‘Affordable Fire And Rescue Services For North Wales’ – Details Of Public Consultation Announced

North Wales Fire and Rescue Authority is encouraging people to get involved in helping to plan how fire and rescue services should be developed in North Wales over the next few years. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

As in previous years, the Authority has drafted some improvement objectives that it will be trying to achieve from April 2017 onwards, but before it formally adopts those objectives it is inviting people to submit their views for consideration. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

With money for running public services in short supply the Authority faces increasingly difficult decisions about the services it provides now and in future. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The Authority has an excellent record of managing its money and has continued to deliver prevention, protection and response services to high standards despite significant cost-cutting. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

It has also been demonstrating that prevention really is better than cure – far fewer people suffer from fires in North Wales these days precisely because of the Authority’s commitment to educating and supporting people to keep themselves safe. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

However, that success is not enough. By law the Authority must keep trying to improve its services in the short term as well as considering the wellbeing of future generations of people in North Wales. Moreover, it has to consider the costs involved – there would be little point in planning a service that is going to be unaffordable. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

As an Authority for the whole of North Wales its concern is for the whole area and the whole population. This is an important consultation – what do you think? Do you think it is making the right choices? Is there anything that it hasn’t considered that you think would make a difference? ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Councillor Meirick Lloyd Davies, Chair of the Fire and Rescue Authority, said: “We all understand that there is less money for public services to use than we would like, but accept that the situation is unlikely to improve for a number of years. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“This consultation focuses on how we can ensure we provide the best service possible within financial constraints. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“The more people get involved, the better our prospects of achieving the right balance of services in what we provide and the more we can be confident that the detailed action plans we develop will deliver exactly what the people of North Wales want.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​