Sabrina Cohen-Hatton has officially taken up the role of chief fire officer for Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service.

She succeeds Neil Odin, who is retiring after a 34-year career in the fire service. Odin began his career in Hampshire in 1991, later spending more than two decades with West Sussex before returning in 2012 as assistant chief.

He became chief fire officer in Jan. 2018 and oversaw the merger of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight services into a single organisation in Apr. 2021. He also served as the UK National Fire Chiefs Council lead for international affairs and previously chaired the UK Prevention Committee.

Ms Cohen-Hatton brings extensive experience from senior roles in London Fire Brigade, Surrey Fire and Rescue Service, and West Sussex, which she joined in 2019.

In 2015 she was appointed deputy assistant commissioner in London, where she commanded responses to major incidents including the Westminster Bridge and Finsbury Park terror attacks, as well as the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower fire.

She has also undertaken secondments with the Welsh Government, His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS), and as interim deputy chief fire officer in Surrey. She currently serves as the NFCC’s improvement chair and national lead for working dogs.

In recognition of her distinguished service and gallantry, Cohen-Hatton was awarded the King’s Fire Service Medal in the 2023 Birthday Honours.