AN Isle of Wight priest has been appointed as chaplain to the Island’s Fire and Rescue Service.

The Rev Roger Whatley, chaplain to the Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service; Chief Fire Officer Steve Apter; Bishop Christopher; and the Ven Karen Schmidt, Acting Archdeacon of the Isle of Wight.

The Rev Roger Whatley, from Newport, will minister to firefighters, retired firefighters and their families – and to some of those caught up in fire incidents. Bishop Christopher visited the island’s Fire and Rescue Service headquarters to find out more.

The post was the idea of Chief Fire Officer Steve Apter, who thought a chaplain could help fire crews to deal with difficult situations. Roger was retiring from his post as curate of Newport Minster and St John’s Church, and was keen to take the role.

He’s already visited most of the 10 fire stations around the island and introduced himself to crews. And he’s been surprised by the willingness of firefighters to share their feelings.

“There was a major incident with a fatality one Friday night, and the crews in Cowes were then on the go all weekend,” he said. “I went over on the Monday night and they were shattered. I suggested that we talk another time, but they wanted to put their equipment away and sit down to talk it through.

“I’ve been around all but two of the stations already, and I’ll put together a rota so that staff know when I’m due. And I’ve already been on a conference at the Fire Service College with chaplains from other services, so I know a bit about what other chaplains do.”

CFO Steve Apter, who has spent his entire 21-year career with the Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service, was also keen to help care for retired firefighters and their families more effectively. He was keen that a chaplain might be part of that support network.

“We’ve never had a dedicated chaplain here, and it really helps to have someone who can come alongside fire crews and their families, and can listen to their concerns,” he said.

“Roger can also occasionally travel to the scene of an incident, as he has been trained alongside members of a Red Cross team. He might then be able to offer instant support those who have been caught up in a fire themselves, or whose family or friends have been injured or lost their lives.”

And Bishop Christopher said: “This is an excellent initiative and very welcome. We’re grateful to Steve, Roger and the service for launching and resourcing this.

“The Church isn’t just about churches, but about being involved in the local community, and this is a great example of workplace chaplaincy bringing spiritual support to those at the frontline.”

The Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service currently employs 226 staff of whom 113 are retained firefighters and 93 are full-time or officers . There are 12 frontline fire engines on standby 24 hours a day.