Audit Commission Report 2008

Conference notes with concern the publication, in December 2008, of the Audit Commission Report ʻRising to the Challengeʼ. Those brigades praised by this report have achieved ʻmodernisationʼ by making savings via: ● Changing shift duty systems ● Depleting frontline fire cover ● Cutting establishment figures and other such draconian measures. The use of league tables produced in such reports as a measure of performance cannot be sustained and as seen when used in other public service industries, only leads to employers competing to slash standards to the detriment of the public and employees alike. Conference calls upon the Executive Council to mount and co-ordinate a national campaign of opposition to the use of such reports as a basis for standards of fire cover, and re-iterate the requirement for a risk based, properly resourced fire service.