After the recent opening of a new state-of-the-art training centre for firefighters in Merseyside and beyond, the Service has developed plans to build on this innovation and their strong performance in recent years. In their latest Community Risk Management Plan (CRMP), approved by Merseyside Fire & Rescue Authority today, 17th October, the Authority have further strengthened their ambition for the Service.
The plan is developed by assessing foreseeable risk in Merseyside, considering the demand for services and the vulnerability of our communities.
Proposals contained within Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service’s (MFRS) CRMP 2024-27 represent a continued optimism for the Service after significant focus on improvement, investment and growth, bucking the previous trend of closures and cuts. The positive impact of those changes has been highlighted in two inspections by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) since 2021 which found on both occasions that the Service was:
- Outstanding at preventing fires and other risks
- Outstanding at responding to major incidents
- Outstanding at making best use of resources
But the Service won’t be resting on its laurels. As one of the leading Fire and Rescue Services in the country it will now build on that success introducing plans that:
- Increase the number of fire engines yet further from 32 to 34 making it more resilient.
- Improve the way fire engines are mobilised, making the Service quicker to respond.
- Protect frontline fire engine availability, through creative use of its team’s retained availability.
- Enhance its water rescue response.
- Educate communities about wildfire, flood and other emergent risks in their area.
- Continue to assist the Ambulance Service protect the most vulnerable.
- Target prevention work at people with the highest risk where there is a heightened level of inequality, including those in sheltered accommodation.
- Provide national and international training at their new Training and Development Academy
The plan will sit with two other hugely significant plans, the People Plan, and the Medium-Term Financial Plan. Together, these set out the organisational ambitions of the Service over the next three years.
The Service recognises that people are pivotal in all it sets out to do. The People Plan sets out the ambition of attracting and retaining the best people to work in the Service, developing exceptional people and leaders, embedding equality, diversity, and inclusion in everything they do as part of a strong, positive and inclusive culture.
None of this would be possible without the underpinning finances, and the Medium-Term Financial Plan (MTFP) considers the financial climate at both the local and national level together with available resources and budgetary pressures in arriving at a financial strategy for the Authority. The MTFP provides a focus on both revenue expenditure (day-to-day running costs of providing the service) and capital expenditure (long-term investment in infrastructure, for example buildings, operational vehicles, and equipment), as well as setting out the Authority’s overall financial strategy.
The plans are all available to view on the Service website www.merseyfire.gov.uk
Speaking about the plans, Chief Fire Officer Phil Garrigan said:
“This plan continues to build on that progress that we have made in recent years, and will undoubtedly make us even more effective, resilient and better able to protect the people we are here to serve.
This plan addresses yet further the risks that affect our communities, whilst ensuring we put the safety of our crews at the forefront of our work.
Our plans continue to innovate and adapt to all foreseeable risk, introducing new ideas and innovation to ensure the Service and the people who work in it can operate at their best.
We are an ‘Outstanding’ Service and don’t intend to change any time soon.
Chief Garrigan added: “I would like to thank everyone who has helped in the development of these plans, the approval of which ensures that the Service is equipped for the future.”