Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Northamptonshire Stephen Mold’s proposal to take on responsibility for Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue service has today been approved by the Home Secretary, marking an important step in the government’s drive to see police and fire collaborate further and faster to benefit their local communities.
He is now set to join Roger Hirst of Essex, who became the country’s first police, fire and crime commissioner in October 2017, alongside the three other PCCs who have recently had their proposals to take on responsibility for their local fire and rescue services approved. These are John Campion, PCC for West Mercia, Matthew Ellis, PCC for Staffordshire, and Jason Ablewhite, PCC for Cambridgeshire.
Through the Policing and Crime Act 2017, the government has introduced a range of measures to drive greater collaboration between emergency services, enabling services to share best practice and become more efficient and effective. This includes enabling PCCs to take on governance of fire and rescue services where a local case is made.
Before submitting his proposal, the PCC was required to undertake local consultation, considering the views of the public and relevant local stakeholders. Northamptonshire County Council agreed to the PCC’s proposal and the consultation showed high levels of local support from the public and the Fire and Rescue Service.
The Home Secretary carefully reviewed the PCC’s proposal, the results of the consultation and the PCC’s responses to the views expressed when making a decision.
Considering all available evidence, the Home Secretary was of the view that the proposal demonstrated that a transfer of governance would be in the interests of the local economy, efficiency and effectiveness, without having an adverse effect upon public safety.