£1.6 million investment proposed following inspection of Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service

Suffolk County Council is proposing to invest an extra £1.6 million over two years into Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) following a government inspection.

Inspectors from His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) found SFRS effectively operates its 35 stations, 43 fire engines and a range of specialist vehicles strategically situated around Suffolk.

The inspectors rated the service as good at preventing fires and risk, and protecting the public through fire regulation, and that it met requirements for responding to major incidents, plus managing and developing its leaders.

However, the assessment highlighted areas where inspectors feel the service needs to improve – leadership, culture, commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, and IT infrastructure.

Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service Chief Fire Officer, Jon Lacey, said: “The report recognised that in the key areas of emergency response readiness, preventing fires and protecting the public the service we perform well, and I want to take this opportunity to thank our incredibly hard-working members of staff for their ongoing commitment to keeping Suffolk’s residents safe.

“We recognise there is much work to be done, which is why we are already developing an action plan to drive improvements across all service areas – taking into account the challenges we’ve experienced over the past 12 months, I am putting the inspection outcomes front and centre as our driver for change.

“It is essential that my colleagues from across the service are involved in developing our action plan so we can reflect the experience of all those working here, ensuring we are inclusive during the delivery of our improvements.

“Keeping Suffolk’s residents safe and responding to emergencies remains our top priority – this will continue to be our key focus, whilst building on our core values and cultivating a positive and collaborative working environment for all. I welcome the investment as pressures on fire services increase.”

A targeted action plan is already being developed with staff to drive improvements in areas highlighted within the report.

These include IT infrastructure and staff, cultural changes and risk management.

To deliver the plan, Suffolk County Council is set to propose an additional investment of £1.6 million.

Councillor Steve Wiles, Suffolk County Council’s cabinet member for public protection, said: “I thank His Majesty’s Inspectorate for their recent inspection and feedback on how we in Suffolk can provide the best possible fire services to our residents.

“We acknowledge and accept the findings within the report. It will be reassuring for residents to know we are already tackling areas that have been highlighted for improvement. Our additional £1.6 million investment proposal will mean the service can push on with its action plan.

“I will work closely with the chief fire officer and his team to ensure the improvement plan is clear and deliverable - ensuring necessary changes are made swiftly and effectively."

All fire services in the UK undergo inspection every two years. The last inspection report of SFRS was published in 2023.

However, new assessment criteria has since been introduced by HMICFRS that gives a more stringent evaluation, which means the 2025 report for SFRS cannot be compared with inspection gradings from previous years.

The inspection took place last autumn and assessed how well Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service performed across a number of areas.