A newly published report has raised serious concerns about the performance of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service – including issues that could impact local response times in Andover.
Inspectors from His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) have rated the service as “requiring improvement” in several key areas – particularly how it responds to fires and other emergencies.
One of the main concerns is a shortage of firefighters. The report says the service is struggling to maintain enough fire engines across the region, often falling below its own expected standards. That could have knock-on effects for stations like Andover, especially when neighbouring crews are called away to cover larger incidents.
The report also flags internal issues, including low staff confidence in how the service handles concerns around bullying, discrimination, and workplace culture.
The Fire Brigades Union has warned that further planned cuts could make the situation worse – with current proposals to remove more frontline roles in a bid to save £1.6 million.
No response has yet been published by the fire service itself, but we will update this story when that becomes available.
Andover is served by a wholetime crew at the London Road fire station, supported by an on-call team. The local station also backs up incidents in surrounding villages and across Test Valley.