Service successful in bids to Transformation Fund
Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue Service is to receive a share of a £75 million Government fund to improve frontline services to the public.
Fire and rescue authorities could bid for funding to deliver efficiencies and transformational change.
The Service was the lead partner in a successful bid for £374,100 with Kent and Essex fire and rescue authorities to establish a procurement hub which will create new opportunities to buy collaboratively.
The Service was also a named partner in three other successful bids:
- A partner in the Oxfordshire syndicate bid together with Lincolnshire, with Oxfordshire awarded £560,000 to improve on-call firefighter recruitment and training; recruiting and training 50 on-call retained firefighters to improve protection and prevention and emergency intervention to local communities
- A partner in the Cambridgeshire led bid together with Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Authority with Cambridgeshire awarded £1,445,000 to further develop a web cloud ready service for on-call firefighter recruitment
- A partner in the Essex led bid together with seven other fire and rescue authorities, with Essex awarded £220,000 to establish an insurance pooling arrangement open to all fire and rescue authorities with additional secondary insurance to cover extreme events.
The Fire Transformation Fund has allocated money to 37 projects across the country for 2015-16, following bids from fire and rescue authorities. The awards will be used to develop innovative projects to increase efficiency, extend collaboration and improve services to the public.
Chief Fire Officer Lee Howell said: “I am delighted that our innovation and collaboration has been recognised with approval for a number of our bids which will be funded by Government.
“The money will help to facilitate further collaborative efforts, which will make an important contribution to meeting the challenges the Service will face in the future.”
