Navigating change, risk and reform
In March, I hosted the LGA’s annual fire conference, bringing together senior leaders, officers and sector experts for two days of discussion, collaboration and forward‑looking debate.
It was my first fire conference, and it really highlighted for me the rapid pace of change within the sector and the willingness of fire services to deliver that change for the benefit of their communities.
The commitment, hard work and initiative of the sector was on full display over the two days, as we discussed current and future risks and opportunities.
The keynote address, from Fire Minister Samantha Dixon MBE MP, highlighted the Government’s reform programme, and touched on a wide range of issues, including governance, funding the changing risks facing the country and modernisation.
Ms Dixon outlined the role that a new college of fire and rescue could play in supporting the sector, as well as a refreshed Fire and Rescue National Framework for England – both of which the Government will be consulting on this year.
The conference’s first plenary explored how the landscape has changed in the seven years since the last national framework was published, with the introduction of inspection and the Fire Standards Board, as well as other changes in terms of culture and governance.
Other workshops highlighted the significant period of change the sector is undergoing, with discussions on local government reorganisation and devolution, and the impact on the sector so far.
Pay structure and role reform, led by the National Employers and the Fire Brigades Union, was another key workshop. It focused on the partnership work that’s under way to ensure the role of the firefighter is enhanced professionally and is responsive to existing and future threats.
Funding was a key theme throughout the two days, with a detailed finance plenary highlighting the sector’s continuing financial challenges and government work with the sector on a future funding model.
The on-call service, suicide prevention, pensions reform, technology and the use of artificial intelligence, local remediation acceleration plans, the community infrastructure levy and the fire role in planning were all part of the wider conversation at conference.
The real highlight for me was a session on civil protection, hearing from Peter Arnevall, Chief Fire Officer of the Stockholm Fire Service, and London Fire Brigade’s Assistant Commissioner Patrick Goulbourne.
Both talked about the shifting risks and vulnerabilities associated with natural disasters and those linked to human behaviour, for which we, as a country and as a sector, can be preparing.
It highlighted how the fire service could use its current capabilities in a different way to support community resilience. I know many people went away from the conference still discussing that session.
Across the conference, one message resonated clearly: fire and rescue services – and the LGA – are not waiting passively for reform.
There is a strong, proactive appetite to shape the future, ensuring that pay, roles, governance, culture and operational capacity evolve at the pace required by today’s risks.
The shared sense of purpose was unmistakable: a commitment to managing change not as a challenge, but as an opportunity to strengthen the service for the communities it protects.
- Find out more about the LGA’s work on fire and rescue.