Trevor Bevins, Local Democracy Reporter.
Questions are being asked about why there is no high ladder for the fire and rescue use in the whole Dorset Council area.
It follows a recent fire at a house in Queen’s Avenue, Dorchester when an aerial ladder platform had to be driven across Dorset from Westbourne to assist local crews. In July this year the Westbourne unit had to be driven across the county for a serious fire in Broadwey.
January 2025 saw high ladder units from Westbourne and Yeovil, Somerset helping tackle a commercial building fire in Weymouth’s King Street while in August 2025 a high ladder had to be driven south from Yeovil for a fire in an apartment block in Brewery Square, Dorchester.
Until recent years Weymouth had its own high ladder. It was withdrawn during the 2018-19 financial year.
A Dorset Echo report from December 2008 details fire chiefs proposals for downgrading Weymouth’s high-rise rescue platform from full-time to part-time operation, with firefighters at the time strongly opposing the change. That, and overall cuts to Weymouth fire and rescue services, resulted in a 12,000 signature public petition in protest.
Emergency services often speak of “the golden hour” when delays in responding to incidents can prove disastrous – yet even on blue lights in the summer months the trip from Westbourne is likely to take longer than that.
Said Dorchester Mayor Les Fry about the August 11th fire in the county town: “This fire was a shame for the owners and perhaps a wakeup call for the decision makers in the Fire Service that there was not a ariel ladder unit closer to Dorchester than Westbourne. Luckily no lives were at risk on this occasion, but had they have been the outcome may have been very different.”
With an increase in fires this year questions have also been asked about what would happen should the Westbourne ladder be needed within the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council area, at the same time fire breaks out elsewhere in the county.
The Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service only has three aerial high ladders – based in Swindon, Wiltshire; in Salisbury, Wiltshire and a 42metre unit at Westbourne, Bournemouth, all bought by the service in 2017.
DWFRS say the 42metre unit at Westbourne is larger than the other two units, both 32metres, which reflects the large number of high-rise residential buildings in the BCP area.
The fire and rescue service says it keeps “appliance distribution under review,” taking into consideration risk and demand data and the geographical location of incidents.
“Whilst there is no current plan to increase the number of ALPs across the Service, we will carry out a detailed review prior to the vehicles being replaced, in six to seven years’ time. The costs associated with replacement ALPs will be built into our capital programmes at that time,” said a statement from the service.
It believes the units it currently has support the level of risk and demand, adding : “If, through our risk work, we identify a requirement to review this earlier than prior to planned replacement, this will be undertaken.”
Assistant Chief Fire Officer Darren Langdown said: “Aerial ladder platforms are an incredibly useful resource when dealing with high-rise buildings or roof fires, as long as there is room to pitch them safely. If an incident commander requests an ALP, the nearest available will be sent, which can mean support from a neighbouring fire and rescue service in line with our partnership arrangements.”
The service says the existing 32metre appliances each cost £650,000 when bought in 2017, based on inflation a new unit would now be around £895,000 each.
