At midnight on 31 March 1948 the National Fire Service was disbanded, and on 1 April 1948 Buckinghamshire Fire Brigade came into service.
On 1 April 2018, to mark the 70th anniversary, former Station Commander John Bull published “The Evolution of Buckinghamshire Village and Town Fire Brigades Into The Buckinghamshire Fire Brigade.”
John’s 30-year career with Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service started in January 1981 when he became a retained firefighter at Beaconsfield Fire Station.
He became a wholetime firefighter at High Wycombe Fire Station in 1982, transferred back to Beaconsfield in 1989 and worked his way up the ranks to become an ADO (Assistant Divisional Officer, later called Station Manager and now Station Commander) in 2004 before retiring in January 2011.
“Our values guide our actions and decisions every day. Integrity, compassion, and trust are the cornerstones of who we are and what we stand for. These values represent the foundation of our Service and will guide us in everything we do. Our brand personality is brought to life through the below behaviours. They reflects our commitment to professionalism, connection, ambition, and empowerment.”
We are so much more than fighting fires! While it is true to say responding to emergency incidents like fires and road traffic collisions is at the very core of what we do, our firefighters and wider support teams work within the community keeping our vulnerable safe.
Some are surprised to know we have a wide range of support teams from HR, appliance workshop, to Community Safety Technicians that make sure our pumps get out the door and help prevent emergencies from starting.
Why replace an On-Call fire engine with a specialist vehicle?
Some areas are better suited to vehicles that match local risk. For example, Rural Firefighting Vehicles can reach off-road or remote areas more effectively, while Welfare Units support firefighters during long incidents. These vehicles require fewer crew and can therefore be made reliably available more often.
Will the Service be removing Fire Engines?
The data we collected and analysed as part of our 2025 – 2030 CRMP shows that we do not need to keep all 30 of our current fire engines. Our assessment indicates that a fleet of 23 type B Fire Engines (traditional fire engines), supported by our specialist vehicles (such as Rural Firefighting Vehicle, Water carrier, Boat) would continue to provide effective and resilient cover across Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes.
This aligns with feedback from our CRMP public consultation and His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) inspection.
As a result, the proposal includes the removal or replacement of seven On-Call fire engines, which allow us to reinvest in strengthening the Service. However, no final decisions have been made. We are seeking your views before making any final recommendations.
Special appliance crewing and locations are also being reviewed as part of this work. These appliances, alongside the essential contribution of On-Call staff and stations play a key role in in maintaining our overall response and resilience.
Why is the Service focussing on On-Call in this way?
During the process of creating our 2025 -2030 Community Risk Management Programme (CRMP) staff and the public were consulted on ideas for improving the resilience and capacity of the Service.
The On-Call Improvement Programme is exploring this theme in line with the commitment:
Throughout the CRMP’s duration, we will assess the required number of On-Call pumps to align with our new response standard and address identified risks within the CRMP.
As a Service we recognise the contribution made by our On-Call staff working across Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes and the value they bring to our Service. However, we also must remain aware of the challenges On-Call provision faces nationally, particularly involving recruitment.
This programme is designed to maximise the contribution of our On-Call, while identifying how we can improve our On-Call provision alongside the challenges acknowledged by all Services.
What will happen to the stations if they no longer have fire engines?
If, following public consultation, the Fire Authority agrees to cease operational response from either or both stations, Great Missenden and Stokenchurch, any decisions about selling the buildings or using them for a different purpose would be made by the Fire Authority Executive Committee. The Service would follow the full scrutiny process to determine the best way to utilise the buildings in support of the Service and the communities we serve.
Is Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service (BFRS) doing this to save money?
No. The purpose of this programme is to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of On-Call and to strengthen our overall operational response and resilience.
Any funding released through efficiencies in fire engine provision will be reinvested into the Service.
How will my feedback be used?
All responses will be analysed and summarised. The results will be shared with the Fire Authority alongside the evidence and impact assessments to help shape the final decision.