THE fire service responsible for Wiltshire has been recognised as one of the highest performingin the country despite facing “significant financial challenges".

Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service was subject to an inspection throughout 2022.

This involved visits to the station by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary & Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) and analysis of data and documents to assess the service’s effectiveness, efficiency and how well it looks after its people.

DWFRS was rated as ‘outstanding’ for its efficiency while it maintained a rating of ‘good’ for how effective it was at keeping people safe from fires and looking after its people. These ratings see the service ranked as one of the highest performing in the UK.

Chief Fire Officer Ben Ansell felt the inspection results reflected the effort of his staff despite the service facing significant challenges financially.

He said: “I am absolutely delighted that the Service has once again been independently recognised by the Inspectorate for the excellent work that takes places across Dorset and Wiltshire to keep our communities safe from fire and other emergencies.

“These results are a credit to our fantastic staff that work really hard in all areas of our organisation to give the best possible service we can, to all those who need our help or work alongside us.

“Despite the significant financial challenges we face, the grading of ‘outstanding’ in efficiency shows just how well our teams are using scarce resources to deliver our services in a highly effective and innovative way.”

HMICFRS noted that the service had tackled a number of areas that had been identified as needing improvement during the first full inspection in 2017.

The inspectors said: “We are pleased with the progress the Service has made in the way it looks after its people. There are many positive findings during the inspection, and we found that all areas for improvements identified in our last inspection have been addressed.

“We have identified two areas of outstanding practice and are sure the service will wish to build on this achievement. We look forward to working with the Service as it continues to improve.”

In particular, the inspectors commended the service for its performance during the pandemic and the major incidents it has dealt with.

DWFRS say they are currently considering the areas in which the inspectors highlighted they could improve internally.