Release date: 22 June 2023
West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service’s Statement of Assurance was approved by councillors at a West Sussex County Council Cabinet meeting on Tuesday 20 June.
The Statement of Assurance is the annual report that provides the fire authority with the confidence that the fire and rescue service is meeting its strategic objectives.
The document outlines the way in which the fire authority and its fire and rescue service delivered the requirements contained in the National Fire and Rescue Framework and the authority’s Community Risk Management Plan (CRMP) during the financial year from April 2022 to March 2023.
Councillor Duncan Crow, Cabinet Member for Community Support, Fire and Rescue, said: “This Statement of Assurance is significant because it is the first year of our four year CRMP launched in April 2022”
“The CRMP sets out the strategic priorities and the steps that the service is taking to implement new programmes of work over the next four years, to help ensure that West Sussex continues to be a safe place to live and work.
“Keeping residents safe is our top priority, and I am proud of the work that West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service contributes to serving our communities.”
Chief Fire Officer, Sabrina Cohen-Hatton, said: “The Statement of Assurance reinforces our commitment to provide our communities with clear information about how we manage public funds and assure the effectiveness of our finance, governance, and operational fire service arrangements.”
“Despite the many operational challenges during this fiscal year from wildfires to floods, the last 12 months have seen West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service demonstrate its ability to deliver improvements to the services that benefit the community, and our teams will continue to deliver the service West Sussex expects and deserves.”
