South East Fire Services Join Forces in New Fire Investigation Deal
In a major move, East Sussex, West Sussex, Kent, and Surrey Fire and Rescue Services inked a joint policy in November 2021. The pact, called the 4F Collaboration, sets a fresh standard for fire investigation across the South East.
One Mission: Crack Every Case
The four fire services teamed up to provide consistent and top-notch fire investigation. This collaboration boosts resilience and sharpens training for all fire investigation officers in the region. Their goal? To nail down causes swiftly and comply with all national guidelines.
“A Huge Milestone,” Says East Sussex Fire Chief
Mark Matthews, Assistant Chief Fire Officer for East Sussex Fire and Rescue, said: “I am absolutely delighted that the Fire Investigation Memorandum of Understanding has now gone live across all four fire services. Fire Investigation remains a crucial part of our work that not only determines the cause of the fires themselves but also helps influence future prevention activity and operational learning from incidents.”
“Years of preparation has culminated in the memorandum being signed and this is a huge milestone for everyone involved. I look forward to working collaboratively with our colleagues over the border and developing our fire investigation work going forward.”
West Sussex Fire Boss Backs Closer Collaboration
Mark Andrews, Deputy Chief Fire Officer for West Sussex Fire & Rescue, commented: “The Fire Investigation MOU between our four Fire & Rescue Services gives us a clear framework allowing for much closer collaboration on areas such as joint training, policies, quality assurance and sharing of fire investigation officers and equipment.”
“We are already seeing definite improvements, with excellent joint training delivered to all fire investigators.”
“Sharing fire data means spotting accidental fire trends earlier. This will steer future prevention work and make our communities safer than ever.”
“I thank all involved for their hard work and look forward to even closer working across the region.”
Surrey Fire Official Cheers Borderless Teamwork
Dan Quin, Deputy Chief Fire Officer for Surrey Fire and Rescue Service, added: “Fire investigation is a crucial function of UK Fire and Rescue Services, with teams skilled in drone piloting and dog handling.”
“This collaboration boosts borderless working, sharpens prevention targeting, and increases partnerships and resilience.”
“We thoroughly welcome this MOU and thank everyone who made it happen.”
