On-Call is one element that makes up our service provision, including response to emergency incidents across Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes. Like many other Services nationally, over the last decade, it has become increasingly difficult to ensure our On-Call fire engines are always available.
Today, we are starting a wider conversation about how to get the best from the money we invest in On-Call stations, fire engines and firefighters, so we can keep providing the best service for our communities. A full public consultation would, of course, only happen with Fire Authority approval.
The On-Call Improvement Programme has been set up with the objective of improving the availability of staff and appliances across Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes, and supporting the delivery of one of the commitments made in our Community Risk Management Plan (CRMP) 2025 to 2030 to:
“Assess the required number of On-Call pumps to align with our new response standard and address identified risks within the CRMP.”
This commitment was made following the feedback received in public and staff consultation about ideas for improving the resilience and capacity of the Service.
As part of this programme we are reviewing our On-Call provision to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of this key resource. Like many fire and rescue services nationally, we have found it increasingly difficult in recent years to get the full benefits from On-Call, and we want to work with our communities to change that.
Over the past few months, we have focused on gathering information and data to help us formulate ideas, which we first shared with our Fire Authority Members and our staff, so they could help shape proposals before any wider consultation.
We are using the feedback obtained from them, alongside a small number of public and staff focus groups which are taking place throughout September and October, to help us shape proposals.
These proposals will then be presented to the Fire Authority in November, to seek approval to launch a full public consultation on options for the future provision of On-Call services across our area before Christmas.
Chief Fire Officer Louise Harrison said:
“Today marks an exciting point for us as we continue our work to deliver our promise to the public to provide the best possible service to our communities.
“Poor availability of On-Call fire engines is a national issue, and we have not been immune to this within our own Service. Through this programme, we are looking carefully at how our resources are used, focusing on improving reliability and resilience, so that we can reinvest in a modern, agile and sustainable On-Call service for the future. This is not about cutting costs, but about making sure every pound we spend delivers the maximum benefit to the communities we serve.
As a professional fire and rescue service, we’re ready to face the challenges ahead and be ambitious about how we serve our communities. This review is about strengthening our people and resources, ensuring we have the right fire engines in the right places, at the right times, supported by dedicated On-Call firefighters.
Our community and staff are at the heart of this work, and their feedback will be key in ensuring that our On-Call service remains strong, reliable, and fit for the future. I look forward to receiving feedback as we progress through this important and exciting piece of work.”
