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NLGN warns giving Police and Crime Commissioners oversight of the Fire Service could put lives at risk

The New Local Government Network warns that proposed new legislation that would allow Police and Crime Commissioners to oversee local fire services could endanger lives.

Dr Claire Mansfield, author of our recent ‘Fire Works’ report into the future of the Fire and Rescue Services said:

“The police’s role as enforcers of the law can mean they do not have the universal access that the Fire Service has to homes in often hard to reach communities. It is vital that the Fire Service retain their distinctiveness to ensure the continued trust of all households. If these lines are muddied, the excellent prevention work of the fire service may be put in jeopardy and lives could be put at risk.

We argue strongly for more collaboration between all the blue light services and there are areas where this is already happening sensitively. But to put the Fire Service under the umbrella of PCCs risks a fundamental shift in how these services are viewed from both users and deliverers.”

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