Fire service must 'adapt and invest' - mayor

David Skaith and Jo Coles say the new plan will help the fire service plan for future emergencies

A county's fire and rescue service will be expected to adapt to deal with a wider range of emergencies in coming years, according to its new action plan.

The North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Plan, which sets out the service's priorities to 2029, was launched on Monday.

The aims of the plan, compiled by York and North Yorkshire's Combined Authority, include tackling the causes of fires, improving safety in buildings, preparing communities for emergencies and investing in new equipment and staff.

Mayor of York and North Yorkshire David Skaith said: "The service needs to adapt and invest in estates, equipment and staff. Investing to make it more efficient will have a positive knock-on effect."

Skaith said this year's hike in the fire and rescue precept - equivalent to a 28% increase, or £24, compared to 2024-5 - was necessary after years of under-investment.

'Visitor influx'

The new plan recognised the challenges posed by climate change, which meant "the calls the service is dealing with are changing", Skaith explained.

He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "Over the last 10 to 15 years, we've seen firefighters responding to much more flooding.

"The influx of visitors North Yorkshire gets every year - particularly in coastal areas - also adds pressure."

Meanwhile, Jo Coles, deputy mayor for policing, fire and crime, said the plan also aimed to cut road deaths as firefighters were increasingly responding to traffic accidents.

Road safety was "a big issue" for the service, Coles said.

"Thirty two people died on the roads last year and we've had 11 deaths this year - and we're only in April.

"Every death is a tragedy and we want to work to raise awareness of road hazards to meet the aim of having zero people killed or seriously injured," she added.

Chief fire officer Jonathan Dyson said North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service was investing in new fire appliances and training for staff to make it fit for the future.

He said he welcomed the fact that more than 1,600 people had taken part in formulating the plan via a public consultation.

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