FIRE SERVICE RELATED
Hampshire’s first
female assistant
fire chief aims to
be role model
Hampshire’s first female fire chief says she
feels privileged to be blazing a trail for
women in the service and will strive to be a
role model for the firefighters of tomorrow.
Former head of Knowledge Management for
Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service Shantha
Dickinson, 38, will use the array of skills she
honed in the military and her insight into local
politics in the interim role.
The Assistant Chief Officer and Director of
Community Safety and Resilience said:
“Hampshire is an extremely progressive fire
service and I am delighted to be a part of it.
“I am proud that, along with many others,
I may be able to help challenge prejudice
and show children in the playground they
can be what they want when they grow up.”
The mum of two, from the Meon Valley,
Hampshire, was born in Hong Kong before
her family relocated to the West Country.
She later moved to Edinburgh to attend
university.
She then graduated as a commissioned
army officer at Sandhurst Military Academy
and served in the Intelligence Corps where
she frequently had to work in partnership with
government departments and agencies.
After a decade of moving around the
country with the military she moved into
the world of local politics being in charge
of information governance and security for
West Sussex County Council for four years.
She then joined Hampshire Fire and Rescue
Service in 2014 to build and head up a new
department to critically analyse data and
information to help improve performance
and contribute to the shaping of a more
modern fire service.
She added: “The fire service has seen huge
changes in its culture and role in recent years
and we are always looking for new ways
to help keep people safe and improve the
world they live in.
“Hampshire is at the forefront of this positive
change and I am looking forward to being
part of this exciting journey.”
ACO Dickinson – who is fluent in German –
has been involved in top level operational
training exercises and shadowing at incidents
for more than a year.
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