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RBFA is a combined fire authority, which means it is made up of 20 elected councillors from six unitary authorities within Royal Berkshire (Bracknell Forest, Reading, Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, Slough, West Berkshire and Wokingham). It is led by a democratically elected Chair from the 20 councillors.

It is the responsibility of RBFA to provide an effective and efficient fire and rescue service for communities across Berkshire. The Fire Authority is accountable to the residents and business owners of Berkshire and is fully committed to delivering the CRMP to improve community outcomes.

The Fire Authority is a legal body with statutory duties and responsibilities, including the scrutiny of the Service as a whole. It is responsible for setting the strategic direction, policies and priorities of the Fire and Rescue Service. The Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004 (FRSA) obliges RBFA to secure the provision of the personnel, services and equipment that efficiently meet all normal requirements and to secure the provision of training for such personnel in relation to firefighting.

Summary of FRSA 2004 duties:

• Promotion of fire safety.
• Extinguishing fires, and protecting life and property when fires do occur.
• Minimising damage to property arising from firefighting operations.
• Rescuing people involved in road traffic collisions.
• Dealing with other types of emergencies, as specified by the Secretary of State in Statutory Instruments (Orders). Currently, a single Order has been issued – The FRS (Emergencies) (England) Order 2007.
• Ensuring the provision of the resources necessary to meet all normal requirements (Our Evidence Base defines what constitutes ‘normal’).
• Ensuring necessary training for firefighters.
• Ensuring that calls for assistance can be dealt with effectively.
• Obtaining information needed to respond safely and effectively to emergencies.

Delivery of these services and professional advice to RBFA is the responsibility of the Chief Fire Officer.

The Fire Authority manages its responsibilities through full Fire Authority meetings and two committees, the Audit and Governance Committee and the Management Committee. They meet regularly to ensure the proper running of RBFRS. You can find out more about RBFA on our website.

RBFA publishes an annual Statement of Assurance. This explains how RBFA and RBFRS have ensured that our Service is meeting its legal duties and how we are managing risk. This annual statement is designed to provide assurance to the community and government that we are managing our finances, governance and operational duties.