The Home Office recently announced the governance arrangements of Staffordshire’s Fire and Rescue Service will become the responsibility of Staffordshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC).
This Government’s decision was the result of an independent and in-depth business case delivered jointly by the PCC’s office, Staffordshire Police and Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service.
It will mean Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Authority, which is made up of 21 councillors from Stoke-on-Trent City Council and Staffordshire County Council, will cease to exist in due course.
Staffordshire’s PCC Matthew Ellis said ‘The change to governance and oversight will not affect frontline operations of Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service. Officers and staff should not be unduly worried – it’s entirely business as usual.
‘This is an opportunity to further improve the way the police and fire service work together and to ensure more of the funding available goes to frontline services.
‘Staffordshire is a large and diverse county and it’s important the future for both services is financially more secure with a period of stability to get on with the difficult jobs they do’.
The PCC is currently meeting with Staffordshire Fire and Rescue staff through a series of engagement events. The legal transfer of governance is scheduled for 1st June 2018.