Isle of Man Fire and Rescue Service

History

The Isle of Man received its first two fire engines from England in October 1803. These were independently operated by an insurance company and were horse-drawn and hand-operated. In the late nineteenth century, legislation was introduced permitting town commissioners to establish local fire brigades. The Peel commissioners did so in 1884, followed by Port Erin in 1903 and Laxey in 1920. Some larger settlements, such as Ramsey and Douglas, had entered into local arrangements with the military or with the privately owned insurance company fire brigades, for local fire cover. The outbreak of war brought calls for a unified fire brigade. In February 1940, the Local Government (Fires) Act was implemented, establishing a single Isle of Man Fire Brigade, with seven fire areas - Douglas, Laxey, Ramsey, Kirk Michael, Peel, Rushen and Castletown. These fire areas are the same today.

Structure and ranks

A total of 110 retained (part-time) firefighters are stationed across all seven of the island's fire stations. Douglas fire station has a permanent watch of full-time firefighters, numbering 32 in total, working in shifts. The service is headed by a Chief Fire Officer (Mark Christian, appointed 2023), and has a rank structure based on that of the United Kingdom.

Fire stations and appliances

The service has seven fire stations. The largest, at Douglas, is crewed by both wholetime firefighters and retained firefighters, whilst the other six stations at Laxey, Ramsey, Kirk Michael, Peel, Rushen and Castletown, are staffed by retained crews only. Retained firefighters make up around two thirds of the total complement of just over 150 firefighters.

Ronaldsway Airport Fire and Rescue Service

In common with most international airports, the Isle of Man Airport, historically known as Ronaldsway Airport, maintains its own independent fire service. This service cooperates closely with the Isle of Man Fire and Rescue Service. The airport fire station is now considered too small for its current appliances and crews, and a contract has been awarded for the construction of a new £200,000 fire station, starting in 2022–2023.

Emergency services on the Isle of Man

• Isle of Man Ambulance Service
• Isle of Man Civil Defence Corps
• Isle of Man Coastguard
• Isle of Man Constabulary (Police)

References

References

1. The full history is available [http://cf.gov.im/about-the-government/departments/home-affairs/isle-of-man-fire-and-rescue-service/fire-brigade-history/ here] {{Webarchive. link. (2013-08-18 .)
2. "Isle of Man Fire and Rescue Service". Isle of Man Government.
3. (27 November 2020). "Airport fire station tender won on appeal". Tindle Newspapers Ltd.