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[[File:LFB Dual Pump Ladder IMG 7079.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|A fire engine of the [[London Fire Brigade]], the second-largest service in the country after the [[Scottish Fire and Rescue Service]]]]
[[Image:Merseyside Fire and Rescue on STanley STreet, Liverpool.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|[[Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service]] in action]]
The '''fire services in the United Kingdom''' operate under separate legislative and administrative arrangements in [[England and Wales]], [[Northern Ireland]], and [[Scotland]].
As of 2023, emergency cover is provided by 49 ''fire and rescue services'' (FRS) in the UK.<ref name="ONS Geography Guide">{{cite web |url=https://geoportal.statistics.gov.uk/datasets/a-beginners-guide-to-uk-geography-2023/about |title=A Beginners Guide to UK Geography (2023) |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=24 August 2023 |website=Open Geography Portal |publisher=Office for National Statistics |access-date=9 December 2023}}</ref> The older terms of ''fire brigade'' and ''fire service'' survive in informal usage and in the names of a few organisations. England and Wales have local fire services which are each overseen by a [[fire authority]], which is made up of representatives of local governments. Fire authorities have the power to raise a [[Council Tax]] levy for funding, with the remainder coming from the government. Scotland and Northern Ireland have centralised fire services, and so their authorities are effectively committees of the devolved parliaments. The total budget for fire services in 2014-15 was £2.9 billion.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/446716/50600_PESA_2015_PRINT.pdf |title=UK Government spending |page=69}}</ref>
Central government maintains national standards and a body of independent advisers through the [[Chief Fire and Rescue Adviser]], which was created in 2007, while [[His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services]] provides direct oversight. The devolved government in Scotland has a similar agency, [[HMFSI Scotland]].
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Fire services are established and granted their powers under fairly new legislation which has replaced a number of [[Acts of Parliament]] dating back more than 60 years, but is still undergoing change; a rough timeline can be seen below.
* 1938: [[Fire Brigades Act 1938]] ([[1 & 2 Geo. 6]]. c. 72). This Act (which is no longer in force) provided for centralised co-ordination of fire brigades in Great Britain and made it mandatory for local authorities to arrange an effective fire service.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2002/04/sfsf/3|title=The Scottish Fire Service of The Future|first=St Andrew's House|last=Scottish Government|date=29 April 2002|access-date=25 March 2018}}</ref>
* 1947: [[Fire Services Act 1947]] This Act transferred the functions of the National Fire Service to local authorities. Now repealed entirely in England and Wales by Schedule 2 of the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004.
* 1959: [[Fire Services Act 1959]] This Act amended the 1947 Act; it dealt with pensions, staffing arrangements and provision of services by other authorities. It was repealed in England and Wales along with the 1947 Act.
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There are further plans to modernise the fire service according to the [[Local Government Association]]. Its website outlines future changes, and specific projects:
====Select committee====
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The committee's brief is:
The committee's report, and the subsequent government response in September 2006,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.official-documents.co.uk/document/cm69/6919/6919.pdf|title= Government Response to the Communities & Local Government Committee's Report on the Fire and Rescue Service, 29 September 2006, TSO|access-date=25 March 2018}}</ref> are important as they outlined progress on the FiReControl, efforts to address diversity and the planned closure of HMFSI in 2007 among many issues.
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* 2004: introduction of Fire (Scotland) Bill consequent to 2003 consultation paper.
* 2005: [[Fire (Scotland) Act 2005]] The scope of this act includes a "fire safety regime for non-domestic premises", but it also includes legislation that allows for the provision and operation of fire and rescue services for the eight local authority and joint board FRS in Scotland.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Justice/Fire/19077/FireAct|title=Scottish Executive (Justice) Fire Safety (accessed 19 feb 07)|access-date=25 March 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.opsi.gov.uk/legislation/scotland/acts2005/20050005.htm|title=Fire (Scotland) Act 2005|website=www.opsi.gov.uk|access-date=25 March 2018}}</ref>
* 2012: [[Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012]], creating a single [[Scottish Fire and Rescue Service]] with effect from 1 April 2013
===Legislation and administration (Wales)===
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* Metropolitan and county fire and rescue services or brigades - see below
The next level beneath that of local authority, is a brigade which usually comes under the operational command of a high ranking senior officer. Traditionally [[
* Fire authority: local councillors elected to set policy on its fire and rescue services, and distribute funding, and approve major spending
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===Wales===
Responsibility for fire and rescue services and promotion of fire safety in Wales lies with the Welsh Government.<ref>Schedule 7 Government of Wales Act 2006</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://new.wales.gov.uk/topics/housingandcommunity/safety/fire/?lang=en|title=Welsh Government - Topics|website=new.wales.gov.uk|access-date=25 March 2018|archive-date=8 June 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100608222514/http://new.wales.gov.uk/topics/housingandcommunity/safety/fire/?lang=en|url-status=dead}}</ref>
===Inspections===
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Former ranks include:
*Divisional officer<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.firesafe.org.uk/html/geninfo/ranks.htm |title=UK Firesafe Organisation |access-date=6 February 2022 |archive-date=6 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220206070418/https://www.firesafe.org.uk/role-structure-in-the-british-fire-service/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|-style="text-align:center;"
! Other fire service title
| [[Chief fire officer]]
| Deputy chief fire officer
| Assistant chief fire officer
| rowspan="2"|
| Area manager
| Group manager
| Station manager
| Watch manager
| Crew manager
|
| Firefighter
|-style="text-align:center;"
! [[London Fire Brigade|London]] title
| Commissioner
| Deputy commissioner
| Assistant commissioner
| Deputy assistant commissioner
| Group commander <br> {{small|(borough commander)}}
| Station commander
| Station officer
| Sub-officer
| Leading firefighter
| Firefighter
|-style="text-align:center;"
! [[Scottish Fire and Rescue Service|Scottish]] title
| Chief fire officer
| Deputy chief fire officer
| Assistant chief fire officer
| Deputy assistant chief fire officer
| Area manager
| Group manager
| Station manager
| Watch manager
| Crew manager
|
| Firefighter
|-style="text-align:center;"
! [[Isle of Man Fire and Rescue Service|Isle of Man]] title
| Chief fire officer
| Deputy chief fire officer
| colspan="3"|
| Divisional officer
| Assistant divisional officer
| Station officer
| Sub officer
| Leading firefighter
| Firefighter
|-style="text-align:center;"
! [[Gibraltar Fire and Rescue Service|Gibraltar]] title
| Chief fire officer
| Deputy chief fire officer
| colspan="3"|
| Divisional officer
|
| Station officer
| Sub officer
| Leading firefighter
| Firefighter
|-
!Old structure
|Chief fire officer
|Deputy chief officer
|Assistant chief officer
|
|Senior divisional officer
|Divisional officer
|Assistant divisional officer
|Station officer
|Sub officer
|Leading firefighter
|Firefighter
|-style="text-align:center;"
! Insignia
| [[File:London Fire Brigade - Commissioner rank insignia.svg|50px]]
| [[File:London Fire Brigade - Deputy Commissioner rank insignia.svg|50px]]
| [[File:London Fire Brigade - Assistant Commissioner rank insignia.svg|50px]]
| [[File:Scottish FRS - Deputy Assistant Chief Officer.png|50px]]
| [[File:London Fire Brigade - Deputy Assistant Commissioner rank insignia.svg|50px]]
| [[File:London Fire Brigade - Group Commander rank insignia.svg|50px]]
| [[File:London Fire Brigade - Station Commander rank insignia.svg|50px]]
| [[File:London Fire Brigade - Station Officer rank insignia.svg|50px]]
| [[File:London Fire Brigade - Sub-Officer rank insignia.svg|50px]]
| [[File:London Fire Brigade - Leading Firefighter rank insignia.svg|50px]]
| [[File:London Fire Brigade - Firefighter rank insignia.svg|50px]]
|}
===Resilience===
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{{Main|Airport rescue and firefighting services in the United Kingdom}}
[[Image:Manchester Airport Fire Engine.jpg|thumb|A fire appliance at [[Manchester Airport]]]]
Private airport fire services in the UK protect all categories of airports and aerodromes. They are usually referred to as [[Airport rescue and firefighting services in the United Kingdom|Rescue and Fire Fighting Services (RFFS)]], or by the internationally recognised term [[Aircraft rescue and firefighting|Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF)]]. One of the biggest aviation fire services is operated by [[BAA Limited|BAA]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.baa.com/portal/controller/dispatcher.jsp?CiID=ab6043aa0ac72010VgnVCM100000147e120a____&ChID=6cd1844f76a32010VgnVCM100000147e120a____&Ct=B2C_CT_GENERAL&CtID=448c6a4c7f1b0010VgnVCM200000357e120a____&ChPath=Home%5ECorporate%5EAbout+BAA%5EWho+does+what%5EFire+service|title=Heathrow: Corporate site - Our company, your airport|website=www.baa.com|access-date=25 March 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.baa.com/portal/controller/dispatcher.jsp?CiID=e6acd02e9c1ee010VgnVCM10000036821c0a____&ChID=bf4bd02e9c1ee010VgnVCM10000036821c0a____&Ct=B2C_CT_GENERAL&CtID=448c6a4c7f1b0010VgnVCM200000357e120a____&ChPath=Home%5ECorporate%5ETalking+Points%5EBehind+the+scenes%5EFighting+fires|title=Heathrow: Corporate site - Our company, your airport|website=www.baa.com|access-date=25 March 2018}}{{Dead link|date=April 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Non-BAA airports operate their own fire services to comply with legislation which states that airports must be provided with RFFS. One such example is [[London City Airport]]; its website describes the principal objective of an airport fire and rescue service: "as to save lives in the event of an aircraft accident or incident".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lcacc.org/operations/fire.html|title=London City Airport Consultative Committee, Fire and Rescue Service (accessed 16 Feb 2007)|access-date=25 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070221220402/http://www.lcacc.org/operations/fire.html|archive-date=21 February 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref> The number and type of firefighting appliances based at an airport will be determined by the airport's category.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fireservice.co.uk/articles/aviation.php|title=Fire Service: Aviation firefighting (accessed 12 Oct 07)|access-date=25 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071010132035/http://www.fireservice.co.uk/articles/aviation.php|archive-date=10 October 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref> Airports in the UK are categorised from 1 to 10. A category 10 airport caters for the biggest aircraft; the standards are determined by the [[United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority|Civil Aviation Authority]].
===Defence Fire and Rescue Service===
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The DFRS is the largest non geographical or local authority FRS in the UK, though the training, rank structure and equipment used are similar to that operated by their local authority fire service counterparts.
As a general rule the RAF personnel cover runways or airfields with particular expertise in defusing aircraft munitions,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.raf.mod.uk/careers/jobs/firefighter.cfm|title=RAF Recruitment - Home|website=www.raf.mod.uk|access-date=25 March 2018|archive-date=6 December 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131206022512/http://www.raf.mod.uk/careers/jobs/firefighter.cfm|url-status=dead}}</ref> with the civilians covering domestic sites, but there were cross overs and both services could be called to airfield and domestic situations.
Both RAF and defence personnel can serve abroad both in peacetime and at war.
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==See also==
*[[Fire
*[[Salvage Corps]]
*[[Fire Service College]]
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==External links==
* {{Commons category inline|Firefighting in the United Kingdom}}
*
{{UK fire service}}
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