The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) has welcomed the Fire Minister’s address to the NFCC Spring Conference this week, in which he set out the Government’s priorities for fire and rescue services and committed to reform being driven forward in collaboration with the sector.
National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) Chair, Phil Garrigan, said, “We are really pushing decision makers to recognize the huge value and contribution of our fire and rescue services, so we welcome the Minister’s commitment to work in collaboration with us to drive improvements in our sector.”
He adds, “We also welcome his appreciation of the growing challenges the sector faces and his recognition of the need to strengthen the infrastructure that supports fire and rescue services to deliver better outcomes more consistently.”
Culture and leadership
“I want to echo the Minister’s strong emphasis on culture and leadership, the recognition that our people are our greatest asset and the need to do more to see improvements in culture,” continued Phil Garrigan.
He adds, “Fire and rescue services demonstrate professionalism, compassion and integrity every day - at home and internationally. The Minister’s recognition of the collective character of our workforce is important and welcome.”
Phil Garrigan continues, “As we move forward, it is vital that fire and rescue services are properly valued and do not become the forgotten emergency service. We remain committed to working with the Government to ensure the sector continues to evolve and meet the needs of our communities.”
Four key priorities
The Minister set out four key priorities for the Government:
- Providing strategic direction to the sector by revising the National Framework and by putting in place an improved process for reporting to Parliament.
- Establishing a new College of Fire and Rescue with the functions and capabilities to meet the sector’s needs.
- Driving productivity by identifying best practices and supporting workforce development, and by reviewing statutory duties where change may be needed.
- Seizing the opportunities for devolution and local government reorganization to improve governance, accountability, and delivery.
Ministerial Advisory Group
The Minister confirmed that the Ministerial Advisory Group would be central to delivering reforms
The Minister confirmed that the Ministerial Advisory Group – formed of partners from across the sector - would be central to delivering these reforms. NFCC welcomed the Minister’s praise for national resilience capabilities and the work of the National Resilience and International Search and Rescue teams.
These, he said, showed the 'collective character' of fire and rescues services and the best of the UK on the global stage. He also offered clear support for the hosting of the World Fire Congress in London in 2026, underlining the UK fire and rescue sector’s growing global influence.
Workforce and culture
On workforce and culture, the Minister emphasized that people are the fire and rescue service’s greatest asset. He acknowledged the significant work led by NFCC in this area, including the launch of the Core Code of Ethics and the creation of the People, Culture and Leadership Hub, but made clear that further progress is needed.
The Minister also addressed building safety, reiterating the Government’s commitment that new housing must never come at the cost of safe homes. He confirmed the laying of regulations for Residential Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans and reaffirmed his commitment to continued engagement with disability groups and the Grenfell families.
Spending Review
While acknowledging ongoing work around the Spending Review, the Minister pledged to return to leaders soon with further details on the outcome for fire and rescue.
NFCC reiterated its longstanding call for fire and rescue services to be properly valued and not become the 'forgotten emergency service'.
