One month to go for people to have their say on how Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service is governed

August 3rd, 2017

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Members of the public are being asked for their views on a proposed change to the way Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service is governed.

New legislation means that Police and Crime Commissioners can take on responsibility for fire and rescue services in their area where a good case is made to do so.

Police and Crime Commissioner, Jason Ablewhite has been working with police and fire colleagues to explore options that could give him a greater role in the governance of Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service. A business case has been independently produced by PA Consulting setting out four options. Following consideration of the advantages and disadvantages of each option, it recommends that the Police and Crime Commissioner takes on the governance of the fire and rescue service.

Police and Crime Commissioner, Jason Ablewhite said:

“Over 1700 responses have now been received on the consultation. Thank you if you are one of them. If you have not fed back your views, then there is still time.

“Collaboration between Blue Light Services in Cambridgeshire is already strong. This proposal is not a takeover of fire and rescue services, or a merger of the roles of police officers and firefighters. The distinction between operational policing and firefighting will be maintained.

“I believe that by taking over the governance arrangements from the (now) council run fire authority, I can provide greater accountability and transparency of both police and fire services and can maximise front-line resources and improve public safety. What this means in practice is that I will be responsible for such things as decisions on how Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service spends its budget and whether new fire service facilities should be built or shared with other emergency services.

A description of the options and a short online survey can be found on my website: www.cambridgeshire-pcc.gov.uk/fire.

The four options are:

Options
No change option	Police and Fire continue to have governance arrangements that are independent of each other.
Representation option	Police and Crime Commissioner has a seat and voting rights on the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Fire Authority. Police and Crime Commissioner continues to govern Cambridgeshire Constabulary as now.
Governance option	The Police and Crime Commissioner takes on the role of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Fire Authority, becoming the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner. Police and Crime Commissioner governs both Cambridgeshire Police and Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service. Each service retains its Chief Officers.
Single employer option	The Police and Crime Commissioner takes on the role of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Fire Authority, becoming the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner. A single Chief Officer is appointed and leads both Cambridgeshire Constabulary and Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service. Police and Crime Commissioner governs both Cambridgeshire Police and Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service, bringing the services together.