Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes Fire Authority has today (Wednesday 18 March 2026) approved proposals relating to the Service’s On-Call Improvement Programme.
The programme focuses on improving the reliability and sustainability of the Service’s On-Call response by ensuring resources are organised around fire engines that can consistently respond when emergencies happen.
Following the decision, the Service will operate 24 crewed fire engines, supported by a range of specialist vehicles (such as aerial appliances, rural firefighting vehicles, water rescue units and urban search and rescue). These capabilities ensure not only that we can meet both our 10-minute response target, but also provide resilience for less frequent, high demand incidents.
The approved proposals include:
- The removal of six On-Call fire engines that cannot be reliably crewed.
- The closure of Great Missenden and Stokenchurch fire stations, which have not been able to provide consistent operational response for over five years.
- Retaining an On-Call capability at Buckingham through a dual-purpose appliance.
- Increasing the Service’s strategic reserve fire engines from five to six to strengthen resilience during periods of increased demand.
The decision follows a 10-week public consultation and detailed operational analysis.
During the consultation the Service heard views from communities regarding the potential removal of fire engines and closure of some stations. This feedback was considered alongside operational evidence, workforce sustainability and community risk information.
Chief Fire Officer Louise Harrison said:
“Keeping our communities safe is our top priority. Our commitment is to provide a modern, agile and excellent fire and rescue service with the right people, with the right skills and the right equipment, at the right time, to keep the public and property safe. “
The proposals approved by the Fire Authority today are welcomed. They will enable us to provide a more reliable emergency response by focusing our resources on fire engines that can respond consistently when communities need them.
I would like to thank everyone who took the time to take part in the consultation. We received a wide range of views, with over half of respondents recognising the need to make changes to address the challenges facing the On-Call system. The consultation also highlighted the importance of providing clear and transparent information about the proposals, particularly where they involve changes to local fire engines or the closure of stations. All feedback has been carefully considered as part of the decision-making process. I want to reassure communities that there is no material change to overall response performance across the county.
We remain committed to continuing open and two-way communication with our communities, staff and partners as we move forward.”
Further information about the decision, what it means for our communities and how residents can stay informed and share their views will be published in the coming days and weeks.
A recording of the Fire Authority meeting will be available shortly on our YouTube channel [Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service – YouTube].