Essex fire service warns of potential £5.1m funding cut amid rising number of emergencies
The service has been looking at it's finances ahead of the Government’s Fair Funding 2.0 announcement
Essex County Fire and Rescue Service (ECFRS) has raised concerns about how funding changes could impact its operations ahead of the Government’s Fair Funding 2.0 announcement.
According to early modelling by the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC), Essex could face a £5.1 million or 13.7 per cent reduction in its Government grant under current proposals.
This potential cut would come at a time when the Service has seen demand rise by 17 per cent over the past five years due to population increases, climate-related risks like wildfires and flooding, and more complex rescues.
Furthermore, major transport corridors such as the M25, A12, and M11 pass through the county alongside three international ports, two airports, over 350 miles of coastline, and critical national energy and fuel infrastructure in Thurrock and Canvey Island.
Chief Fire Officer and Chief Executive Rick Hylton emphasised the importance of fair funding to ensure these risks are managed effectively.
“This discussion about fair funding is vital, because it’s about keeping our communities safe,” Hylton said.
He noted the Service’s priorities are grounded in the Community Risk Management Plan, shaped by the needs of Essex residents.
“We’ve been speaking to our local MPs about the unique risks and responsibilities of counties like ours - from major transport corridors and coastline to ports, airports and critical national infrastructure - and the importance of protecting fire funding in real terms.”
Hylton also called for the reintroduction of capital funding to avoid frontline capacity being compromised when investing in essential resources like buildings, vehicles, and equipment.
“With a fair, risk-based approach to funding, we can keep responding when emergencies happen, keep preventing incidents before they occur, and keep protecting the people and places that make Essex such a great place to live and work,” Hylton added.
Despite increasing demands, ECFRS’ efforts to prevent emergencies have led to a 13.3 per cent reduction in house fires since 2019. Last year alone, the Service carried out 10,701 home-fire-safety visits and installed 14,600 smoke alarms, prioritising vulnerable residents.
Initiatives like the Waterside Responder Scheme, run in partnership with the RNLI, have reduced water-related deaths by 13 per cent.
The FireBike and FireCar programmes focus on improving road safety for motorcyclists, while new apprentice prevention officers conduct safety visits, install smoke alarms, and provide support on health and wellbeing services to local people.
In turn, ECFRS briefed Essex Members of Parliament with three key funding requests:
Protect fire funding in real terms to match inflation and pay increases.
Allow an annual £5 council tax precept flexibility for fire services, equivalent to around 10p per week for Essex residents. This would raise approximately £2.2 million each year.
Reintroduce national capital grants to invest in modernising fire stations, equipment, and training facilities.