The government has today launched a consultation paper which looks at transforming the way the police, fire service and ambulance service work together.

The measures included in the consultation paper are:

• Introduce a new statutory duty on all three emergency services to look at opportunities to work with one another better to improve efficiency and effectiveness.
• Enabling police and crime commissioners (PCCs) to take on the duties and responsibilities of fire and rescue authorities (FRAs), where a local case is made.
• Where a PCC takes on the responsibilities of a FRA, allowing them to create a single employer for police and fire staff so it is easier for them to share back office functions and streamline management.
• Enabling a PCC to be represented on their local FRA in areas where they do not take on the responsibility for fire and rescue services.
• Abolishing the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority and giving the Mayor or London direct responsibility for the fire and rescue service in London, as will be the case for the new Mayor of Greater Manchester.
• Improving joint working between PCCs and NHS ambulance foundation trusts by encouraging trusts to consider PCC representation on their council of governors.

The RFU will read and digest the consultation paper and provide our response in due course. As with all consultation documents, the RFU welcomes the views of our members and asks them to contribute in this process by emailing their views to RFU HQ here.