Bermuda’s three fire departments are to be unified to form a national fire service as from April 2007.

After 76 years of existence the volunteer St. George Fire Brigade is to be relegated to the pages of history, along with the Bermuda International Airport fire service.

Both will be absorbed into the Bermuda Fire Service to form a comprehensive emergency service that will span the Island.

After years of discussion and a lengthy study to see if such an arrangement might work it has been decided the way forward is to have one amalgamated fire service. Residents of St. George’s were told the news at a public meeting that attracted around 120 people to Penno’s Wharf last night.

Bermuda Fire Service chief fire officer Vincent Hollinsid said: “We will have better training, larger resources to deal with national disasters, standardised equipment and the ability to loan equipment across the Island where needed.”

The volunteers who make up the St. George Fire Brigade can look forward to expanded training opportunities using such facilities as the smoke and heat chamber at the Hamilton fire headquarters.

They will be trained up as emergency medical service providers, giving the East End a rapid response team able to administer immediate medical assistance to casualties awaiting the arrival of an ambulance.

Likewise the full-time staff at the airport’s fire department will become part of the national fire service and receive cross-training.

Outlining the benefits CFO Hollinsid said there would be a better trained volunteer force in the East End, there would be a single command structure for the entire Island, cost savings from an integrated service, standardised equipment and training, an integrated radio system and improved fire-fighting and emergency medical services.

The current St. George fire station is also to be replaced with a new facility in the town, most likely in the Tiger Bay area, according to Mayor Mariea Caisey.

Volunteer fire-fighters in St. George may find themselves being called upon to deal with emergencies as far away as Dockyard if the need arises. They will also be given “Crash Fire Rescue” training needed to deal with airport incidents.

Currently there are around 35 volunteers in the St. George Fire Brigade and it is anticipated most if not all will transfer to the Bermuda Fire Service in April.

CFO Hollinsid said: “We have had very open and frank conversations and they are extremely upbeat and positive of this move and I’m looking forward to working with them in the future.”

Replying to a concern about the loss of the specialised St. George fire tender that can navigate the town’s narrowest streets he said the new standardised service would deal with inaccessible spots using fire-fighters on foot and lengthy fire hose reels, as is sometimes necessary elsewhere in Bermuda for properties where fire engines are unable to gain direct access.

Fire services to merge in April