Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service, formerly known as the Tyne and Wear Metropolitan Fire Brigade, is the fire and rescue service for the metropolitan county of Tyne and Wear. The service provides emergency fire cover to the five metropolitan boroughs in the county: Newcastle Upon Tyne, Gateshead, North Tyneside, South Tyneside and Sunderland, with a total population of 1.09 million people and a total geographical area of 538 km2 (208 square miles). Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Authority is responsible for the running of the service, as well as the publication of performance indicators in accordance with its legal obligations. In April 2017, Chris Lowther was appointed Chief Fire Officer.