Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service
Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service is part of the county council and incorporates other community safety related services such as Emergency Management, Trading Standards, Coroners and Road Safety.
In simple terms, the county council as the Fire Authority will ‘commission’ the Community Risk Management Plan from Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service with appropriate oversight and a strong expectation of the service demonstrating its key role as part of the council.
The service is administered from our site in Quedgeley which co-locates Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service with Gloucestershire Constabulary. Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service have 21 community fire stations with 33 frontline fire engines strategically located across Gloucestershire.
The service’s mission is supported by our mission statement:
‘Working together we will provide the highest standard of community safety and emergency response services to the communities of Gloucestershire’.
We manage risk in Gloucestershire by focussing on our strategic aims; everything we do builds towards achieving these aims.
Our stated priorities are to:
- Reduce risk in our communities.
- Provide a committed, skilled and safe workforce.
- Respond promptly and effectively to emergencies and;
- Make the best use of resources and provide an efficient service.
We are prevention driven, more so than many other fire and rescue services and this approach encourages strong integration with social care, health and ambulance services.
We are also focused on greater inclusivity across the service which includes increasing the opportunities for women and BME firefighters but also involves developing a culture where everyone demonstrates our values and is able speak up when things aren’t right.
The Chief Fire Officer is appointed by the Fire Authority and forms an integral part of the Chief Officers Management Team within Gloucestershire County Council thereby providing a direct link between Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service and Gloucestershire County Council.
Under the ‘Scheme of Delegations’ (contained within Gloucestershire County Council’s Constitution, the Chief Fire Officer is responsible for and can make ‘executive’ decisions concerning:
- The management of operations of Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service.
- Overall planning and management of the budget for Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service.
- Reporting to the cabinet and Fire Authority and recommending for their consideration matters affecting finance and service policy.