There are 46 fire and rescue services in England. County Councils
provide 15 fire services and the rest are separate statutory bodies
known as combined or metropolitan fire services. Each service is
accountable to a fire authority of locally elected councillors who
are members of the authority.
The service nationally employs approximately 50,300 people
including 42,700 firefighters, 6200 support staff and 1,400 control
staff. The service is funded through a mix of government grant and
local council tax.
The role of the service is in responding to emergencies
including fires, rescues including road traffic collisions and
dealing with a wide range of non-fire and rescue incidents
including chemical incidents. The service also has a key role in
educating the community in relation to fire safety in the home and
providing guidance on fire safety in commercial buildings. The work
we do in communities to reduce fires, fire related deaths and
injuries is seen as key in reducing risk in the
community.