vision and plans for the future and how we deliver our services
We do more than tackle fires and rescue people
Catch up with all the latest that we have been involved in
We’re proud to support and protect the wonderfully diverse community in which we serve
We’re committed to keeping our communities safe
well and informed and our prevention and protection work plays a large role in this
Behind every firefighter there are specialist support teams all playing their part
If you need to get in touch or find a form
Interested in becoming a Wholetime Firefighter
Come to our recruitment open day at Cosham fire station on Sunday 16 February and learn more about the role and get hands-on with firefighting equipment
Choose from morning (10am–1pm) or afternoon (2–5pm) sessions
Book your session now
Visit our careers pages to read more about becoming a firefighter
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Environment Agency
Updated: 12:43 (UTC+1) on Tue 6 May 2025
it will turn increasingly cloudy from off the North Sea
Some bright or sunny spells developing by evening
Staying dry with some lengthy clear skies overnight
Turning chilly with a touch of grass frost in places
Largely dry with variable amounts of cloud and bright or sunny spells on Wednesday
with variable amounts of cloud and bright or sunny spells throughout the period
Dry across the vast majority of the UK with clear or sunny spells but also some patchy cloud
Cloud will likely thicken across the far north and northwest during the weekend with some outbreaks of rain for a time
There is also a small risk of some heavy showers in the far south or southwest
high pressure will be dominant across the UK
This will bring predominantly fine and dry weather for the majority of places
Temperatures are likely to be slightly above normal for the time of year
although there is a chance of some cold nights
Fairly typical weather for the time of year is most likely through this period
fine and dry weather is more likely to dominate although this will be interspersed with occasional spells of rain and showers
with a risk of heavy rain and thunderstorms in places
temperatures will most likely be near to or slightly above average
Come visit the brand new Cosham Fire Station
The state-of-the-art site is opening its doors to the public for the first time
meet your local crews and learn about the newest HIWFRS station we share with our police colleagues
Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service
Fire crews have moved from the previous site in Wayte Street
three-storey building shared with Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary on Northern Road
Firefighters moved into their new home in mid-August
giving them time to settle into the larger site and take advantage of the modern facilities on offer
Chief Fire Officer Neil Odin and Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones welcomed the Lord Lieutenant Nigel Atkinson to open the building in a ceremony on 4th September
“As Station Manager I have been in a truly privileged position to work with so many great teams to plan
build and deliver a brilliant new site for our Cosham crews
who have played a huge role in this journey as well
“This new station will benefit the local community and our organisation for years to come
“It is fantastic to see it finally open and our teams delivering their life-saving response from here.”
“We have built a modern fire station designed for 21st century firefighters with excellent training facilities
bespoke decontamination areas and impressive sustainability features
“At incidents our teams work closely with our police colleagues
we will be able to work closely on a shared site in Cosham
building on those already strong relationships
“We are committed to investing in and improving our estate across Hampshire and Isle of Wight
to ensure that our teams can continue to provide the best possible service to our communities.”
Following approval from the Fire Authority to go ahead with the project
the ground was broken back in February last year
before a topping out ceremony took place last October
“The official opening ceremony today marks a brand-new era for our Cosham firefighters
their police colleagues they work closely alongside
and the local community which they serve here in Portsmouth.”
“The Service is at the forefront of modern firefighting with a focus on firefighter safety
“This is a momentous day for the organisation and it is an honour to be here representing the Fire Authority.”
The HIWFRS Property and Facilities team worked closely with our partners Morgan Sindall
to ensure the design met the needs of its future inhabitants
Area Director for Morgan Sindall’s South region
“The opening ceremony today marks a new beginning for crucial blue-light services in the local community
and more importantly how our emergency services can respond to the needs of the people and protect themselves in their daily duties
“We’re really proud to be part of this important fire station improvement programme working with Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Services
we have designed facilities to meet the unique needs of the modern fire service in providing this new station that will enhance their day-to-day activities and train our future fire fighters.”
The new fire station boasts improved training facilities
separate clean and dirty zones for managing contamination
The new site is considerably larger than the previous station
it is one of our largest stations and includes community rooms available for hire away from the secure operational and partner areas
The new station will serve as a unique and dynamic training hub in the east of the county
offering improved facilities not only for Cosham but for other stations as well
increasing our availability to run multiple training courses simultaneously whilst cutting down the travel time of our staff from this and adjacent sites around the Portsmouth region who would previously have to head to our main training base at Eastleigh
The work into designing the decontamination routes fits in with our Retrospective Design Principles
an ongoing project which more and more stations across Hampshire and Isle of Wight will benefit from ahead of its completion in 2025
The building boasts impressive energy and sustainability technology
which will help us reach our goal to be carbon neutral by 2030
The new station will become just as important to the local community as the old site
which besides its role as a base for crews
opened its doors at the top of the high street
to host multiple vaccination clinics throughout the Covid-19 pandemic
the Project team found the time to support the nurses on the Paediatric Starfish ward at the nearby Queen Alexandra Hospital with a donation of equipment such as new nursing trolleys
Representatives from both HIWFRS and Morgan Sindall visited the hospital to see their equipment in daily use
firefighters have been busy dealing with several significant incidents in the Portsmouth area in recent weeks
This includes a scrap metal blaze in Petersfield
a huge fire in a waste processing unit in nearby Tipner and a house fire in Waterlooville
The Cosham crews have also been continuing their fantastic fundraising efforts
with a final station car wash back in March
before the Red Watch team head stateside to take part in a 9/11 memorial stair climb for charity
Neighbourhood Policing Teams, Neighbourhood Enforcement Teams and new Missing Locate Teams will work from the new building alongside fire and rescue colleagues. Visit the Police and Crime Commissioner’s website for more information on the police station
Station photos from Morgan Sindall Construction
The HIWFRS Property and Facilities team played host to their counterparts in other fire and rescue services
who were invited to a conference at the Portsmouth Marriott Hotel
highlighting the best practice in building a 21st century fire station
The three-storey Portsmouth station was opened back in September by Lord Lieutenant Nigel Atkinson
Alongside speakers from Morgan Sindall Construction
HIWFRS were able to showcase the impressive emergency service hub
“It was wonderful to be able to welcome our colleagues from fire services across the country to hear how we planned for and delivered a fire station built for the future
“A lot of hard-work and planning went into the design process
which was a collaborative effort between our Estates team
our partners at Morgan Sindall Construction and of course our frontline crews
sustainability technology and partnership spaces – we are proud to showcase our newest station.”
The event follows on from the Fire Station Design Conference which took place in Cheshire at the beginning of November where HIWFRS’ Watch Manager Steven Burns and Senior Estates Improvement Manager Emily Frith presented on contaminants and our Retrospective Design Principles (RDP) project
which more and more stations across Hampshire and Isle of Wight will benefit from ahead of its completion in 2025
The Portsmouth conference covered important considerations made in the planning process of Cosham
such as separate clean and dirty zones for managing contamination
Cosham now serves as a unique and dynamic training hub in the east of the county
The building also boasts impressive energy and sustainability technology
delegates were invited to visit the Live Fire Unit which opened last year at our Eastleigh Headquarters
The modern facility is one of very few of its kind
presenting firefighters with the experience to tackle fires in controlled situations
in an environment where they are able to study how fire behaves in different conditions
A flexible space for our crews to train in
the bespoke unit allows for a variety of scenarios including one setup which replicates firefighting on a ship
The ground-floor is based upon a mechanics garage with the first-floor designed like a typical flat and the second-floor has been planned out with an office layout
Find out more about the new Cosham Fire Station and our Live Fire Unit on our website
Cosham’s Red Watch crew took on a significant challenge to honour the fallen firefighters and victims of the 9/11 terror attacks
while also raising funds for the families left behind
The team travelled to Truist Park in Georgia
home of the Major League Baseball team the Atlanta Braves
to participate in the Truist Park Charity Stair Climb
They donned full fire kit and climbed up and down 110 floors
symbolizing the height of the Twin Towers in the Manhattan skyline
“As serving members of the UK fire service
we remember the firefighters who climbed the Twin Towers on September 11
driven by an unwavering commitment to save lives
“Each step we took in our fire kit and breathing apparatus was a tribute to the bravery
and unity of our colleagues from across the pond
“We aimed to raise as much money as possible to support the Terry Farrell Fund
the team undertook various fundraising activities
where two crew members ran four miles every four hours over a 48-hour period
they completed a fundraising stair climb at the Village Gym in Portsmouth on April 26
climbing continuously in full fire kit and breathing apparatus throughout the day
The HIWFRS firefighters who participated in the event included: Danny Manns
The Terry Farrell Fund was established in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks in memory of Terry Farrell
one of the firefighters who perished in the tragedy
The Fund supports the families of firefighters across America and provides essential life-saving equipment to emergency responders
The Portsmouth firefighters set a goal of raising £5,000 to support the families of their American counterparts and had the opportunity to visit Ground Zero and the 9/11 memorial in downtown New York City as part of their journey
For those who wish to support their efforts, donations can still be made to their Just Giving page
You can keep up to date on their progress by following their X and Instagram pages – @redwatchcosham
Watch Manager Simon Bone reflected on the experience:
“The climb was an incredible experience for all of us
It’s been a long road of fundraising and training for the event
but walking side by side with our American brothers proved it was all worth it
The solidarity we share with our American counterparts has only been strengthened by this climb
and we truly hope to come back and do it all again.”