Berkshire shares borders with London, Surrey, Hampshire, Wiltshire, Oxfordshire, and Buckinghamshire. The Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service, otherwise RBFRS, covers 125,914 hectares and is responsible to over 800,000 residents. Considerable amount of threats are varying which range from industrial risks to rural risks but the major threats the force is facing are the Windsor Castle, Broadmoor Special Hospital, and the Atomic Weapons Establishments at Aldermaston and Burghfield. It also includes the M4 motorway which is one of the busiest motorways and the establishments built within the area.
The force has 600 competent firemen of which 150 of whom worked as retained staff. They respond to more or less 12,000 emergencies annually which vary from road and rail to air and sea catastrophes, chemical spills, fires, collapsed establishments, and rescue operations.
As a matter of fact, in 2010 the firefighters handled over 5000 fires in varying cases- in house, in business establishments, and vehicle and opens spaces, and they saved over 2000 people who were involved in accidents.
RBFFS is engaged in community fire safety. Meaning to say, the force, alongside with the local authorities, is initiating fora, symposia, orientations to inform the public on fire and/or disaster risk reduction.
