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Adam Bannister is a contributor to IFSEC Global, having been in the role of Editor from 2014 through to November 2019. Adam also had stints as a journalist at cybersecurity publication, The Daily Swig, and as Managing Editor at Dynamis Online Media Group.
November 12, 2015

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Fire Chiefs Blast Government Plans to Hand Control of Firefighters Over to the Police

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Photo: RobWinton under CC2.0 licence

Government plans to give police greater jurisdiction over firefighters are “unnecessary, unhelpful and restrictive”, fire chiefs have warned.

The government is consulting on handing Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) control of firefighters, who are currently under the aegis of Fire and Rescue Authorities (FRAs).

Fire chiefs have also claimed the changes could jeopardise community work the fire service undertakes that goes beyond the scope of fire safety and suppression.

The Local Government Association, which represents all of England’s 46 fire authorities, says firefighters conduct almost 700,000 annual home safety visits.

Working with health bodies and schools firefighters have undertaken several health initiatives, such as installing cold alarms to prevent vulnerable elderly people from being hospitalised during cold weather or teaching children the importance of a healthy lifestyle to tackle obesity.

Transferring power to PCCs, claim fire chiefs, would divert valuable resources away from this valuable work.

The introduction of a new statutory duty on all three emergency services to work collaboratively has also been criticised as unnecessary, wth the FRAs citing the response to the A27 air display crash in August as illustrating that the services already work well in tandem.

“Firefighters make almost 700,000 home safety visits each year – and that is 700,000 opportunities to do more for their local communities and an opportunity not to be overlooked by government,” said Cllr Jeremy Hilton, Chair of the LGA’s Fire Services Management Committee, said.

“Firefighters are already achieving so much and we do not want to hinder this with unhelpful, unnecessary and restrictive legislation. The fire service is not a failing service and does not need to be messed around with.

“The next Spending Review could make a real impact on the Fire and Rescue Authorities’ ability to prevent, protect and respond more effectively and government needs to carefully consider their role.

“There is huge potential for firefighters to play a wider and more important role in their communities.

“Firefighters have proven just how effective they can be by halving the numbers of fires over the last decade through both their swift responses to emergencies and their fantastic prevention work.

“Through their work to build healthy, safe and resilient communities, firefighters can make a major contribution to the Government’s overall ambition for a healthier, more secure society.”

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