20th February 2008
Authority celebrates latest assessment and approves plan for future
At a meeting today (20 February), Members praised the hard work of staff following the announcement that it is now the best fire and rescue authority in the country.
The news follows the Audit Commission’s latest performance assessment which recognised Kent Fire and Rescue Service’s success in reducing the number of fires, dealing with road accidents, getting the right safety messages to the people who most need them and the increasing commitment to equality and diversity. Kent and Medway Fire and Rescue Authority was the only fire authority in the country to be rated as both ‘excellent’ and ‘improving strongly’.
As well as celebrating the good news, Members agreed the Authority’s fifth integrated risk management plan which focuses on improving the service by making the best use of resources and investing in training and equipment. They also agreed the budget.
Consultation on the plan and budget ended on 18 January. There was an increase in the number of responses compared to previous years and most respondents agreed to the proposed changes. While 34 per cent of the public favoured a council tax increase of over 4 per cent, 25 per cent favoured between 3.5 and 4 per cent. A further 35 per cent favoured less than 3.5 per cent. The Authority agreed that the council tax rise would be set at 3.5 per cent – this means £63.81 for a band D property, compared with last year’s rate of £61.65.
Members took the increase into consideration alongside the savings that will be generated by the integrated risk management plan and the need to invest in improvements.
Chairman of Kent and Medway Fire and Rescue Authority Bryan Cope said: “The Audit Commission was particularly impressed with the commitment and progress made by the Authority in relation to the Equality and Diversity agenda in the last year and the report confirmed that we provide excellent value for money. However we still aim to keep council tax increases as low as possible while balancing the need to invest in training and the most up-to-date equipment."
Chief Executive and Chief Fire Officer Charlie Hendry said: “I am delighted with the latest assessment but there is much more work to do to make our firefighters the best equipped, the best trained and the safest in the country. This result is an excellent platform from which the Authority can continue to improve in the future.
“I am also pleased that we can now move forward with our integrated risk management plan and make sure we can provide the best possible service to the community.”
ENDS
Note to editors: Interviews with the Chairman of Kent and Medway Fire and Rescue Authority are available on request.
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