DORSET FIRE and Rescue Service has received national recognition for the high standards and the commitment to good practice of the volunteering scheme that it operates.

Dorset is only the second fire and rescue service in the country to have ever achieved the highly sought-after Investing in Volunteers (IiV) award, the UK's quality standard for volunteer management.

The Investing in Volunteers Quality Standard has been awarded to Dorset Fire and Rescue Service following an assessment against a range of good practice standards. The results showed that the Fire Service excelled in all aspects of working with its volunteers.

Dorset Fire and Rescue Service joins only 800 other organisations throughout the country that satisfy the nine indicators of volunteer management, which includes ensuring that volunteers are properly and fairly recruited, supported, protected, and made to feel appreciated for their time and hard work.