Fire and Rescue Service Seeks Views on the Future

Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service is seeking the views of the community as it begins to develop its plans for the next four years.

This financial year (2023/24) is the final year of Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service’s current Integrated Risk Management Plan, a four-year strategy that sets out objectives to improve the effectiveness of the Service, address key fire and emergency-related risks and keep communities safe.

The Service is now starting to develop its strategy for the next four years (2024-28). For the first time, this will be known as a Community Risk Management Plan (CRMP). The CRMP will ensure the Service continues to develop the skills of its people and invests in vehicles and resources to enable it to respond to emergencies and reduce risks in the face of changes in society, technology and the environment.

In the autumn and winter of 2023/24, it will be formally consulting the public, its staff and its stakeholders on proposals for the new CRMP. The consultation will be publicised widely to ensure everyone has the opportunity to have their say.

Ahead of the consultation, the Service is asking a series of questions to help it understand what people expect of their fire and rescue service. These responses will help to develop more detailed proposals for consultation later in the year.

Chief Fire Officer and Chief Executive of Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service, Alex Waller,  said:

“Our Community Risk Management Plan serves as the backbone for our plans over the next four years to manage the fire and rescue risks facing Cheshire and ensure we give the community the first-class fire and rescue service it deserves and expects.

To help develop our plans we are asking residents to give us their views on a range of issues through this survey. The feedback we get will help to refine our proposals before we launch a full consultation later this year.

This is very much the early stages of our planning and we are keen to ensure our communities, staff and partners have been involved in shaping our plans at each stage of the process”

The online survey will run until Friday 14 July and can be accessed via the following link:

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/CheshireFireFuturePlans