The first public meeting of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) Board is to be held in Perth on Monday (14 January).
The Board, chaired by Pat Watters, will meet at the Council Chambers in Perth and Kinross Council buildings at 11am.
The first meeting will cover the role of the Board and its procedures including the establishment of the Board’s Committees, Interim Standing Orders, Governance and Accountability and the schedule of business meetings for the rest of the year.
There will also be an opportunity to examine and discuss the progress of reform work as the eight fire and rescue services move towards a single, national service.
Chief Officer Alasdair Hay said:
”I have been working closely with Pat Watters and members to ensure that they are able to take up their responsibilities for the governance and strategic direction of the new Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. Work is already underway to develop the standing instructions for the Board; the standing orders; and the scheme of delegation, whereby myself and the other executive officers can run, on a day-to-day basis, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.
“We have a committed team and working together we will shape the new Service to ensure that it can deliver successful outcomes for local communities. Reform will allow us to deliver efficiencies, protecting the frontline and focus on using the expertise and best practice that currently exists within the eight regional services to benefit all areas of the country. Whilst there will undoubtably be challenges ahead, we are confident that in developing positive, collaborative working relationships with the new Board we will ensure the future success of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.”
Chair of the SFRS Board, Pat Watters said:
“Since their appointment, Board members have been familiarising themselves with the considerable work that has been done on fire reform before the new organisation becomes operational on 1 April 2013. That has included looking at proposed new structures and the budget plans for the year ahead. We will play a crucial role in not only supporting the Chief Officer and his team but overseeing and scrutinising the work of the new Scottish Fire and Rescue Service to ensure that it continues to deliver excellent public services within a reduced budget. Working with the Chief Officer and the Strategic Leadership Team of the SFRS we are committed to making a successful transition to a single service and delivering a strong and focussed fire and rescue service for our communities across Scotland.”
Note: The public and media can attend the Board meeting at Council Chambers, Council Building, 2 High Street, Perth, 11am Monday 14 January.
Look Forward to read the whole report and look forward in having a Scottish fire and rescue for the better for Scotland may i ask a question Reguarding Locistics and regional to regional as far as fire cover for scotland in april
Of course Roy, we’ll answer if we can.
with all eight fire services in Scotland will Lfrs enter ffars area dispatching and also will cfar will be able to enter tfar dispatch area with sfar the biggest and dfrs that why i said in my last coresponding to you Reguarding map and logistic of fire cover all so how will it afect retained in such rural area and volinteer station in rural scotland
Hello Roy, appliances will be able to cross current Service boundary areas although to some degree that happens already on occasion. For instance you might see an LBFRS pump and a Strathclyde pump at an RTC in Shotts or you might see us send resources to Fife (or vice versa) for a large scale fire. Reform is happening to reduce duplication across the eight services and reduce costs with the aim of protecting the frontline and ensuring that communities across Scotland have access to the highest levels of service including access to specialist resources. The new SFRS will be carrying out a strategic assessment of resources to maintain and ensure appropriate levels of fire cover across the country so it’s unlikely that the public will see any immediate changes. You will still receive the high standards of fire and rescue services you would expect. Hope that helps.
Thank you for answer my question on this matter i m sure the general Public will be Asurred to learn that fire cover of Scotland will not be afectered