Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service's Community Risk Management Plan (CRMP), outlining how it will manage and reduce risks across the Shotley peninsula and the rest of the county, has been given the green light.

Councillor Andrew Reid, Cabinet Member for Public Health and Public Protection, brought the CRMP to Cabinet this afternoon (Tuesday, 21 February) to seek approval for its adoption from April 2023.

The plan details Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service's priorities until 2027, including: 

• Updating how response times are reported to include from the time of call and focus on the areas of highest risk, such as dwelling fires
• Addressing climate change to support Suffolk County Council's ambition to be a carbon-neutral authority by 2030, with a view to introducing more non-fossil fuel vehicles in the fleet
• Developing preventative safe and well visits, including continued work with the National Farmers' Union to tailor advice to rural and farming communities
• Assessing how the service works with partner agencies, such as supporting the ambulance service when appropriate and if capacity and resources allow for this
• Reviewing the recruitment and retention of on-call firefighters and specialist support staff to ensure Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service remains a diverse employer of choice 

 These priorities were identified during extensive research and pre-consultation engagement with staff and stakeholders. In addition, hundreds of Suffolk residents helped to inform the final document by providing feedback on proposals during the CRMP public consultation, which ran from October to December 2022 and included a series of public events held at six supermarkets across the county.

Jon Lacey, Chief Fire Officer for Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service, said: "Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service has a fantastic reputation both regionally and nationally, as demonstrated by His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) recently rating us as "Good" for our effectiveness and well we manage staff. 

"Our new CRMP will allow this great work to continue, with it identifying risk and how we can reduce this to ensure that Suffolk is a safe and healthy place to live.

"The document also considers emerging challenges for our county, including an increase in wildfires and floods as a result of climate change, helping us to plan ahead and remain a resilient service that is there for you when you need us most."

Jon Lacey, left.

Councillor Andrew Reid, Cabinet Member for Public Health and Public Protection, added: "The public feedback received during the consultation has been invaluable in informing the future of our fire service, and I'd like to thank everyone who gave their time to comment on our proposals. 

"We have listened to residents, businesses, partners and stakeholders about what matters to them and where they feel we should direct our resources; without this being to the detriment of Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service staff, who already work tirelessly to prevent and respond to emergencies.

"In doing so, we have prepared a plan that reflects the unique nature of our county, including our more rural communities, and enables us to protect all those who live in, work in and visit it. 

Suffolk County Council will support Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service with implementing its CRMP and has allocated over £5.3million to fleet replacement in its 2023/24 budget, which includes the purchase of 20 state-of-the-art fire engines to ensure that firefighters have the equipment needed to help meet the service's priorities. 

The new CRMP replaces Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service's previous Integrated Risk Management Plan, which was implemented following approval by Cabinet in July 2019.