North Wales Fire and Rescue Authority is encouraging people to get involved in a public consultation to gather feedback from those who live, work and travel in the region about the provision of future emergency cover services in North Wales.

Emergency cover is the way the fire and rescue service manages resources to keep people safe - no matter where you live or who you are, they aim to continue being there for you when you need them.

Chief Fire Officer Dawn Docx said: “Essentially, emergency cover means being able to provide an equitable service across our diverse communities – diverse in terms of location and geography, in terms of the types of incidents we respond to, and also in terms of the people we serve, no matter who you are.

“We aim to achieve this by managing our resources, our budget and our people as effectively as possible.

“Balancing this against the current challenges to providing our services is also key – especially when our part time or on-call firefighters are not as available as they have been traditionally, when the risks faced by our communities are changing, for example with climate change and when the financial challenges are greater than ever.

“And it’s not just about responding to incidents – preventing them from happening in the first place is far better for everyone involved. Our prevention and protection work is therefore equally as important to helping to keep you safe.”

Councillor Dylan Rees, Chair of the Fire and Rescue Authority, said: “This consultation is important to everyone in North Wales and understanding your views is key.

“It asks for your opinion on what risks concern you most? What decision-making criteria is important to you? How do the options presented meet the needs of all our communities? Or you may have another suggestion about other ways of providing emergency cover in North Wales?

“Your feedback is therefore important - we want to know what you think about our options for providing emergency cover before the Fire Authority makes any final decisions about future provision. So please take the time to complete the consultation questionnaire.

“The more people get involved, the better our prospects of achieving the right balance of services in what we provide. The more opinions we receive, the more we can be confident that the detailed action plans we develop will deliver exactly what the people of North Wales want.”

The consultation opens on 21 July 2023 and closes at midnight on 22 September 2023.

View a PDF of the full consultation document here.

To take part, please visit here to complete the questionnaire and to access all the information needed in order to respond to the questions.

You can call or text North Wales Fire and Rescue Service on 07787 578 386 if you would prefer a paper copy or an easy read format, or email EmergencyCoverReview@northwalesfire.gov.wales.

You can also attend one of the consultation events being held across North Wales and on line to gather feedback – details can be found here.

There is an assistive toolbar on the website for read aloud functionality, larger text and the ability to view the information in a wide range of additional languages.

Follow North Wales Fire and Rescue Service on social media for updates:

Twitter: @NorthWalesFire

Facebook: @Northwalesfireservice

Or search ‘North Wales Fire and Rescue Service’ on LinkedIn

The final decision will be made by the Fire Authority – details of the decision-making meeting will be available here, together with a recording of proceedings.  

After the final decision has been made, any changes to fire and rescue service emergency cover in North Wales would take place in a phased approach, as part of the 2024/28 Community Risk Management Plan.