Cumbria’s crime commissioner is now also responsible for the county’s fire service.
Previously, the fire service was the responsibility of Cumbria County Council, but the authority ceased to exist on April 1 as Cumberland Council and Westmorland & Furness came into being.
Peter McCall officially became Cumbria’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner at the same time. It includes responsibility for the service’s legal elements, the employees, budget, estates, and ethics and integrity.
Mr McCall said: “I have been the police and crime commissioner for Cumbria since 2016, holding the chief constable to account for delivering effective policing for the County.
“My role within Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service will mirror this – essentially my main role is to get the best possible resource to deliver the service and I am delighted to have been able to secure only this week an additional £2 million from Government for much needed capital funding to help us improve the service.
“In the short term, I want this to be a seamless transfer which should not affect service delivery and it should not be to the detriment of staff or residents.
“It is important to note that responsibility for operational decisions will remain firmly with the chief fire officer and his staff.
“It is an essential service with dedicated staff and whilst we have some challenges ahead, I look forward to working with the chief fire officer and them to provide the best possible service to our communities.”
Cumbria’s chief fire officer John Beard said: “I’d like to reassure the communities of Cumbria that what we do as a service has not changed at all. This change is to the governance of the service only and we will continue to serve and protect our communities in the same way as we do now.
“We look forward to working together with the Office of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner to be a community-focused, professional and trusted fire and rescue service that makes Cumbria a safer place for all.”
