“Incomprehensible” funding cuts would “threaten public safety” warns NFCC

The NFCC is urging the Government to protect Fire and Rescue Service funding in real terms and not to rely on council tax rises to plug any gaps, suggesting that even if all Fire and Rescue Authorities were willing and able to put up their precept by the maximum £5 per annum, it would not offset the cuts in full when factoring-in the expected rate of inflation and legitimate rises in staff pay.

The NFCC states that changes proposed as part of the Government’s Spending Review are predicted to result in cuts of over £100 million based on preliminary modelling. The reduction in Government grant funding, combined with proposed changes to how that money is distributed to local Fire and Rescue Services through the local Government finance settlement, would “significantly weaken” the Fire and Rescue sector, placing lives – particularly those in deprived communities – at risk.

The warning comes as the Government moves to determine how funding from the recently announced Spending Review will be allocated to Fire and Rescue Services and as it concludes a consultation on proposed changes to how it distributes local Government funding as part of the Fair Funding Review 2.0.

Independent modelling commissioned by the NFCC shows that the anticipated changes could result in a real-terms cut in grant funding of £102 million for standalone Fire and Rescue Authorities over the next three years. That’s the equivalent of losing approximately 1,500 wholetime firefighter posts and would deliver “a devastating blow” to an already under pressure Emergency Service.

The modelling also shows that, when London and county services are included, this figure could rise to 2,300 firefighters.

Unenviable task

NFCC chair Phil Garrigan commented: “I do recognise the Government has the unenviable task of balancing public finances and faces really tough choices when it comes to funding local services, but we have to confront how precarious a position Fire and Rescue Services finances find themselves in right now.”

Garrigan continued: “If I did not speak up, I would be letting down the Fire and Rescue Service and, more importantly, the people whom we serve. I would also be letting the Government down as I would be allowing decisions to be made without highlighting the real and legitimate concerns we have: concerns for the public and concerns for the safety of our firefighters who risk their lives every day of the week.”

Further, Garrigan noted: “Fire and Rescue Services cannot continue to be expected to deliver more with less. We are already seeing demand rising, risks evolving and our remit expanding – from tackling the effects of climate change through to responding to increased blue light collaboration – all at a time when firefighter numbers have fallen sharply.”

According to Garrigan: “A failure to recognise these burdens and to forge ahead with the funding proposals as they stand would be incomprehensible. The safety of our communities depends on a funding settlement that matches the reality on the ground and ensures we have the people, equipment and capability to protect the public. We can no longer just roll up our sleeves and carry on. Any silence on this matter will put lives at risk. We cannot allow our Fire and Rescue Service to become the forgotten Emergency Service.”

Population-based change

Fire and Rescue Services are projected to receive 4.3% of the total funding allocation for local Government, which is down from 4.9%.

The NFCC suggests that the impact of these cuts will be exacerbated by changes made to how the money is distributed through the Fair Funding Review 2.0, which will change how the reduced fire total will be shared between individual Fire and Rescue Authorities.

Under the new approach, population figures will have a significant impact when it comes to determining local allocations. While the population is rising across the country, the Government has chosen not to increase the overall national funding available for Fire and Rescue Services.

According to NFCC analysis, this population-based change will result in a substantial redistribution of existing funds, with “big winners and big losers”. Areas experiencing faster population growth are set to receive a larger share of the smaller funding pot, while those with slower growth could see further reductions – even if they face higher levels of risk, such as chemical sites and high-rise buildings often combined with heightened levels of deprivation.

Fire chiefs are urging the Government not to rely on local increases in council tax to offset cuts. While standalone Fire and Rescue Authorities are expected to be able to raise their precept by up to £5 per annum for a Band D property, combined with the reallocation of funding under the review process, core spending power for many Fire and Rescue Services will not keep pace with inflation or, in some cases, be frozen entirely.

Local political governance

The NFCC is concerned that the uplift is also dependent on local political governance and is not a ‘given’. In areas unable to secure such increases, Fire and Rescue Services will face real-term funding cuts.

The threat of further cuts comes at a time when the demands placed on Fire and Rescue Services are increasing and firefighter numbers have fallen significantly. Data from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government shows that Fire and Rescue Services in England responded to 600,185 incidents in total last year: an increase of 100,000 (20%) compared to a decade ago (2014).

Meanwhile, firefighter numbers in England are down by 25% since 2008: the equivalent of 11,000 wholetime firefighters.

The NFCC is calling for the following measures to be put in place:

*funding for Fire and Rescue Services to be protected in real terms

*uncapped council tax flexibility for all Fire and Rescue Authorities, allowing local consultation on necessary increases without costly referendums and consistency in the precept flexibility available to all Authorities

*Fire and Rescue Service funding to be removed from the Fair Funding Review until a risk-based model is developed in collaboration with the sector

*a dedicated funding system for Fire and Rescue Services comparable to policing and recognising its national resilience role

*a full risk analysis before any funding formula changes are made, ensuring that no Fire and Rescue Service faces large and destabilising funding shocks