"We recognise the vital role of the armed forces": Hampshire fire service honoured for supporting military
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The fire service has been recognised for its continued support of the armed forces.
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service (HIWFRS) has been given the silver award for aiding the military community. They have been a part of the Armed Forces Covenant since 2015, with organisations who sign up pledging to support and understand the needs of serving and former personnel and their families.
Deputy Chief Fire Officer Shantha Dickinson said: “The silver award is a great honour for the Service, recognising the support we provide to those from the armed forces community. Coming from a military background it is so important to me that we do what we can to support those leaving the armed forces, and we are proud to say that many of our own people have joined us having served with the navy, army or the RAF.”
Organisations are recognised with either a bronze, silver, or gold award, for aligning their views with the covenant. To attain a silver award, organisations must meet a specific criteria which includes; signing the armed forces covenant, demonstrating support to the mobilisation of reservists, and developing upon the plans and policies that saw them initially achieving a bronze award.
Former Royal Navy officer currently in the reserves, Luke Holdcroft, is a crew manager at Winchester Fire Station. He is also the chair of the HIWFRS FireFORCES staff network group, which supports veterans and their families who work in the fire service.
He said: “We recognise the vital role of the armed forces, and the valuable contribution they make to our defence, communities and the civilian workplace. This led to us signing the Armed Forces Covenant in 2015. We know that many of the skills trained and developed within armed forces roles, are transferable to the various roles across the fire service.
“The area we cover is unique in having all three services in the area, and one of the largest populations and highest concentrations of the armed forces community. These are our communities and we need to ensure we understand them and deliver the best service.”