The Fire Authority Chair, Councilors Backhouse, has issued the following statement, setting out the Fire Authority’s position:
The Fire Authority considers that the PCC has not set out an evidenced case for an irreversible transfer of governance from the Fire Authority to the PCC. Instead we believe it would be better if the PCC were to become a voting member on the Authority, alongside existing councillors.
Our proposal balances costs, savings, collaboration and public safety in an appropriate and risk assessed way and still keeps options for change open for the future, if necessary.
External reviews have consistently confirmed that the Authority has strong governance arrangements already. We believe that these arrangements can be further enhanced by the addition of the PCC on the Authority. We want to ensure that any future governance structure does not de-stabilise the organisation.
The Authority believes in greater collaboration with a wide range of partners, not just with the police, and our proposed model of governance would deliver this.