Local Authority Fire Service
Encyclopedia
In the United Kingdom
the terms Local Authority Fire and Rescue Service, County Fire & Rescue Service or Public Fire and Rescue Service refer to a fire and rescue service provided and operated by a county
or metropolitan council
to serve the public in an emergency. In simple terms they are the fire service which respond to emergency 999
calls from members of the public
.
Examples of county, public or local authority fire and rescue services include the London Fire Brigade
, West Midlands Fire Service
and Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service
for instance.
Collectively each county / public / local authority fire service is referred to as the United Kingdom Fire and Rescue Service. It is the primary land rescue agency in the UK. In England and Wales by virtue of the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004
a County or Metropolitan council
must provide a Fire and Rescue Service to serve the public in an emergency. Whilst fire services are operated at local authority level national policy, procedures and performance is monitored and controlled by the Department of Communities and Local Government(DCLG)
, Ambulance
and HM Coastguard), LA / PS Fire Service personnel are given substantial powers of entry (and other legal power) to carry out their duties. They are legally obliged to respond to any form of fire related emergency and any other emergency which presents a risk to life or property when called upon to do so. They also have a responsibility to provide certain services in the event of terrorist attack. Except in all but a few circumstances, there is generally no occasion where a public fire service can not legally gain entry to premises or property to fight fire or protect life. As such, obstructing a firefighter or fire officer from carrying out their duties is a serious criminal offence.
(the Term Fire and Rescue Authority now become popular). In simple terms, a fire authority is a committee of council officials whom oversee the running of the fire service, to ensure that it serves the public properly. Day to day command and control of the Fire Service is overseen by a Chief Fire Officer
the highest ranking officer in the service.
. More recently firefighters will now fight fires off shore in collaboration with HM Coastguard.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
the terms Local Authority Fire and Rescue Service, County Fire & Rescue Service or Public Fire and Rescue Service refer to a fire and rescue service provided and operated by a county
County
A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...
or metropolitan council
Metropolitan council
For articles on Metropolitan council see:* Metropolitan borough * Metropolitan Council ** Metropolitan Council Regional Routes** Metropolitan Council Transit Operations* Metropolitan Council * Metropolitan county...
to serve the public in an emergency. In simple terms they are the fire service which respond to emergency 999
999 (emergency telephone number)
999 is an official emergency telephone number in a number of countries which allows the caller to contact emergency services for urgent assistance....
calls from members of the public
Public
In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individuals, and the public is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the Öffentlichkeit or public sphere. The concept of a public has also been defined in political science,...
.
Examples of county, public or local authority fire and rescue services include the London Fire Brigade
London Fire Brigade
The London Fire Brigade is the statutory fire and rescue service for London.Founded in 1865, it is the largest of the fire services in the United Kingdom and the fourth-largest in the world with nearly 7,000 staff, including 5,800 operational firefighters based in 112 fire...
, West Midlands Fire Service
West Midlands Fire Service
West Midlands Fire Service is the statutory fire and rescue service responsible for fire protection, prevention, intervention and emergency rescue in the county of the West Midlands in England....
and Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service
Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service
The Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service is a statutory fire and rescue service covering the area of the ceremonial county of Berkshire in England...
for instance.
Collectively each county / public / local authority fire service is referred to as the United Kingdom Fire and Rescue Service. It is the primary land rescue agency in the UK. In England and Wales by virtue of the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004
Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004
The Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.It came into effect on 1 October 2004. It only applies to Great Britain and most provisions apply only in England and Wales...
a County or Metropolitan council
County council
A county council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a county. This term has slightly different meanings in different countries.-United Kingdom:...
must provide a Fire and Rescue Service to serve the public in an emergency. Whilst fire services are operated at local authority level national policy, procedures and performance is monitored and controlled by the Department of Communities and Local Government(DCLG)
Statutory Duties
A Local Authority/County/Public Fire and Rescue Service not only has statutory duties to respond to emergencies, but also has additional responsibilities to enforce fire safety legislation and to reduce the number of fires, and fire related deaths through education and pro-active safety campaigns.Powers in an Emergency
Like any of the other three main emergency services (PolicePolice
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
, Ambulance
Ambulance
An ambulance is a vehicle for transportation of sick or injured people to, from or between places of treatment for an illness or injury, and in some instances will also provide out of hospital medical care to the patient...
and HM Coastguard), LA / PS Fire Service personnel are given substantial powers of entry (and other legal power) to carry out their duties. They are legally obliged to respond to any form of fire related emergency and any other emergency which presents a risk to life or property when called upon to do so. They also have a responsibility to provide certain services in the event of terrorist attack. Except in all but a few circumstances, there is generally no occasion where a public fire service can not legally gain entry to premises or property to fight fire or protect life. As such, obstructing a firefighter or fire officer from carrying out their duties is a serious criminal offence.
Fire Authority
A county or metropolitan fire service is known as a Fire AuthorityFire Authority
In England and Wales a fire authority or fire and rescue authority is a statutory body made up of a committee of local councillors which oversees the policy and service delivery of a fire and rescue service...
(the Term Fire and Rescue Authority now become popular). In simple terms, a fire authority is a committee of council officials whom oversee the running of the fire service, to ensure that it serves the public properly. Day to day command and control of the Fire Service is overseen by a Chief Fire Officer
Chief Fire Officer
A Chief Fire Officer or CFO is the highest ranking Officer in the UK Fire & Rescue Service. There are currently 59 Chief Fire Officers serving in the United Kingdom in charge of County Fire Services....
the highest ranking officer in the service.
Non Local Authority / Public Fire & Rescue Services
There are several non local authority / public Fire and Rescue Services in the UK. They are generally not directly controlled by either local or national government bodies.- Airport Fire and Rescue Services - Controlled by individual Airports under Civil Aviation AuthorityCivil Aviation AuthorityThis is a list of national and supra-national civil aviation authorities.-See also:* Air route authority between the United States and the People's Republic of China* National Transportation Safety Board -External links:****...
Regulations.
- Industrial Fire Services - Protects large factories or industrial complexes (controlled by the Organisations to which they serve).
- Private Fire Cover Specialists - A number of outdoor concerts and events are covered by small private fire services who are contracted to provide cover at various events. Generally such services are provided by off duty public service firefighters.
Ministry of Defence Fire and Rescue Services
- Defence Fire and Rescue Service - Civilian Fire Service which Protects all Ministry of Defence Premises. It is Controlled by the Ministry of DefenceMinistry of Defence (United Kingdom)The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
and is therefore a fire service controlled ultimately by the UK Government along with their Local Authority Fire Service counterparts. The Defence Fire and Rescue ServiceDefence Fire and Rescue ServiceThe Defence Fire and Rescue Service is the primary firefighting and rescue service protecting British defence estates and property. Along with the Royal Air Force Rescue and Firefighting Service it forms the Ministry of Defence Fire Services.-History:...
is covered by the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004The Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.It came into effect on 1 October 2004. It only applies to Great Britain and most provisions apply only in England and Wales...
and therefore has the same powers of entry and enforcement as a Local Authority Fire Service.
- Royal Air Force Firefighting and Rescue Service - Also controlled by the MoD through the Royal Air ForceRoyal Air ForceThe Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
, the RAFFRS cover mainly RAF sites with runways to provide specialst aircraft firefighting and rescue capability. In most cases non-Local Area or Public fire services will call upon the public fire service for assistance.
Primary Firefighting and Rescue Service in the UK
Each Local Authority / Public Fire Service collectively form the primary firefighting and rescue agency in the United Kingdom. They are also the primary land rescue service by virtue of the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004
The Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.It came into effect on 1 October 2004. It only applies to Great Britain and most provisions apply only in England and Wales...
. More recently firefighters will now fight fires off shore in collaboration with HM Coastguard.