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Staffordshire Commissioner Ben Adams will present his first Fire & Rescue budget and council tax precept proposal at a meeting of the Staffordshire Police, Fire & Crime Panel on Monday (14 February), with the public able to watch live online from 2pm.
During the meeting, the panel will hear from the Commissioner about budget plans for Fire & Rescue over the next four years, which will see savings from the smarter use of technology, more efficient crewing models and sharing more buildings and back-office costs with Staffordshire Police.
Staffordshire’s Police, Fire & Crime Commissioner, Ben Adams said: ‘Since my election in May 2021, I have been hugely impressed by the professionalism and commitment of our Fire & Rescue officers and staff. I would like to thank them for this, and particularly for the extra effort they have made to keep us safe during the Covid19 pandemic.
‘In December 2021 I published my local Fire & Rescue Plan, which sets out priorities and service expectations on behalf of Staffordshire residents. These include a flexible and responsive service, protecting people and places, helping people most at risk stay safe and ensuring we have a Fire & Rescue service fit for tomorrow.
‘The work that Fire & Rescue services do has changed significantly in recent decades, providing a broad range of services to keep people safe at home, at work and in public places. Some of that demand is more complex than before; climate change has led to more extreme weather events, leading to flooding and large-scale fires in open areas that have required protracted, resource-intensive responses.
‘I am acutely aware that household budgets are tight, so I expect every pound of taxpayer’s money invested in Fire & Rescue to be spent wisely. This budget balances the need for efficiencies with ensuring that our new Chief Fire Officer Rob Barber has the resources to continue to keep us all safe.’
The Staffordshire Police, Fire & Crime Panel represents the public in holding the Commissioner to account, and is made up of local authority representatives together with independent members.
Find out more about Monday’s panel meeting, and watch in full here: https://moderngov.staffordshire.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=1150&MId=13289
Read the full Fire & Rescue Plan here: Fire and Rescue Plan 2021-24 – Staffordshire Commissioner (staffordshire-pfcc.gov.uk)
