South Wales Fire and Rescue Service

South Wales Fire and Rescue Service
Gwasanaeth Tân ac Achub De Cymru (Welsh)


Operational area
CountryWales
RegionSouth Wales[1]
Agency overview
Established1996 (1996)
Annual calls33,046[2] (2019–2020)
Employees
Chief Fire OfficerFin Monahan
Facilities and equipment
Stations47
Engines61
Platforms4
Rescues7
HAZMAT3
USAR1
Wildland8
Rescue boats5
Website
www.southwales-fire.gov.uk Edit this at Wikidata

South Wales Fire and Rescue Service (SWFRS; Welsh: Gwasanaeth Tân ac Achub De Cymru) is the fire and rescue service covering the ten Welsh principal areas of Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Cardiff, Merthyr Tydfil, Monmouthshire, Newport, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Torfaen and Vale of Glamorgan.

SWFRS was created in 1996 by the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994, which reformed Welsh local government. It was created by a merger of the previous fire brigades of Mid Glamorgan, South Glamorgan and Gwent. It covers an area of around 1,100 square miles (2,800 km2) with a population of around 1.5 million.[2]

The fire authority which runs the service is a joint-board made up of councillors from the ten local authorities covered by the service.[2]

Since October 2017, SWFRS has shared its control room with Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service and South Wales Police at the police headquarters in Bridgend,[3] an arrangement that is expected to save £1 million annually across both fire and rescue services.[4]

  1. ^ Covering most of what is commonly described as "South East Wales". There are wider definitions of South Wales.
  2. ^ a b c d "Strategic Plan 2020-2030" (PDF). South Wales Fire and Rescue Service. 1 April 2021. pp. 27–28. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
  3. ^ "The South Wales Tri-Service Public Service and Joint Emergency Control Centre Tri-Service Centre Evaluation". Cardiff University. 14 May 2018. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
  4. ^ "National Framework for Fire and Rescue Services – Progress Report 2019" (PDF). Welsh Government. Retrieved 19 April 2021.