CoPaCC “Police and Fire Mergers and Collaboration” Thematic published

The Policing and Crime Bill, currently before the Houses of Parliament, contains provisions that would allow PCCs to take on governance functions of fire and rescue authorities. Ultimately, each PCC could become a single employer of both fire and police in his or her area.

Sponsored by PA Consulting and published today, this latest CoPaCC Thematic examines the appetite, amongst both PCCs and the wider stakeholder community, for police/fire collaboration and mergers.

A CoPaCC survey of OPCCs identifies those intending to take responsibility for fire governance as early adopters, OPCC’s not supporting the provision and those undecided.

In addition to publishing the CoPaCC survey results and providing analyses, the report also presents contributions from police and fire stakeholders setting out the benefits and challenges of police and fire mergers and collaboration. The contributors include:

• Brandon Lewis MP, the Minister of State for Policing and the Fire Service
• Stephen Mold, Northamptonshire PCC
• Lord Willy Bach, Leicestershire PCC
• Cllr Jeremy Hilton, Chair of the Local Government Association’s Fire Service Management Committee
• Chief Constable Alec Wood, Chair of the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) Operations Coordination Committee
• Dave Etheridge, President of the Chief Fire Officers’ Association (CFOA)
• Chief Superintendent Gavin Thomas, President of the Police Superintendents’ Association of England and Wales
• Roy Wilsher, Chief Fire Officer for Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service, and Chief Executive of Hertfordshire OPCC
• Steve White, Chair of the Police Federation of England and Wales
• Dave Green, national officer of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU)
• Darran Gunter QFSM, Chief Fire Officer of Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service.

The report provides a comprehensive summary of the debate around police and fire collaboration, highlighting the benefits and challenges and where the first steps will be taken by PCCs to take responsibility for fire governance.