4th April 2007
West Yorkshire won ringing praise from the Audit Commission today.
West Yorkshire has the only fire and rescue authority in the country to be given the top rating for performance improvement .
When the Commission first inspected the authority in 2005 it was already found to be one of the best in the region.
“The Commission’s re-visit focused on our improvement since then, and our ability to make further progress,” explained Chief Fire Officer Phil Toase.
“The Performing Strongly rating is the best in England and should be taken by staff as a glowing endorsement of their hard work and commitment to modernising and improving our service.”
Among the specific things assessed by the Commission in making its judgement were local community education projects, examples of partnership working and equality and diversity issues.
The Commission also judged that West Yorkshire was Performing Well in the way it plans and manages it finances and the level to which it provides value for money.
Councillor Gordon Beever, said that the fire authority provided what was now commonly regarded as one of the most progressive and efficient fire and rescue services in the country, and yet still had the second lowest expenditure per head of population.
“Effective public services don’t have to drain the public purse. Value for money comes through combining clear political leadership and prudent financial stewardship with good management and the encouragement of individual enterprise.”
The Commission’s national scorecard for England’s 47 fire and rescue authorities show that while some are rising to the challenges of modernisation and placing greater emphasis of fire prevention and community fire safety, progress is patchy.
In addition, few authorities boast workforces that truly represent the diverse communities they serve.
West Yorkshire’s firefighters have been helping to drive down preventable fire deaths for the past decade. Nearly 60,000 free home fire safety checks are now carried out each year, with over 90,000 smoke alarms fitted. By 2013 it is intended to complete initial or return home visits to approximately 450,000 households.
In January, Secretary of State Ruth Kelly singled out West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority for its work in raising awareness of firefighting as a career option for women and Stonewall Diversity issued a national report commending the organisation for its commitment to equality for lesbian and gay staff.
In February, a team of national assessors gave West Yorkshire the maximum star rating for the way it plans, organises and delivers its fire and rescue service. That team homed in on five key areas:
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