The Service is performing well in priority areas and in relation to the national framework. It is consistently one of the best performing services with regard to the numbers of injuries, deaths, calls to false alarms and malicious fires. The service is focusing on its key local priorities and actively targets home fire risk assessments and community safety in rural communities. This has reduced the risk of fire in rural Shropshire. Its ‘Keep warm, keep well’ programme is responding to the needs of older people with initiatives to reduce deaths due to the cold and to improve community safety by fitting security devices such as door chains.
The Service is providing good value for money. Its costs compare well with others and have remained below average. It has a strategy for achieving efficiencies from various activities such as the reduction in unnecessary aerial appliance cover and the use of XL cabs. It has invested an additional £824,000 in the retained service following an extensive review, resulting in improved availability of retained appliances. As a result, recruitment levels of retained firefighters are better, community safety is promoted in high-risk rural areas and fire cover has improved.
The Service has plans for further modernisation. Plans are SMART1; clearly linked to budgets; integrated with each other; cover the medium to long term; and support the vision and aims of the Fire and Rescue Authority (FRA). The Service has improved its capacity to deliver changes by restructuring. Plans are more reflective of community needs and the service has invested in partnership work to improve its capacity.
1 SMART – specific, measureable, achievable, realistic and time bound.