Agenda item

Cllr Jeremy Hilton, Chairman of the Fire Services Management Committee (FSMC) introduced the paper and updated the Board on the principal issues concerning the FSMC and fire community at large. Cllr Hilton outlined that there are four key issues the FSMC has identified: funding, service transformation, collaboration and governance.

Members welcomed the update and made a number of comments:

·         The potential for the Fire and Rescue Service to contribute to the work of wider council services like trading standards and regulatory services, public health and community safety

·         The service has a strong brand and high levels of trust among the public.

·         The proposed changes to the fire service governance and the FSMC's opposition to Police and Crime Commissioners taking over responsibility for the running of the service

·         There were concerns that the remit of the service was being expanded when funding was being cut, and whether this could impact on the core business of the service.

The Board agreed that the different remits of the Board and the FSMC, and the reporting link between the two structures, are clear.  There is a standing invite for a representative agreed by the FSMC to attend Board meetings as an observer.

Action:

Officers noted members’ comments.

Decision:

The Board agreed to invite a representative of the FSMC to attend meetings, in an observer capacity, to feed in comments on the work of this Board.