confinedspaceThe Future of Fire and Rescue Services in England policy briefing will provide a platform to examine and explore current and future plans for fire and rescue services in England. This important briefing will help evaluate how to deliver more with less, introduce best practice examples, gain an understanding of how services look in different areas and how organisations can adapt to the ever-changing landscape in England.

The need to transform fire and rescue authorities to reflect the entirely different era of risk and demand in which we now operate is crucial and the 2013 Spending Review will now see the drive for both operational and financial efficiency become even greater.

There has already been a huge reduction in emergency incidents in the United Kingdom over the last decade. However, no significant change in overall cost has taken place. Facing the Future: Findings from the review of efficiencies and operations in fire and rescue authorities in England, Sir Ken Knight's independent review published on the 17th May 2013, suggests that to drive efficiency within the service all 46 services should join together and work collaboratively

Key topics for discussion include:
• Facing the Future: Driving Efficiency in the Fire and Rescue Service
• The Need for a Fully Funded Fire and Rescue Service
• The Impact of Austerity on English Fire and Rescue Services
• Enabling Reform of the Fire and Rescue Service
• The Future of Fire and Rescue Service Funding
• Case Study: Creating a Framework to Realise Savings - Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service
• Case Study: Merging Services to Realise Savings - Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Services

Speakers for the sessions chaired by FIRE editor Andrew Lynch include:
• Cllr Mark Healey, Chairman, Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service
• Matt Wrack, General Secretary, Fire Brigades Union
• Sir Ken Knight CBE, Former HM Chief Inspector of Fire Services and Chief Fire and Rescue Advisor
• Chief Fire Officer Paul Fuller, President, Chief Fire Officers Association
• Cllr Kay Hammond, Chairman of the LGA's Fire Services Management Committee

FIRE will have have full coverage from the event @fire_editor on Twitter and in the next edition of the magazine (click here to subscribe).