Northamptonshire Fire & Rescue Service has launched a public consultation on its strategic plan to keep people safe over the next five years – and residents are being asked to share their views.

The strategic document, known as the Community Risk Management Plan (CRMP), details how we will align our resources to reduce emerging risks – such as flooding and wildfires - and keep people safe across the county.

At the same time, the consultation asks residents about proposed changes to the target response times for firefighters to attend incidents.

Currently, the Service sets itself a single target of attending all incidents within an average of 10 minutes after receiving the first 999 call.

New proposals would see response times changed depending on the incident type. This includes putting in place a faster response time for dwelling fires where there is a risk to life, while taking longer to attend non-life-threatening incidents. 

Chief Fire Officer Nikki Watson said any feedback from residents will be acted on and potentially shape the final document.

She said: “The work that our firefighters do is more varied than ever before, so it is important for us to reflect that and make sure that we manage our resources appropriately. 

“We want to hear from as many residents as possible, and it is important that they are honest about our proposals and whether they meet the needs of our communities across Northamptonshire.”

The draft CRMP document can be viewed at the following link: www.northantsfire.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/NFRSCRMP-DRAFT-APRIL25-V0.5-FINAL.pdf

Residents can share their views by May 21 by filling in our survey here: www.research.net/r/VQBKPZ8