Thank you Les [Byrom] and thank you to the LGA for bringing us together here today.
It is a great pleasure to speak to LGA Fire Conference for the first time as the minister responsible for our fire and rescue services.
Because the people here – firefighters, chief fire officers, fire authority chairs, councillors, call handlers, fire safety professionals – are the reason families across this country are safer.
That’s not a small thing. That’s everything.
So thank you for all that you do — day in and day out – for the communities you serve.
The way this sector has engaged with this Government’s reform agenda, openly and constructively, is something I don’t take for granted either.
It matters enormously.
And it is fitting we meet here in Manchester to discuss those plans for change – the location of one of England’s first municipal fire services.
And it’s that same spirit of leadership and innovation which is required of all of us today as we confront the many challenges this sector is facing.
We need every fire authority, every local authority, every chief fire officer, every union across this country working with us to overcome them.
Because the reforms we are discussing today will only succeed if we shape them together — from the ground up, in every region, in a shared national endeavour.
But let’s be clear about where we start from.
The need for change
The fire and rescue service in England is staffed by dedicated, talented people operating within a system that is decades out of date.
The foundations of this service – pay structures, role definitions, training frameworks — were laid down in different times and in inconsistent ways.
That is not a criticism of anyone in this room.
It is simply a fact.
And it is a problem the [political content] repeatedly failed to solve.
They didn’t engage seriously with the fire service.
They didn’t engage seriously with the unions.
The result was decades of drift and inertia.
That stops now.
This Government made a promise to deliver reform of our fire and rescue services because we believe this sector deserves better, and that the country deserves better too.
The Grenfell Tower tragedy in 2017- which claimed 72 lives – exposed systemic failures which required a different kind of response…
…with Government, fire authorities and local authorities working side by side, as genuine partners to improve fire safety…
…And to continue making improvements as part of an ongoing process of change.
That partnership is the foundation for everything we’re building.
And I’m grateful to everyone in this room who made that shift possible.
We now have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to enhance professionalism within the service, from top to bottom. To build a sector that is truly fit for the 21st century.
Challenges
We will need to pool all of the skills, experience and expertise here today and across this sector – in pursuit of this goal.
Because the challenges firefighters face are rapidly changing.
Non-fire incidents have increased by more than 60 per cent in a decade.
The growing impacts of climate change, new challenges in the built environment and the risks emerging from geopolitical change all mean the fire services of tomorrow must be more capable, more highly trained and more adaptable than ever before.
And it is fire and rescue authorities who will need to ensure their services are appropriately balanced, in order to respond to these evolving challenges across all of their statutory duties.
We can’t fully predict the ‘systemic shocks’ of the future.
But what we do know – from the challenges we faced during the pandemic – is that everything and everyone will be affected.
Those shocks, when they come, will require a collective and resilient response.
The question is – how are our fire and rescue services supported to adapt to that?
Many of you will know that we’re already undertaking reviews and research into flooding, civil protection and other high-level risks.
And we are working closely with our partners across the sector to strengthen standards of professionalism, improve capabilities and build greater consistency nationally…
…Joining forces through the shared vision of the Ministerial Advisory Group, to deliver this.
Four priorities
Our plan for reform of this sector has four clear priorities.
The first is to strengthen the National Framework through which all other reforms will flow.
This will set the direction and expectations of fire and rescue authorities – and we are aiming to present a revised version of the framework to Parliament before the end of the year.
Your views are helping to shape this change – and we need your continued engagement to get it right.
The second priority for reform is the College of Fire and Rescue — the cornerstone of professionalisation – which will build on the work of the Fire Standards Board and the National Fire Chiefs Council to set national standards, develop training, and help bring greater consistency across the fire and rescue sector.
When I visited Merseyside in January, I was delighted to see the high calibre of people entering into this profession.
The college will make that excellence universal.
We’ll launch a consultation in May on the potential functions it could fulfil and how it could be structured and delivered.
The third plank of our plan for change is to update and future-proof the role of the fire and rescue authority – and by extension capabilities within the fire and rescue service itself – so these better reflect demand for its work now and into the future.
Like you, we want a service that is strengthened professionally, which fully utilises its resources, and is responsive to existing and future threats.
A service with more consistent standards and more opportunities for people to develop within their roles and build new capabilities.
We also want to see a national pay and reward structure that is fair and easy to understand and operate – and which meets the needs of both services and operational staff.
The current pay structure hasn’t been updated in a generation.
It doesn’t reward the skills we’re asking fire service staff to develop.
That’s not just unfair – it’s unsustainable.
That’s why we are supporting change.
The NJC is doing important work on pay reform.
They are grappling with difficult, long-standing issues — and are coming up with good ideas – and we support their work.
We also want the Firefighters’ Pension Scheme to reflect the needs of today’s workforce. The LGA’s review of the Compensation Scheme is an early step in this work. Their recommendations in May will help shape our next phase.
We are also looking closely at the vital role played by our on-call firefighters, as part of ensuring that fire and rescue services can continue to secure a sustainable, resilient workforce throughout the country.
The retained duty system can be cost-effective and is often rooted in local communities in rural areas.
Services like Lancashire have shown how improvements can successfully be made and it’s important we learn from that and from similar examples.
The fourth and final pillar of the reforms we are delivering is on governance.
The English Devolution Bill will empower Mayors to take on fire and rescue authority functions in some areas.
And I know many of you will have questions in light of the recent Police Reform White paper and its regionalisation proposals.
I can assure you that any future decisions on fire governance will be taken in consultation with the sector and based on what delivers the best service for our communities.
Whatever shape this takes, we are committed to democratic accountability and transparency.
Culture and investment
Underpinning our plan for reform are two further areas of action.
The first of which is creating a workforce and workplace culture in fire and rescue that better reflects our country today.
With just nine per cent women and five per cent ethnic minorities currently serving in the sector, we have a long way to go – and we must do more to encourage people from a wider range of backgrounds to join.
The quality of our fire and rescue service depends on it.
Our Culture and Integrity Task and Finish Group is helping to lead the transition to a more diverse and culturally connected service that is committed to continuous improvement.
The reforms we are introducing are ambitious.
I acknowledge that they must be implemented in a way that is fair and recognises the vital contribution of the Fire and Rescue Services.
And while you wouldn’t expect me to guarantee the outcomes of the next spending review – I can assure you the Secretary of State and I will be gathering and presenting the strongest possible evidence to secure the investment Fire and Rescue Services need to be able to meet the current and future needs of communities.
Because this underpins all that we are working with you to achieve.
We’ve already made progress on funding for the sector – with a £15m boost for standalone fire and rescue authorities as part of the first multi-year Local Government Finance Settlement in a decade.
And we introduced a funding floor so they will have their 2025/26 income protected in real terms.
At the same time, we’re beginning a comprehensive review of fire service funding and the formula used to determine risk.
Succeeding where the [political content removed] failed by tackling these challenges one step at a time.
Conclusion
We know the past few decades have been tough for the fire and rescue sector and that you haven’t been treated with the respect you are due.
We believe the service deserves better, that the people who work within it deserve better and that the communities you protect deserve better.
Because this is a government that is on your side.
With your support, we will build a fire and rescue service – across all roles and all functions – that is more capable, and more highly trained, where professionalism continues to grow.
A service freed from the structures of the past and equipped to meet the challenges of the future.
A sector that is more diverse, more resilient and fully engaged with the communities you serve – able to adapt to the risks and challenges that lie ahead.
Because quite frankly nothing less will do.
You have shown you are ready for this moment.
So are we.
Together we can make this happen.
Thank you.
