New 'modernising' fire service bill unveiled

The Fire and Rescue Services Bill - the first substantial piece of legislation to modernise the service in 50 years – has been published today.

The Bill, which is designed to modernise fire service, will place a greater emphasis on prevention work by creating a new duty for fire and rescue authorities to promote fire safety. The Bill follows on from last June's White Paper, 'Our Fire and Rescue Service', and the Independent Review of the Fire Service carried out by Professor Sir George Bain in December 2002.

The Bill will also recognise other core duties of the service, beyond firefighting, such as rescues from road traffic accidents and responding to serious environmental disasters and the new terrorist threat.

The Bill includes steps to: place a new duty on all fire and rescue authorities to promote fire safety; create a new duty to respond to emergencies other than the traditional fire-fighting role, like serious flooding or terrorism; introduce new powers to direct fire and rescue authorities during specific emergencies; and provide powers for the Secretary of State to procure equipment and services for the authorities and to direct them on their use to ensure uniformity of approach.

Fire and Rescue Service Minister Nick Raynsford said: "We all recognise the professionalism and bravery of firefighters in what remains a dangerous job. But the fact remains that despite the success of the Service in attending fires, too many lives are still lost.

"What we need is greater focus on preventing fires in the first place. The Bill will help shift the focus of the service towards a more preventative and risk-based approach through, in particular, the new duty to promote fire safety."

Jane Willis, Co-Director, Health and Safety Executive Policy Group, said: "The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) welcomes the Fire and Rescue Services Bill and the move towards a more integrated management of risk and the greater emphasis on fire prevention matters is consistent with HSE's holistic approach to risk control."

Until now, the Fire Service in the UK has been largely grounded in legislation introduced just after the Second World War. The 1947 Fire Services Act established provision for firefighting as a local government duty rather than the nationally run service it had become during the war.

Post-war, legislation focused on local response to fires rather than prevention at a time when there were fewer vehicles, and other unconventional non-fire emergencies such as terrorist attacks, were not a serious issue, the government said.

(gmcg)