The primary role of Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service is to deliver effective Prevention, Protection and Emergency Response services. We provide emergency services to the communities of Suffolk and its visitors 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The work we do to reduce fires and fire related deaths and injuries is a major contribution to reducing risk in the community and making Suffolk safer.

Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service has bulit up a reputation locally, regionally and nationally for high performance whilst remaining one of the most cost-efficient services in the country, through continuously improving what we do and how we do it.

The plans for 2012-2015 build on this reputation by delivering a range of work against each of our priorities which support our ambition of Suffolk being 'a place where people live safe and fulfilling lives'.

A number of different factors, both national and local, influence what the Fire Service does.

At a national level the National Framework Document for the Fire and Rescue Service sets out the Government's expectations for the Fire and Rescue Service; this Framework, together with the Fire Service's  statutory responsibilities, plays an important role in what the Fire Service does.

At a local level the Suffolk Community Strategy 'Transforming Suffolk' 2008-2028 sets out how local authorities in the county, including the County Council and Fire and Rescue Service, along with Police, Health and other agencies will tackle the problems and opportunities facing Suffolk between now and 2028.

The views of the community have a clear impact on what Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service decide to do. These views are captured through the consultation that supports our Integrated Risk Management Planning process.  

 

Our Priorities

Corporate Health

We will continuously improve our leadership, capacity, communications, relationships, organisational culture, use of resources and underpinning processes to ensure they best enable us to lead the Service in realising our aims. In doing this we will promote diversity, equality and fairness in all that we do.

Community Risk Reduction

We will work with stakeholders, partners and communities to reduce the risk of death and injury to people and damage to property and the environment through effective Prevention, Protection and Community Safety activities.

Emergency Response

We will maintain resilient arrangements to ensure we have the right fire stations, firefighters, fire engines and equipment at the right place and at the right time to meet our statutory and discretionary responsibilities and the expectations of the public.

Health and Safety

We will maintain and improve our arrangements for meeting our statutory health and safety responsibilities. We will reduce the number and seriousness of accidents to our people and reduce our levels of sickness absence by focusing on improving our health and safety culture.

Training and Development

We will further develop our training and development arrangements at Wattisham airbase to provide facilities for our firefighters which are amongst the best in the UK. We will use these, and our other training arrangements, to ensure our workforce remains safe, professional and competent.

Call Management and Incident Support

We will continue our excellent work with Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service to improve the Combined Fire Control that continues to provide the people of Suffolk with an effective 999 service at excellent value for money.

Community Capacity

We will work with Suffolk communities and partners to enable those communities, and particularly their vulnerable people, to develop and sustain effective arrangements to address issues that impact on their safety and quality of life.


For further information, including details about what has already been achieved, and what the Service plans to achieve in 2012/13, please download a copy of the Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service Plan