Acton named chair of Greater Manchester fire committee

Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham, the nine local authority Leaders and the Salford City Mayor confirmed the appointment at the GMCA meeting on 30 June. As part of his role, Andy Burnham has responsibility for Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS), replacing the former fire authority. 

The fire committee will oversee day-to-day functions of the service, including monitoring operations, performance and finances. Mayor Burnham said: “I’m pleased to announce Cllr David Acton as chair of the Fire Committee and I look forward to working with him to support our fire service and keep our communities safe.

“Recent tragic events have highlighted the dedication of all our emergency services, and also the challenges they face. We need to make sure they have the resources they need do their jobs effectively. Working with David and the Fire Committee, I will continue to put that case to government.”

Councillor Acton added: “I am delighted and excited by the prospect of working with the Mayor of Greater Manchester as Chair of the new Fire Committee. Devolution offers a real opportunity to further extend collaboration across the emergency services, local authorities and other partners in health and social care to provide the best possible prevention, protection and response services to the people of Greater Manchester. I intend to do everything I can to ensure this.” 

Cllr Acton (Trafford) will be joined by 14 committee members across the 10 boroughs, as follows: Cllr Joan Grimshaw (Bury), Cllr Mohammed Ayub (Bolton), Cllr Tommy Judge (Manchester), Cllr Afia Kamal (Manchester), Cllr Derek Heffernan (Oldham), Cllr Steve Williams (Oldham), Cllr Shaun O’Neill (Rochdale), Cllr Jane Hamilton (Salford), Cllr Jillian Collinson (Salford), Cllr Walter Brett (Stockport), Cllr Barrie Holland (Tameside), Cllr Michael Whetton (Trafford), Cllr Kathleen Houlton (Wigan), and Cllr John O’Brien (Wigan).

The committee is planning to hold its first meeting during July, at which time terms of reference will be discussed.