Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service
Annual statement of assurance 2022 - 2023

Strategic Goal 6: We will manage and invest in our Service to ensure it is fit for the future

This goal is focused on financial and environmental sustainability.

In 2022/23, our key objectives were:

  • Move into the new fire station at Worksop
  • Complete the move out of Bestwood Lodge
  • Complete an options appraisal for the replacement of Eastwood fire station
  • Relocate the incident command training facility to Mansfield fire station
  • Procure new vehicles to replace those which have reached the end of their serviceable life

Our focus for improvements included:

  • Reviewing our 10-year Capital Programme in the light of our Strategic Assessment of Risk
  • Revising governance and decision-making processes to take account of environmental sustainability considerations
  • Re-tendering the cleaning and grounds maintenance contract

During the year:

  • We moved into the new fire station at Worksop and completed the sale of the old station site
  • Completed the move out of the old headquarters and progressed work to sell off the site at Bestwood Lodge
  • Completed substantial refurbishments at Mansfield fire station, to install an up-to-date incident command training facility, improve welfare and meeting facilities and provide office space for the Fire Protection North team
  • Progressed the procurement of 17 new fire appliances and a number of specialist vehicles
  • Successfully retendered our cleaning and grounds maintenance contract and multi-activity maintenance contract
  • Reviewed and refocused our capital expenditure programme
  • Started work on the project to retender for our mobilisation system, in collaboration with Derbyshire Fire Service and Joint Fire Control colleagues

Other Highlights

Financial Sustainability and Capital Expenditure

Throughout 2022/23, events in the UK and abroad had a significant impact on the economic climate, resulting in the highest rate of inflation in a generation and rising interest rates.

Against this backdrop, we reviewed our capital expenditure plans for the next ten years. Our capital programme is funded through borrowing, and in light of the increasing rates of interest and the other financial pressures on our revenue budgets, we took the decision to minimise our capital expenditure as far as possible. This means we have decided to delay plans to build a new fire station at Eastwood. Instead, we will make essential improvements to our existing estate to improve accessibility and provide an inclusive environment for staff and visitors.

We will always try to provide the best possible service to our communities with the financial resources available. Providing value for money is a priority when planning for the future. As part of those plans, we work hard to ensure that the service we provide is both financially and environmentally sustainable. This means ensuring that our buildings, vehicles and equipment remain fit for purpose and cost effective and allow us to provide an effective and efficient service.

Managing and Developing our Premises

We have continued to develop more modern and energy-efficient buildings that provide operational response bases and community hubs. This year crews moved into the brand-new station at Vesuvius Way, Worksop, which was officially opened in May 2022 and is now fully operational.

The move to Joint Headquarters is now complete, with all teams relocated from our previous site at Bestwood Lodge.

Sharing of resources continues to play an important part of our plans. Co-location with colleagues from other services will continue to be considered where financial and operational benefits can be realised.

During 2022/23 support staff continued to work hard across our Service delivering projects which developed our buildings, vehicles and systems to make sure they remain fit for purpose.

These projects included:

  • Building alterations to allow the relocation of Fire Protection North and members of our Prevention team at Ashfield station
  • Relocation of Stores to Highfields station from the Bestwood Lodge site
  • Utilities upgrades were carried out at several sites including Highfields, Mansfield, Ashfield, Stockhill and Bingham stations
  • Resurfacing of Collingham drill yard and hard standing areas
  • Surveys of training towers were undertaken to inform minor works and lifespan expectancy

Investing in Equipment

Work to change some of our operational vehicle fleet is underway with a new appliance tendering process being conducted this year. 17 new fire appliances will replace aging vehicles over the next few years, with the first of them coming into service in 2024. They will feature a ‘clean cab’ design which will help keep our firefighters protected from products of combustion and other contaminants following incidents.

A tender for our new Aerial Ladder Platform (ALP) vehicles is underway. The new vehicles will have the capability to reach further than our existing ALPs, from 32 metres to 45 metres, which will give more versatility, particularly at incidents involving high-rise buildings. The vehicles will also provide greater assistance at incidents involving the rescue of bariatric casualties. The new vehicles are expected to come into service during 2026.

Upgrading operational equipment is essential for us to maintain our operational capabilities. During 2022/23 we have:

  • Procured new thermal imaging cameras to assist our incident commanders
  • Purchased new lay-flat hose to replenish stock
  • Replaced gas-tight suits which provide chemical protection for our crews
  • Procured new ‘fall-arrest’ lanyards for safe working at height equipment
  • Purchased new lamps for our breathing apparatus sets, which will replace existing ones as they become defective
  • Procured new operational surcoats for role identification at incidents

Investing in our Systems and Processes

As part of ensuring the Service is financially sustainable and fit for the future, we have continued to make improvements to existing ways of working and to invest in our ICT systems.

A key area of focus is the procurement of a new mobilising system. This is a critical system that allows our Joint Fire Control function to receive 999 calls and mobilise fire engines, specialist vehicles and officers to incidents. We currently operate with a system procured within our tri-service arrangement with Derbyshire and Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Services (FRS). The contract for this system is due for renewal. In January 2023, Leicestershire FRS informed us that they intend to withdraw from the tri-service arrangement at the end of the current contract. We are therefore working in collaboration with Derbyshire to jointly procure a replacement system for our two Services. This project will continue into 2025.

Also in 2022/23:

  • Work has continued to improve the reliability of mobile data terminals on our fire appliances, to ensure up-to-date risk information is available at incidents
  • We have continued to improve our fire hydrant maintenance process which allows improved reporting, efficiency and productivity
  • We have procured numerous ICT contracts to maintain and upgrade our systems

Financial Performance

Under the Local Government Act 1999, fire and rescue services are responsible for ensuring that their business is conducted in accordance with the law and proper standards, and that public money is properly accounted for and used economically, efficiently and effectively.

We provide financial assurance through the publication of an Annual Statement of Accounts. This is a statutory requirement under the Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015, and the accounts are prepared following the Code of Practice on Local Authority Accounting. The financial statements are subject to review by independent auditors.

Our appointed external auditor is Ernst Young LLP. The auditors are responsible for auditing two key areas:

  • Financial statements
  • Use of resources – concluding on the arrangements for securing economy, efficiency and effectiveness (the value for money conclusion)

Internal audit forms part of the wider system of internal control which deals with our exposure to financial, and to some extent, non-financial risk.

Our internal audit function is provided by Nottinghamshire County Council. The 2022/23 Internal Audit Annual Report provided a judgement of Substantial Assurance around the Service’s arrangements for corporate governance, risk management and the control environment.

The full report was considered by Finance and Resources Committee in June 2023. This allowed members to see the work of the internal audit and the contribution that it makes to the overall system of internal control.

2022/23 Financial Budget

The 2022/23 budget was set at £46.006m. We underspent by £236k (0.5%) during this year which was transferred into Earmarked Reserves, mostly for future use on the replacement mobilisation system.

Capital expenditure for the year totalled £2.265m. This was lower than expected due to some supply chain issues relating to the purchase of fire appliances. The majority of expenditure (£1.5m) was spent on our buildings which included the completion of a new Command Training Suite.

Reserves at the end of March 2022 were £10.3m.  

Governance Statement

The Annual Governance Statement publicly explains how we manage our governance and internal control measures. It is a transparent account of how we ensure our financial management system is adequate and effective. It also ensures a sound system of internal control, assuring the utmost integrity in all of our work.

The Fire Authority also has a Code of Corporate Governance in which it reaffirms its duties and responsibilities. In this document officers support each of the code’s principles with documentation or existing practices, demonstrating how the Fire Authority complies with the principles that make up the code.

We recognise the importance of transparency over how public money is spent.

The Local Government Transparency Code 2015 has been used as the foundation for organisational transparency. In deciding what information we should make available, as a starting point we have used the recommended data sets as defined by this code.