Fire and rescue services have suffered neglect over the last decade, losing nearly £1 billion in capital funding, meaning many fire stations are crumbling, equipment is outdated, and infrastructure needs urgent overhaul according to The Times.

This week’s Government Spending Review provided an opportunity to confront this, but initial measures leave important gaps.

In an exclusive by The Guardian just last week, National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) issued a warning:

Fire stations in England are “falling apart”, fire chiefs have warned, with funding plummeting by an estimated £1bn in the last decade as callouts have increased by a fifth. Fire and rescue must not become the “forgotten emergency service”, the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) urged, warning of mounting pressures that “risk undermining public and firefighter safety”, as it responds to more 999 calls with fewer firefighters.

Firefighter numbers in England have dropped by a quarter in seven years, the equivalent of 11,000 full-time staff, according to the government’s workforce statistics.

There has also been an estimated £1bn shortfall in capital funding since the previous government removed a significant grant in 2014-15, which the NFCC said meant services could not maintain or modernise ageing infrastructure, including fire stations.

Failing to reverse this damage could endanger the public and firefighters, said Phil Garrigan, the NFCC chair.

Firefighters are tackling a 20% rise in incidents, yet numbers are down by 25% since 2008, equivalent to 11,000 fewer whole-time firefighters 

With safer homes regularly checked and better equipped to prevent fire and the same approach by many businesses there are fewer fires to fight. Increased numbers of road traffic collisions and a 24/7 response to more critical incidents needed,  the work of The Fire and Rescue Services and their management of risk has changed over recent years. Rising wildfires and floods driven by climate change and terrorist threats means they are no longer saving cats from trees or attending gangs of youths setting fire to the contents of dustbins..

Fire and Rescue never received a large protected settlement, unlike NHS, police, or transport, suggesting that significant funding for fire isn’t guaranteed. Zero-based budgeting mandates that they must deliver efficiency savings (of at least 5%) and there are varied decision making and governance structures from cross party Fire Authorities hosted by the local council to single party Police Fire and Crime Commissioners (PFCCs) and Mayors.

But the impact is common across the country whatever the politics. There are fewer firefighters per capita, on retained contracts, longer response times and reduced presence in high-risk areas. Despite higher demand, workforce numbers aren’t increasing, putting pressure on crews and support staff.  

The 2025 Spending Review and renewed attention to fire services are welcome, but without dedicated capital funding, staff growth, and protection from budgetary cuts, the fire and rescue sector remains at risk and they will need to make difficult decisions about changing the workforce profile, closing fire stations, analysing and reviewing response times to place vehicles and crews at the areas of highest risk.

These decisions will need to be taken having sought the feedback and response from their operational partners and the public. They will particularly have to listen to the views of those who are likely to be most affected by any proposed changes including those who may be disadvantaged by their geography, demography or vulnerability.

Whether this consultation takes place as part of their legal duty to consult on their longer term Community Risk Management Plan or annual local tax precept setting remains to be seen but with all public sector orgainisations under close scrutiny about how they spend the public purse, beware those who cut corners to make a saving and finish up losing out in legal costs as they defend a challenge about the consultation process they implemented to develop their options for change.

In a society which demands transparency about how the public sector receives and spends its money and has a greater expectation to be part of that decision making process, the impact of the spending review remains to be seen, but some will be watching closely!