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Have Your Say on the Future of Your Fire and Rescue Service

People living, working or travelling in Berkshire are being encouraged to have their say on the future of Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS). You can provide your feedback in our online survey.

An 11-week public consultation on Royal Berkshire Fire Authority’s (RBFA) draft Corporate Plan and Community Risk Management Plan (CRMP) for the years 2023 – 2027 began on 11 January and will close at 5pm on Monday, 27 March 2023.

RBFA has set out how it intends to meet its goals to create safer and more resilient communities by preventing incidents, protecting homes and businesses and responding to emergencies.

The CRMP explains how all fire and rescue-related risk in the community is evaluated and how resources are allocated to manage those risks. These risks include house fires, road traffic collisions and chemical spills, but they also include other less common hazards such as wide area flooding, terrorist attacks and building collapse.

Within the CRMP, a number of priorities have been identified for the next four years:

  • Priority 1. We will develop our Integrated Service Delivery Strategy to meet the changing profile of risk in Berkshire due to climate change, societal and technological shifts.
  • Priority 2. We will develop a Risk Based Prevention Programme to target those most vulnerable and at risk from emergency incidents.
  • Priority 3. We will develop our response model to ensure that we are providing the most effective response to incidents within Berkshire, ensuring that it is sustainable and provides value for money.
  • Priority 4. We will review non-statutory incidents, to determine our requirement for attending these incidents.
  • Priority 5. We will develop our Service to reduce the impact of fire safety issues in commercial buildings.
  • Priority 6. We will provide a minimum of 14 frontline fire appliances utilising our Wholetime and On-call staff as effectively as possible.

The overarching vision set out in the plan is for RBFRS staff to work together as One Team for the communities we serve. In order to fulfil that vision it is vital that staff work in a safe, supportive and inclusive environment. Although progress has been made in creating a service that reflects the communities it serves, there is more work required to achieve this goal.

Councillor Paul Gittings, Chair of RBFA, said: “Through the collective effort of our staff, we have overcome many challenges within Berkshire over the past years, including our response to adverse weather conditions and other major incidents. As we look forward to the next four years, we are preparing to meet similar challenges, in addition to managing the difficult economic circumstances the Service may face.

“The years ahead are likely to be some of the most challenging we have faced, which is why we are focused on working ever closer with our local communities, businesses and partner agencies to deliver a first-rate service. We are really keen to hear your views on our latest plan, so please have your say during the consultation period.”

Wayne Bowcock, Chief Fire Officer, said: “We encourage anyone that lives, works or travels in Berkshire to have their say on the plans outlined.”

“Of course, these plans will not be possible if it were not for the most important asset we have at our disposal – our people. We will endeavour to invest in, recruit and retain staff to meet the future demands upon our service. We are proud of the work that our staff deliver and we will continue to challenge ourselves to be the best that we can be.

“With a sustained ‘one-team’ culture, we will face these challenging times together, while delivering on our goals, and meeting the high-standards that our communities expect.”

Resources

How to take part

The public consultation on the plans will run from 9 January until 5pm on 27 March 2023. People can take part in the consultation in a number of ways:

  • Visit our online survey  
  • Email: Consultations@rbfrs.co.uk
  • Call us on 0118 945 2888
  • Write to us at: Newsham Court, Pincents Kiln, Calcot, Reading, Berkshire, RG31 7SD

If anyone would like a hard copy or require assistance with accessing the information in an alternative format or language, please contact us using any of the methods above.