Fire Cover Review ORH report is published

Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service (NFRS) is currently undergoing a period of public consultation on changes to its operational model.

To inform the current £2million savings proposal, the Service commissioned Operational Research in Health Limited (ORH) to undertake an independent review of alternative fire engine deployments.

The final report from this review can now be read online. 

ORH undertook a comprehensive assessment of risk in 2021 to provide a Community Risk Review and Assessment of Risk. This report builds on that review, but with a focus on the operational service.

They identified where changes could be made, while best maintaining operational response times, to meet a range of required cost savings. ORH has experience with emergency services around the world, optimising resource use and response in the most effective and efficient way.

The report considers current fire engine deployment position, which currently exists as 30 fire engines across 24 fire stations. Fire engines across Nottinghamshire are a mix of whole-time, day-crewed and on-call.

It also considered response times, station costs, and more, to give a range of savings models.

Why are you proposing changes to the operational model?

The Service has identified that circa £2-3m per annum will need to be saved from the operational response budget.

To enable this the following changes are being consulted on:

• Removing one of the two fire engines at London Road Fire Station.
• Removing one of the two fire engines at Stockhill Fire Station.

These changes will generate circa £2million of savings per year.

To better balance our remaining fire engines, and ensure we can maintain the best levels of response across the county, the following changes are also being consulted on:

• Changing Ashfield Fire Station from one day shift crewing and one on-call fire engine to one wholetime and one on-call fire engine.
• Removing the night shift at West Bridgford Fire Station, leaving daytime crewing only.

This change is cost neutral, effectively staff will move from one station to another. This change enables us to have a better chance of maintaining our response standard of attending all incidents, across the county, from time of call, on average, within eight minutes.

Why aren't you cutting non-operational roles?

As part of the papers discussed on 23 September 2023, the Fire Authority approved a £250k reduction in the non-operational budget. There will be no public consultation on these changes.

How do I have my say?

You are encouraged to take part in our public consultation survey, which is running until 23 December 2022. If you'd like to request a paper copy, then call 0115 838 8100.

More information, including FAQs, can be found on our consultation page.