Meeting to be held on Monday 16 November 2026
Contact for further information – Deputy Chief Fire Officer Steve Healey
Tel: 01772 866801
Executive SummaryThe Community Risk Management Plan (CRMP) 2027-2032 (Appendix 1) sets out Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service’s strategic plan for identifying, assessing and reducing fire and rescue-related risk across Lancashire over the next five years. It explains the foreseeable risks and challenges facing the county, how these have been assessed, and how the Service will use its people, resources, prevention activity, protection work and emergency response arrangements to make Lancashire safer. In developing the CRMP, the Authority has had due regard to the Fire and Rescue National Framework for England.
The CRMP has been informed by a structured assessment of risk, engagement with staff, representative bodies, partners and stakeholders, and the outcomes of formal consultation. This has ensured that the plan is evidence-led, reflects feedback received, and provides a clear framework for delivery, assurance and continuous improvement.
The paper presents the CRMP 2027-2032, summarises the consultation outcomes (Appendix 2), changes made following the consultation (Appendix 3) and seeks approval of the supporting Prevention (Appendix 4), Protection (Appendix 5) and Response (Appendix 6) Strategies. These strategies set out how key areas of activity will support delivery of the CRMP and ensure that the Service continues to align resources and activity to the risks and needs of Lancashire’s communities.
The CRMP 2027-2032:- · Highlights Lancashire’s risks; · Explains how Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service (LFRS) will manage and reduce fire and rescue related risk in Lancashire; · Sets out our priorities and values; · Identifies the core strategies that will support delivery; · Sets out our objectives against each priority and states how we aim to deliver these; · Illustrates how we will measure and assure performance.
Recommendation(s)1. The Planning Committee are asked to note the CRMP consultation outcomes. 2. The Planning Committee are asked to approve the changes to the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), that will be used to monitor the delivery of the Plan. 3. The Planning Committee are asked to approve the supporting Prevention, Protection, and Response Strategies. 4. The Planning Committee are asked to recommend the CRMP 2027-2032, for approval by the Combined Fire Authority (CFA) at its December meeting. |
Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service’s Community Risk Management Plan (CRMP) is the Service’s overarching strategic plan for identifying, assessing, managing and reducing fire and rescue-related risk across Lancashire. It sets out the foreseeable risks and challenges facing our communities and provides the framework for aligning prevention, protection, emergency response and organisational capabilities, including people and resources, to make Lancashire safer. The CRMP is developed in accordance with the Fire and Rescue National Framework for England and is underpinned by the Strategic Assessment of Risk, which brings together data, local intelligence, national and local resilience information, political, economic, social, technological, environmental, legal and organisational (PESTELO) analysis, operational learning, professional judgement and engagement feedback to inform strategic priorities and decision-making.
The current CRMP covers the period 2022–2027 and is now being replaced by a new plan for 2027–2032 to ensure the Service continues to respond effectively to current and emerging risks. Lancashire’s risk profile continues to change due to factors such as population and demographic change, deprivation, health inequalities, climate change, severe weather, technological developments, changes in the built environment and wider societal and economic pressures. Developing a new CRMP enables LFRS to review these risks, consider the views of communities, staff, representative bodies and partners, and set clear strategic priorities for the next five years. It also provides strategic direction for the supporting Core Strategies for People, Prevention, Protection, Response, Digital, Data and Technology, and Finance, ensuring they are aligned to CRMP priorities and provide a coherent framework for delivery, assurance and continuous improvement.
Development of the CRMP followed a structured, evidence-led planning process, supported by engagement and consultation. This included analysis of national and local data, operational performance, incident trends, community risk factors, demographic shifts, environmental hazards, partner intelligence, legislative and policy requirements, and learning from previous plans and assurance activity.
Engagement and consultation were central to developing the CRMP, ensuring that the views of the public, staff, representative bodies, partners and other stakeholders shaped the Service’s priorities and approach. Phase one, which ran from 13 January to 15 March 2026, gathered early insight into what matters most to Lancashire’s communities, tested emerging priorities and informed the draft plan. Phase two, from 15 July to 9 October 2026, invited feedback on the draft through consultation with residents, businesses, partners and employees. The consultation was communicated and shared in various ways, such as through social media, including targeted adverts, direct invites to email subscribers and key stakeholders, and by contacting service users. In total, over 4,500 responses were received over both phases of the consultation with representation from every district area in Lancashire. The majority of responses were from local residents, however responses were also received from current employees and stakeholders including town and parish councils, local authorities and neighbouring fire and rescue services. Most of the feedback was positive about the plan and the Service in general and there were high levels of agreement and assurance across the range of proposals in the consultation.
Feedback from both phases helped ensure that the final plan reflects community needs and expectations and prioritises resources effectively to manage risk, demand and vulnerability across Lancashire. The feedback will continue to shape how we implement the CRMP in terms of how we deliver services in communities. A summary of the consultation feedback is available in Appendix 2, and details of changes made following the consultation are available in Appendix 3.
As part of the development of the CRMP, a review of LFRS’s KPIs was undertaken. Following this, a number of changes are proposed which include the re-numbering and re-categorising of some KPIs to align with our six priorities. The full list of KPIs are outlined on page 60 of the CRMP. The changes proposed are:
Old KPI |
New KPI |
|
KPI 2.2 Overall activity |
Move to KPI 4 - Response, re-number 4.1 |
|
Remove KPI 2.3.2 Accidental dwelling fires, 2.4.1 Accidental building fires – commercial premises, 2.5.1 Accidental building fires non-commercial premises – Harm to property: extent of damage (fire severity) |
Merge with 'number of fires' KPIs 2.3, 2.4, and 2.5 with an overview of harm to property |
|
KPI 2.9 Business fire safety checks, 2.9.1 Fire safety activity, and 2.10 Building regulation consultations |
Move to KPI 3 – Protection, re-number them 3.1, 3.2, and 3.3 respectively |
|
KPI 3.1 Critical fire response, 3.2 Critical special service response, and 3.3 Fire engine availability |
Move to KPI 4 – Response, re-number them 4.2, 4.3 and 4.4 respectively |
|
|
Create a new KPI 5 – Digital, and add KPI 5.1 System availability, reliability and resilience, 5.2 Cyber resilience, 5.3 Workforce satisfaction with digital services |
|
KPI 4.1 Progress against allocated budget, 4.2 Partnership collaboration, and 4.3 Overall user satisfaction |
Move to KPI 6 – Value for money, re-number them 6.1, 6.2, and 6.3 respectively |
Table 1 – Changes to KPIs
Part of the CRMP consultation asked several questions around response standards. Each fire and rescue service sets their own response standards, and in Lancashire we set some of the most robust standards in the country. Our standards measure from the ‘time of call’ to the ‘time in attendance’ of the first fire engine arriving at the incident.
Critical fire incidents are defined as fire incidents that are likely to involve a significant threat to life, structures or the environment. Currently, we utilise our fire risk map to categorise each Lower-level Super Output Area (LSOA) and set a response standard of:
· Very high risk area - 6 minutes
· High risk area - 8 minutes
· Medium risk area - 10 minutes
· Low risk area - 12 minutes
Our latest four year overall average response time to critical fire incidents is 7 minutes 44 seconds.
Critical special service incidents are non-fire incidents where there is a risk to life, for example, road traffic collisions, rescues and hazardous materials incidents. For these incidents there is a single response standard of 13 minutes. Our latest four year overall average response time to critical special service incidents is 8 minutes 35 seconds.
The table below highlights that over half the population of Lancashire are in a low risk LSOA and currently have a 12-minute average response standard for critical fires. Whereas just 1% of Lancashire population reside in a very high risk area, and currently have a 6-minute average response standard.
|
LSOA Risk |
% of Incidents |
Population |
% of Population |
|
VH |
3% |
17,925 |
1.1% |
|
H |
11% |
82,825 |
5.5% |
|
M |
43% |
530,193 |
35% |
|
L |
42% |
884,543 |
58.4% |
Table 2 – LSOA risk
During the consultation, we gauged views on whether our current critical fire response standard model is appropriate, or whether we should move to simpler single response standards whilst retaining the fire risk formula for prevention and resource allocation. 88% of respondents agreed that everyone in Lancashire should receive the same critical fire response standard. The current standards are difficult to understand and track because they change annually based on the fire risk map.
Research was undertaken to look at response standards across fire and rescue services (FRS) in England. It was found that whilst there is a wide range of response-standard models, over 70% of FRSs, have a single standard response time to critical fires. Regionally, all but Greater Manchester FRS set a 10-minute response time to critical fires. The median response time for critical fires across England is 10 minutes.
Based on the research and support expressed during the CRMP consultation, and in line with the single standard we set for critical special service calls, it is recommended that LFRS adopt a single response standard for critical fires of 10 minutes, across the whole county. Therefore, we aim to arrive at a critical fire within 10 minutes, on average across the whole of Lancashire, and 13 minutes, on average, to critical special service calls across the whole of the county.
The Prevention Strategy sets out how Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service will work to reduce the likelihood of fires and other emergencies occurring, with a particular focus on those people, places and communities most at risk. It describes how prevention activity will support delivery of the CRMP, using data, insight, local intelligence and partnership working to focus on the people, places and circumstances where intervention can have the greatest impact, supporting safer behaviours, improving wellbeing, and reducing harm across Lancashire.
The full strategy is available in Appendix 4, however our areas of focus in the prevention strategy are:
· Home Fire Safety - Reducing Accidental Dwelling Fire Risk and Harm
· Prevent Fire Setting - Preventing Deliberate Fires, Wildfires and Secondary Fires
· Resilience to Severe Weather and Emerging Risk - Reducing Harm from Extreme Weather-Related Incidents
· Safer Roads - Improving Safety on Our Roads
· Stronger Communities - Improving Outcomes for Our Communities
The Protection Strategy explains how the Service will support businesses, building owners and responsible persons to understand and meet their fire safety responsibilities. It outlines how regulatory activity, including inspection and enforcement, alongside business engagement, education and advice, will be aligned to CRMP risk, focusing resources on higher-risk premises to support compliance with fire safety legislation, reduce risk in the built environment, and contribute to safer communities.
The full strategy is available in Appendix 5, however our areas of focus for the protection strategy are:
· Targeting and Managing Risk - In High-risk and Regulated Premises
· Safer Buildings - Improving Safety in Complex and Higher-risk Buildings
· Stronger Systems - Enabling System-wide Risk Reduction
· Supporting Delivery and Performance - Deliver a high-performing, risk-led protection service, focused on outcomes and continuous improvement.
The Response Strategy provides the framework for maintaining and developing effective, efficient and resilient emergency response arrangements across the county, aligned to the CRMP risk profile. It sets out how people, stations, vehicles, equipment, operational capability, training, operational learning and ways of working will be aligned to risk and demand, ensuring response provision remains proportionate, effective and adaptable to future demand, and the Service can respond safely to fires, rescues and other emergencies.
The full strategy is available in Appendix 6, however our areas of focus in the response strategy are:
· Operational Response - Deliver a sustainable, efficient and effective response model that enables a quick and proportionate response, with people and resources aligned to risk and demand.
· Operational Competence - Ensure our workforce is competent, confident and adaptable, able to respond safely to current and emerging risks.
· Operational Preparedness - Be a risk-informed, intelligence led and well-prepared organisation, ready to respond to routine incidents but also complex, large-scale and emerging incidents.
· Operational effectiveness and continuous improvement - Deliver high-performing, learning-driven emergency response, achieving the best outcomes for communities.
Production of a CRMP is a business-critical planning function. All Fire and Rescue Authorities are required to produce a CRMP under the National Framework guidance, out current plan runs until March 2027.
Inevitably there will be a requirement for a printed version of the CRMP (on request) however the approach taken will be ‘digital by default’ and therefore the environmental impact will be minimal with no sustainability issues identified.
Usual distribution media will be employed to assist persons with access to information. The CRMP will be made available in a variety of languages or a format suitable for impaired consultees.
Equality Impact Assessments have been completed for the CRMP 27-32 and the supporting Core Strategies.
An accessible version of Appendix 1 is available at https://www.lancsfirerescue.org.uk/about/publications/community-risk-management-plan.
Data Protection (GDPR)
Will the proposal(s) involve the processing of personal data? N
If the answer is yes, please contact a member of the Democratic Services Team to assist with the appropriate exemption clause for confidential consideration under part 2 of the agenda.
No implications.
Production of the CRMP falls within existing budgets and no abnormal spends are anticipated. As with the publication of the last CRMP, the move to publishing in a fully digital format reduces costs compared to previous printed versions.
None identified.
Paper: Strategic Assessment of Risk 2026-2027
Date: November 2026
Contact: Deputy Chief Fire Officer Steve Healey
CFA - Combined Fire Authority
CRMP - Community Risk Management Plan
FRS – Fire and Rescue Services
KPIs - Key Performance Indicators
LFRS – Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service
LSOA - Lower-level Super Output Area
PESTELO - political, economic, social, technological, environmental, legal and organisational