The service was created through volunteer brigades and was owned by local county councils. In between 1948 and 1974, there were 18 operational part-time stations and 3 stations crewed 24 hours. But this has changed in the succeeding years when the county of Bournemouth and Christchurch became part of Dorset and of which expanded the scope of the service.
Dorset Fire and Rescue Service is responsible to the area of Dorset, South West England. The main fire station is based at Poundbury.
There are 26 operational fire stations which are mostly run by retained firefighters. 3 stations based at Bournemouth are operating 24 hours every day: there is a station in Redhill which owns 2 Water Ladder Rescue (1 is reserved) and an Incident Support Unit; another station is at Westbourne which also owns 2 Water Ladder Rescue (1 is reserved), an Aerial Ladder Platform and a PCV; the last is installed in Springbourne which owns 2 Water Ladder Rescue (1 is reserved), a Support Vehicle and a Station Utility Vehicle.
There are 3 stations operating as wholetime/retained and these are the station at Weymouth which has 2 Water Ladder Rescue, Aerial Ladder Platform, Specialist Rescue Tender, and a PCV; another is at Poole which has 2 Water Ladder Rescue, Prime Mover Specialist Foam Tender, 2 Specialist Rescue Tender, Support Vehicle, PCV, and a 4×4 Heavy Off Road Vehicle; and the last is located at Christchurch which owns 2 Water Ladder Rescue, 4×4 Heavy Rescue Unit, Breathing Apparatus Tender and a Prime Mover. And there is only 1 station crewed at day time which is located at Ferndown which owns 2 Water Ladder rescue (1 is reserved), and a 4×4 Landrover.
The remaining 25 stations are crewed by retained or on-call firefighters who live nearby the station so they can go there within 5 minutes after a call is receive. The stations are at Lyme Regis, Charmouth, Bridport, Beaminster, Maiden Newton, Isle of Portland, Dorchester, Sherborne, Sturminster Newton, Gillingham, Shaftesbury, Blandford, Bere Regis, Waream, Swanage, Hamworthy, WImborne, Cranborne and at Verwood.
Also, Dorset Fire and Rescue Service is working alongside with the South Western Ambulance Service to give an emergency medical cover to Lyme Regis and Beaminster whichare both identified as the areas with greater need of ambulance assistance. The team executes first-aid while waiting for the arrival of either Rapid Response Vehicle or the ambulance.
