Public invited to have their say on fire service

Do you want to shape the future of your local fire service?

We are encouraging local communities to have their say on the organisation’s future priorities as part of a six-week consultation, which gets underway today (Monday 16 October).

It will run until 26 November, and details, along with a survey, will be available on our website. The consultation will help contribute to the Service’s Safety Plan, which is a document all fire and rescue services are required to produce. The final plan will detail the priorities we will adopt and the approach we will take to ensure the protection of local communities, the reduction of risk and the commitment to firefighter safety. Those who complete the survey will also be entered into a prize draw to win a £100 Amazon voucher.

The consultation will be on a refreshed version of our current Safety Plan which we are required to extend for nine months. The current Safety Plan was due to end in March 2024 however we need to extend this current plan until the end of 2024 to ensure the four year cycle of the plan aligns with the four year term of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner (PFCC).

The next PFCC elections are in May 2024, by extending our current plan until the end of 2024 this will allow the newly elected Commissioner time to produce their own Fire and Rescue Service Plan and approve our next four year plan. It is important that the Commissioner has the opportunity to do this as they will govern the fire and rescue service against these plans.

Chief Fire Officer, Rob Barber said: “The feedback which will be gathered through this consultation period will be pivotal in the future service we can deliver to communities across the county. We are keen to listen to local people about their concerns, better understand their priorities and implement measures to make sure we service their needs as effectively as we can.

“We have a proven track record of transformation, commitment and innovation and we will continue in our quest of making Staffordshire the safest place to be.”

Visit our website to view the Safety Plan and to complete the survey. For those not able to fill out an online survey, a hard copy can be requested by calling 0300 330 1000, or contact details can be left at your local fire station.