Defence Fire and Rescue Service

The Defence Fire and Rescue Service (DFRS) is the primary firefighting and rescue service protecting British defence estates and property. Along with the Royal Air Force Rescue and Firefighting Service, it forms the Ministry of Defence Fire Services.

The Ministry of Defence Fire Service was formed on 1 April 1991 by the amalgamation of the Navy Department Fire Prevention Service, Army Department Fire Service, Air Force Department Fire Service and Procurement Executive Fire Service. It was later renamed the Defence Fire Service. It was a civilian organisation which protected mainly domestic sites at RAF, Army and Navy installations.

It later became part of a similarly named umbrella body, the Ministry of Defence Fire Services, which also included the RAF Firefighting and Rescue Service, a military organisation which protected mainly RAF airfields and runways.

The Defence Fire Service was renamed the Defence Fire and Rescue Service in 2004 following the introduction of the Fire and Rescue Services Act. The Act, among other things, acknowledges that Fire Brigades in the UK do more than just simply fight fire. Most UK Brigades changed their names from Fire Services to Fire & Rescue Services during this period. The name change only applies to the civilian fire service, the Royal Air Force Fire Service still remains a separate organisation.

In 2014 the Defence Fire Risk Management Project began to look at outsourcing to a private contractor. It was announced in November 2015 that this is the recommended option. Bidders still in the "competition" are Serco and Capita.

Both civilian and RAF fire crews are trained in exactly the same way. The training is in line with their local authority fire service counterparts. Traditionally RAF crews were specialists skilled at dealing with live aircraft munitions and airfield crash rescue operations, but they also provided Fire Prevention and Domestic firefighting response on RAF bases and assisted local civilian brigades when called upon. There was, also, often a cross over of roles with civilian Defence Fire Service crews protecting some air bases, and RAF crews protecting purely domestic (non-flying) units.

In the RAF, airmen and women receive their basic military training before going on to train in various "trades" or "areas of expertise" such as mechanics, pilots, electricians, navigators, etc. Firefighting is a "trade" therefore which some airmen/women choose to be trained in.

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Wikipedia