The Fire and Rescue National Framework for England was published yesterday by fire minister Bob Neill aimed at reducing the involvement of Whitehall in the running of local fire authorities.
The Chief Fire Officers Association (CFOA) have “broadly welcomed” the new framework, praising the decision to set up a Strategic Resilience Board which will support a collaborative approach to national resilience.
The Government believe that the document will give fire authorities the freedom and flexibility to deliver services to their communities and will move accountability away from central government in order to “place power in the hands of local communities.”
The framework’s key priorities are for fire and rescue authorities to:
- identify and assess the full range of foreseeable fire and rescue related risks their areas face, make provision for prevention and protection activities and respond to incidents appropriately;
- work in partnership with their communities and a wide range of partners locally and nationally to deliver their service;
- be accountable to communities for the service they provide.
Fire minister Bob Neill said: "This Framework delivers on the Government commitment to clearly define national resilience and to set out clear roles and responsibilities. I welcome the opportunity to take a collaborative approach to national resilience that is based on, and drawn from, local capability, expertise, knowledge and leadership."
The new Fire and Rescue Strategic Resilience Board will enable a collaborative approach to national resilience that is based on and drawn from local capability, expertise, knowledge and leadership, according to the government.
The framework has an open-ended duration and is intended to be applicable for the medium to long term. Mr Neill recognises that it has been delivered at a time of change and uncertainty.
He writes in the ministerial foreword: “There are new challenges. Fire and rescue authorities need to be able to deal with the continuing threat of terrorism, the impact of climate change, and the impacts of an ageing population, against the need to cut the national deficit.”
However he also praises the impact of fire authorities’ preventative work that has led to the number of fire deaths in the home halving since the 1980s.
However CFOA president Lee Howell had some reservations regarding the new national framework.
He said: “While fire chiefs broadly welcome the new framework there are still some issues to be ironed out around the national expectations government is placing on local resource. We will continue dialogue with Ministers and national officials to seek to work towards an outcome which is satisfactory for all.”
The framework is available to download now for free from the Communities and Local Government Department’s website here.
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