Sabrina Cohen-Hatton

Dr Sabrina Cohen-Hatton is one of the most senior female fire officers in the world. Homeless at just 15. Hungry. Beaten. Eating out of bins to survive. Today, she’s a Chief Fire Officer - the highest rank a firefighter can achieve in the UK. Her journey is nothing short of extraordinary. Sabrina lost her father to a brain tumour at nine. Her mother struggled to cope, and by her early teens, Sabrina was living rough on the streets. What truly stuck out to Sabrina was that nobody cared. People would walk past like she was a ghost, and her own teacher even crossed the road when she made eye contact. Nobody was coming to rescue her. She had to rescue herself.

Now, she’s doing the same for others. A fierce advocate for social mobility and systemic change, Sabrina is an ambassador for The Big Issue, Street Vet, and in 2023, she was appointed as an advocate for Homewards, the Prince of Wales’ major initiative to end homelessness.

A trailblazer in the fire service, Sabrina was the first female Chief Fire Officer in West Sussex and has recently been appointed as the first female Chief of Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire & Rescue Service. Her operational experience at London Fire Brigade, where she served as Deputy Assistant Commissioner, includes the Westminster Terror Attack, Finsbury Park Terror Attack and the aftermath of the Grenfell tragedy. Alongside her frontline service, she earned a PhD in Behavioural Neuroscience and has made it her mission to create lasting, impactful change across the public sector. Sabrina is an Honorary Research Fellow at Cardiff University and is an internationally recognised expert in risk-critical decision making in crises.

Sabrina is a best-selling author of three books, she's been named one of The Big Issue’s Top 100 Changemakers, a Marie Claire Future Shaper, and appeared on Cosmopolitan’s Millennial Power List. In 2024, she was awarded the King’s Fire Service Medal (KFSM) in the King’s Birthday Honours. This prestigious honour was given in recognition of her outstanding leadership and contribution to the fire and rescue service.