Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service

Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service

Operational area
Country	UK
Region	Northern Ireland
Agency overview
Established	1 July 2006 (2006-07-01)
Annual calls	33,992 (2014/2015)
Employees	2,230
Chief Fire Officer	Dale Ashford
Facilities and equipment
Divisions	4
Stations	68
Website
Official website

The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) (formerly Northern Ireland Fire Brigade) is the statutory fire and rescue service for Northern Ireland. The NIFRS is overseen by the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service Board, which in turn is subordinate to the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety. NIFRS has a workforce of around 2,230 personnel.

NIFRS serves the entire population of Northern Ireland, an area of over 5,500 square miles (14,000 km²) with a population of 1.71 million people.

Fire Stations/Appliances

Eastern Command

Station Callsign	Station Name	Duty System	Appliances
E11	Knock	Wholetime	1x WrL, 1x WrT, 1x ALP
E12	Central	Wholetime	1x WrL, 1x RP
RT	Central/SRT	Wholetime	1x SRP, 1x RRV, 1x L4V, 1x SEU, 1x IrbT, 1x SDU, 3x PM for 5x USAR Pods
E13	Cadogan	Wholetime	2x WrL, 1x FESU
E13	Dunmurry	Day Crewed 11:00-23:00	1x WrL (Appliance/Crew from Cadogan)
E21	Whitla	Wholetime/Cross Crewed*	1x WrL, 1x WrT/OSU, 1x MRT, 2x PM* for Pods: 1x MDD, 1x HVP, 1x MRU
E22	Westland	Wholetime/Cross Crewed*	1x WrL, 1x L4V, 1x PM+MDD*
E23	Springfield	Wholetime	1x WrL, 1x WrT, 1x ALP

Northern Command

Station Callsign	Station Name	Duty System	Appliances
N11	Ballymena	Wholetime/Retained	1x WrL, 1x RP, 1x L4V
N12	Kilrea	Retained/Cross Crewed*	1x WrL, 1x CSU
N13	Cushendall	Retained	1x WrL
N14	Carnlough	Retained	1x WrL
N15	Larne	Retained	1x WrL, 1x RP
N21	Coleraine	Variable wholetime 07:30-19:30 /Retained	1x WrL, 1x RP
N22	Portstewart	Retained	2x WrL, 1x FESU
N23	Portrush	Retained	2x WrL
N24	Ballymoney	Retained	2x WrL
N25	Ballycastle	Retained	2x WrL, 1x L4V
N26	Rathlin Island	Volunteer	1x WrL
N31	Glengormley	Wholetime/Retained/Cross Crewed*	1x WrL, 1x WrT/FoT, 1x PM* for Pods: 1x FoC, 1x WelfU
N32	Antrim	Variable wholetime 07:30-19:30 /Retained	2x WrL
N33	Ballyclare	Retained	2x WrL
N34	Carrickfergus	Variable wholetime 07:30-19:30 /Retained	1x WrL, 1x WrT
N35	Whitehead	Retained	1x WrL
N41	Lisburn	Wholetime/Retained/Cross Crewed*	1x WrL, 1x WrT, 1x CSU*
N42	Crumlin	Retained	1x WrL

Southern Command

Station Callsign	Station Name	Duty System	Appliances
S11	Portadown	Retained	2x WrL, 1x ALP
S12	Armagh	Retained/Cross Crewed*	2x WrL, 1x L4V, 1x PM+HVP*
S13	Banbridge	Retained	2x WrL
S14	Lurgan	Wholetime/Retained	2x WrL
S15	Keady	Retained	1x WrL
S16	Dromore	Retained/Cross Crewed*	1x WrL, 1x DIM*
S21	Bangor	Wholetime/Retained	1x WrL, 1x WrT
S22	Comber	Retained	1x WrL
S23	Donaghadee	Retained	1x WrL
S24	Ballywalter	Retained	1x WrL
S25	Holywood	Retained	2x WrL
S26	Newtownards	Retained	1x WrL, 1x RP
S27	Portaferry	Retained	1x WrL
S31	Newry	Wholetime/Retained/Cross Crewed*	1x WrL, 1x RP, 1x OSU*, 1x PM+MDD*
S32	Crossmaglen	Retained	1x WrL
S33	Rathfriland	Retained	2x WrL
S34	Warrenpoint	Retained	2x WrL, 1x WrC
S35	Newtownhamilton	Retained	1x WrL, 1x WrT
S41	Downpatrick	Retained	1x WrL, 1x WrT
S42	Kilkeel	Retained	2x WrL
S43	Carryduff	Retained	1x WrL
S44	Newcastle	Retained	1x WrL, 1x RP, 1x L4V
S45	Ballynahinch	Retained	2x WrL

Western Command

Station Callsign	Station Name	Duty System	Appliances
W11	Cresent Link	Wholetime/Retained/Cross Crewed*	1x WrL, 1x WrT, 1x RT, 1x WRU, 1x L4V+IrbT, 1x OSU*, 1x PM* for Pods: 1x FoC, 1x MDD
W12	Northland	Wholetime	1x WrL, 1x WrT/FoT, 1x ALP
W13	Strabane	Retained/Cross Crewed*	2x WrL, 1x CSU*
W14	Limavady	Retained	1x WrL, 1x WrT
W15	Dungiven	Retained	1x WrL, 1x WrC
W21	Omagh	Retained/Cross Crewed*	1x WrL, 1x RP, 1x L4V, 1x FESU, 1x PM+HVP*
W22	Dromore	Retained	1x WrL
W23	Castlederg	Retained	1x WrL
W24	Fintona	Retained	1x WrL
W25	Newtownstewart	Retained	1x WrL
W31	Cookstown	Retained	2x WrL
W32	Pomeroy	Retained	1x WrL, 1x WrC
W33	Maghera	Retained	2x WrL
W34	Dungannon	Retained	1x WrL, 1x RP
W35	Magherafelt	Retained	1x WrL, 1x RP
W41	Enniskillen	Retained	1x WrT, 1x RP, 1x L4V
W42	Irvinestown	Retained/Cross Crewed*	1x WrL, 1x CSU*
W43	Beleek	Retained	1x WrL
W44	Lisnaskea	Retained	2x WrL
W45	Clogher	Retained	1x WrL, 1x WrT

Fire Appliance Glossary/Callsigns

• Water Ladder (WrL): 01/02
• Water Tender (WrT): 02
• Water Tender/Foam Tender (WrT/FoT): 06
• Rescue Pump (RP): 71
• Water Tender/Operational Support Unit (WrT/OSU): 79
• Water Carrier (WrC): 73
• Rescue Tender (RT): 04
• Aerial Ladder Platform (ALP): 05
• Prime Mover + High Volume Pump (PM+HVP): 60
• Operational Support Unit (OSU): 72/74
• Light 4x4 Vehicle + Inshore Rescue Boat (L4V+IrbT): 76
• Command Support Unit (CSU): 78
• Light 4x4 Vehicle (L4V): 86
• Marine Response Vehicle (MRV): 96
• Water Rescue Unit (MRU): 96
• Fire & Emergency Support Unit (FESU) FESS 1/ FESS 2/ FESS 3
• Prime Mover (PM): 51/60/62

Pods:

• Foam Carrier (FoC)
• Marine Response Unit (MRU)
• Welfare Unit (WelfU)

Specialist Rescue Unit (SRT)/Urban Search & Rescue (USAR):

• Rapid Response Vehicle (RRV): RT60
• Specialist Rescue Pump (SRP): RT190
• Specialist Equipment Unit (SEU): RT196
• Light 4x4 Vehicle (L4V): RT197
• Search & Rescue Dog Unit (SDU)
• Prime Mover (PM): RT191/RT192/RT193

Pods:

• Module 1 - Technical Search Equipment
• Module 2 - Heavy Transport, Confined Space & Hot Cutting
• Module 3 - Breaching & Breaking Equipment
• Module 4 - Multi Purpose Vehicle
• Module 5 - Shoring Operations

CBRN Responss:

• Detection, Identification & Monitoring (DIM)
• Prime Mover + Mass Decontamination Disrobe (PM+MDD): 60/62

Statistics

A ladder platform at Portadown

In 2011/12, NIFRS received 43,062 emergency calls, of which it mobilised to 27,150. The breakdown of these mobilised calls were:

• 3,289 primary (major) fires
• 8,365 secondary fires
• 1,465 chimney fires
• 1,972 special services, including traffic collisions (576), person release (225), lift incidents (126), make-safe incidents (184), animal rescues (180), chemical incidents (72), effecting entry (166), flooding (123) and other incidents (320)
• 827 other miscellaneous incidents
• 7,846 false alarms (due to equipment)
• 2,616 false alarms (with good intent)
• 770 false alarms (malicious)

See also

• Fire service in the United Kingdom
• Firefighters
• List of fire departments
• List of Government departments and agencies in Northern Ireland
• History of the Belfast Fire Brigade

External links

• NIFRS Official Site