- Author
- Bain, G.
- Title
- Future of the Fire Service Reducing Risk, Saving Lives. Independent Review of the Fire Service.
- Distribution
- For Full Report Visit: ODPM Free Literature, P.O. Box 236, Wetherby, West Yorkshire, LS23 7NB, Email: [email protected], Telephone: 0870 1226 236, Fax: 0870 1226 237. Website: http://www.irfs.org.uk/index.htm
- Keywords
- fire departments | fire risks | fire safety | management systems | fire fighters | costs
- Identifiers
- fire service today; fire service tomorrow; risk and community fire safety; role of central and local government; implementation and management policy; pay; pensions; conditions of service; retained firefighters; implementing reform
- Abstract
- This report is the result of a three-month review which we have carried out into the UK Fire Service. It sets out our recommendations for how the service should change in the future to meet the demands of the twenty-first century. The Fire Service is paid for by the public and exists to protect them from the threat of fire, accidents and other natural events.While it can be justifiably proud of many of the things it does, it is entirely appropriate that from time to time, its work should be examined by an independent body to ensure not only that it is cost-effective, but that it gives the best possible protection against an often very challenging and occasionally life-threatening set of risks. While there have been many studies of the Fire Service in recent years, there is widespread acceptance that these have resulted in little change, and there was, therefore, general support for the work of our Review. We have carried out our work independently and objectively. Membership of the Review was put together with the co-operation of the Government, the employers organisations and fire authorities in England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, as well as the General Secretary of the TUC. It is unfortunate that one of the unions concerned with the Fire Service, the Fire Brigades Union, has not supported the work of the Review, but this has not prevented us from carrying out what we believe to be a thorough and objective survey of the work of the Fire Service.