Council Tax 2022/2023

Kent Fire and Rescue Service is here for everyone, 24 hours a day – every day

Wherever you live in Kent and Medway, whoever you are, Kent Fire and Rescue Service is there for you if things go wrong. We fight fires, attend emergencies ranging from road crashes to floods, and rescue people, animals, and property. We support South East Coast Ambulance Service and help everyone to stay safe, not only at home but on the road and at work. We also offer a range of services aimed at preventing incidents, including our Safe and Well home visits.

With headquarters in Maidstone, we have 56 fire stations across the county ready for action at all times, with some 1,299 uniformed, and 373 non-uniformed, staff. In 2021, we attended 17,849 incidents, and our crews adapted to provide community support during the Covid-19 pandemic, this included supporting the national roll-out of PPE, assisting Age UK with deliveries of meals on wheels and our continued support to South East Coast Ambulance Service.

We can do all this largely thanks to you because 69% of our running costs are paid for by the Council Tax. This means an average cost to someone living in a Council Tax Band D property is £1.55 a week… less than the usual price of a cup of coffee in a café, most Sunday papers, and under two hours of car parking in many Kent towns and cities.

We’ve set out on this page where our money comes from and how it’s spent. This money enables us to be here, providing the best value we can and reassurance that we are working round the clock to keep everyone in the county safe.

Please note this page is a quick guide to the Council Tax we receive and how it is spent and figures have been rounded up. If you would like further or full details please see our budget book.

Where our money comes from

This chart shows the amount of money coming from various sources to Kent Fire and Rescue Service: 69% from the Council Tax, 22% from business rates, 8% from the Government (Revenue Support Grant and Covid-19 support package) and 1% to be repaid to billing authorities for Collection Fund deficits.

 

Council Tax - how much you pay

Kent Fire and Rescue Service receives funding from the Council Tax you pay. How much we receive will depend on your Council Tax band. Here’s how it’s broken down:

 

How the money we receive is spent

With just under 1,700 uniformed and non-uniformed officers and staff, it’s perhaps not surprising that our employee and pension-related costs account for 90% of our day-to-day annual budget. Here's a breakdown of how we spend the total funding we receive:

 

* Money put aside for future needs
** Money received by the authority (including grants) used to fund services we provide

Spending on our buildings and equipment

We have invested in new buildings, and in equipment for firefighting operations. Over the last few years, we have funded the building of three new fire stations, and continue to replace some of our vehicles and equipment on a rolling basis.

Savings and efficiencies

We strive to make savings wherever possible by monitoring our working methods and providing services in the most efficient and effective way.