Bringing Fire And Police Closer Together

In focus contains contributions from the four existing Police Fire and Crime Commissioners and two PCC candidates looking to take on fire. Since the PCC elections in May this year, the number of Conservative PCCs has expanded to 30 and they are now far in the majority across England.

Prior to the May elections, the Home Office published the first part of a review into PCCs and made it clear they wanted to expand the model across the country. The much-trailed Fire White Paper will contain detail on this and other changes to fire and rescue services arising from recommendations in the fire inspectorate’s State of Fire report.

Policing and Crime Act 2017

Lord Stephen Greenhalgh, Minister of State for Fire, said: “Through our forthcoming White Paper, we will consult on how governance in the fire sector can be improved, including expanding the role for Police and Crime Commissioners. I’m confident the PFCC model provides greater accountability, consistency, and transparency.”

The Policing and Crime Act 2017 provided the legal basis for Police and Crime Commissioners to take on governance of fire and rescue services. Through a lengthy process of producing business cases, consultation and agreement from the Home Office, just four PCCs have made the change to become PFCCs.

Governance of Essex County Fire and Rescue Service

First PFCC took the governance of Essex County Fire and Rescue Service after commissioned by the authority

The APCC publication features Roger Hirst, the first PFCC who took on the governance of Essex County Fire and Rescue Service after reports commissioned by the previous fire and rescue authority found that the culture of the service was toxic.

Mr. Hirst appointed Jo Turton as his Chief Fire Officer; she came from a local government background and recently announced she would be leaving the service by the end of this year.

Stephen Mold similarly took on a failing fire and rescue service with the demise of the old Northamptonshire County Council, which was home to the fire and rescue service. He and Roger Hirst were the only PFCCs to stand for re-election in May. They were joined by new PFCCs Ben Adams in Staffordshire and Philip Allott in North Yorkshire.

Acrimonious campaign

The PCC in West Mercia has run a long and often acrimonious campaign to take on the fire functions from the fire and rescue services in Hereford and Worcestershire and Shropshire. Neither of the respective fire and rescue authorities support his bid for change, taking to the courts to try to end PCC John Campion’s ambitions.

Now that Leicestershire has turned blue, the new Conservative PCC, Rupert Matthews has thrown his hat into the ring too.