the death of Jane Cox is announced. Jane died on 13th September at home in Devizes with John and her much loved cat, Poppy, right by her side. We have all looked on with admiration at the way that Jane battled serious illness and disabilities in past years with courage and cheerful resilience. Never did she show any self pity and it was always a delight to be in her presence. We all mourn Jane’s passing and send our sympathy to John and all the family.

The funeral was held on Monday 6th October 2025 at West Wiltshire Crematorium, Semington. The wake followed at The Bear Hotel in Devizes. Donations were invited to The Fire Fighters Charity.

HEATH FIRE DECLARED A MAJOR INCIDENT  (11/08)

Dorset & Wiltshire FRS was called to a fire at Holt Heath near Wimbourne shortly after 11.00am on 9th August. Whipped by the wind the fire spread quickly and became a 20 pump incident. Around 20 houses have been evacuated. D & W FRS has called upon neighbouring fire services for help and has informed the press that the fire will take days to quell.

DEATH OF BRIAN FEAVER  (07/08)

It is with very much sorrow that the death of Brian Feaver is reported. He was 74 years old. He died in hospital on 4th August where he was receiving emergency treatment for a serious bleed. Our condolences have been passed to Sheila.

The funeral was held at Kingsdown Crematorium, Kingsdown Road, Swindon, on Thursday 28th August.

DEATH OF DEANNA GENTLEMAN  (30/07)

It is with profound sorrow that the death of Deanna Gentleman is announced. Deanna passed away peacefully in Prospect Hospice, Wroughton on 28th July after bravely fighting leukaemia for several months. Deanna was married to John Gentleman QFSM for 64 years and the loss of his beloved soulmate is being keenly felt by John as indeed it is by all members of this Association. Our deepest sympathy is extended to John and Deanna’s family.

Deanna’s funeral was held on Friday 29th August at Kingsdown Crematorium, Kingsdown Road , Swindon, followed by a wake at Shrivenham Bowls Club.

DEATH OF GEORGE CLARKE  (28/07)

With much sorrow the death of possibly the longest serving member of WRFA is reported. GEORGE CLARKE passed away in hospital in Preston, Lancashire on 16th July 2025. He was 92.

George was a native of Preston and he joined Lancashire Fire Service after serving in the Royal Army Medical Corps. He rose to the rank of Divisional Officer and was then appointed DCFO of Wiltshire Fire Brigade. He succeeded Bill Chadwick as CFO. His career developed with George becoming CFO of Hampshire and then Commandant of the Fire Service College. In retirement, George moved back to Preston and became a mainstay of Inglewhite Congrgational Church where he was a lay preacher. George’s funeral was held on 4th August at Inglewhite Congregational Church.

DEATH OF LEN BENWELL  (29/06) 

With profound sorrow the death of Len Benwell is reported. Len passed away in the early hours of 28th June at his home in Blunsdon.

Len’s funeral was held on Friday 25th July at Kingsdown Crematorium. The coffin was carried on ‘Martha’.  The cortege departed from Drove Road Fire Station after the bells were put down.

MIKE GRIMSHAW HONOURED BY THE KING  (16/06)

Mike Grimshaw received the British Empire Medal in the King’s Birthday Honours List. We are delighted and know that this recognition of his public service is very well earned. Mike is an honorary member of WRFA and gives the association very valuable service in a variety of ways. Mike is an on call watch manager at Chippenham Fire Station. His fulltime job is as the senior sales manager for a company making and marketing electronic switchgear.

Mike served in the RAF Regiment as an officer before changing his career path. His expertise and experience as a foot drill instructor have been called upon in the recent past to train and marshal each year the emergency services contingent at the National Remembrance Parade at the Cenotaph in London. Mike is heavily involved in the planning of the funerals of the two fire service members who lost their lives in the Bicester Motion fire on 15th May. Well done, Mike Grimshaw BEM.