Fire and emergency services

Police, Fire and Crime Commissioners

Currently, four PCCs—those in Cumbria, Essex, Northamptonshire, and Staffordshire—hold responsibility for fire and rescue services in addition to their duties for policing.  PCCs who adopt fire and rescue authority responsibilities are referred to as Police, Fire and Crime Commissioners (PFCCs).

Additionally, the Mayors of London, Greater Manchester, and York & North Yorkshire also oversee fire and rescue services in their respective areas. Day-to-day oversight of fire and rescue services is generally delegated to a Deputy Mayor. In London this role is known as a Fire Commissioner.

 A PFCC serves as the fire and rescue authority in their area meaning they are directly responsible for delivering statutory fire and rescue services.

PFCCs are required to exercise effective governance arrangements, including setting strategic priorities, agreeing the fire precept, managing the fire service budget and overseeing the performance of the fire service.

A PFCC works with a small team with day-to-day operations typically delegated to a statutory officer, a chief finance officer and a monitoring officer to support these responsibilities.

The PFCC appoints the chief fire officer but unlike policing, the chief fire officer is employed by the PFCC and is therefore not operationally independent.

Accountability

PFCCs are elected by local people every four years. The most recent elections were held in May 2024.

Fire and rescue plan

A PFCC publishes a fire and rescue plan setting out the strategic vision, priorities and objectives for the fire and rescue service over a three year period. In preparing this plan, which can be combined with the police and crime plan, the PFCC must obtain the views of the community.  A PFCC must have regard to the Fire and Rescue National Framework for England in carrying out their functions

As with the police and crime plan, the fire and rescue plan is subject to scrutiny by the local police, fire and crime panel.  Police and crime panels comprise locally elected politicians who provide scrutiny of PFCCs between elections.

The PFCC is also required to publish an assessment of all foreseeable fire and rescue-related risk and how those risks will be mitigated, referred to as an integrated risk management plan.

Fire and Rescue National Framework for England

The Fire and Rescue National Framework for England sets out high level expectations to which fire and rescue authorities, including PFCCs and Deputy Mayors, must have regard to. It does not prescribe operational matters. Every fire and rescue authority must publish an annual statement of assurance of compliance with the Framework.

Working with partners

National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC)

NFCC is the professional voice of the UK fire and rescue services (FRSs) and is comprised of a council of UK Chief Fire Officers. PFCCs and Deputy Mayors work with the NFCC to explore opportunities to improve fire and rescue services through stronger governance, sharing best practice and pressing for reform of the sector.

Fire Standards Board

The Fire Standards Board has been set up to oversee the identification, organisation, development and maintenance of professional standards for fire and rescue services in England. The APCC is a member of the Fire Standards Board and uses this to contribute to the development of fire standards and promote their adoption by fire and rescue services.

His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS)

His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services assess and report on the efficiency, effectiveness and people of the 44 fire and rescue services in England. HMICFRS use an inspection framework to set out how they measure fire and rescue services (FRSs) against characteristics of good performance.

HMICFRS and the APCC maintain regular contact and work to support each other in any way they reasonably can, while respecting the separation between their respective roles. By working together, PFCCs and HMICFRS are better able to promote improvements and make sure that FRSs are operating efficiently and effectively.

Portfolio leads