Chief Fire Officer Steve Helps and Chair of the Combined Fire Authority, Cllr John Shuttleworth, with the CRMP booklet.
County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service (CDDFRS) have revealed their latest plan to keep their communities safe – and they’re asking for your view.
CDDFRS have today (February 19) published their draft Community Risk Management Plan (CRMP) that outlines how the Service uses the resources they have to keep communities safe.
Covering everything from how the Service prevents fires to how it responds to emergency calls, the document looks at all the risks that communities face and how they can be tackled.
This year’s CRMP highlights how the survey aims to invest in five core areas:
- Investing in new ways to access vulnerable people, to keep them safe from fire and other emergencies.
- Reducing the impact and number of deliberate fires by investing in our partnerships with others.
- Investing in recruitment and development of staff.
- Investing in the continuous improvement of the on-call response model.
- Being prepared for the future by investing in our buildings, equipment and vehicles so we are more sustainable and reduce our carbon footprint.
CDDFRS are now opening the document up to a 12-week period of consultation – which closes at midnight on Wednesday, May 14 - to provide both the public and key partner organisations with an opportunity to offer feedback.
Chief Fire Officer Steve Helps of CDDFRS said: “We take immense pride in the quality of the services and response we provide to the people of County Durham and Darlington.
"Our number one priority is and always will be, keeping our communities safe.
“The CRMP is our most important document that allows us to consider and meet the changing risks in our communities and ensure the safety of the public and our firefighters and staff.
“This year’s refreshed CRMP focuses on our plans to make key investments - both from a financial and time perspective - in how we work with our communities, support our people, develop our on-call resources and plan for our future.”
He added: “Your views on our plan are immensely important to us and will be used to shape our services for the next three years.
“Please show your support by taking time to complete our consultation survey.”
Chair of the Combined Fire Authority, Councillor John Shuttleworth, added: “The CRMP helps the Authority to scrutinise how effective the Service is and that it provides good value.
“We want to hear as many views as possible to help us with this task and I ask our communities to spare a few minutes to complete the questionnaire, as this is your chance to influence how we plan ahead.”
To read the full CRMP visit: Community Risk Consultation | County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service
The consultation can be completed online: https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/CRMP2025/
Meanwhile, firefighters will be out and about in communities engaging with the public, where it is possible to fill in paper copies of the consultation, or be directed to the online survey via a QR code.
Opportunities to chat to your local crews in person include:
- Spennymoor firefighter car wash – Spennymoor Fire Station – Saturday, March 1
- Peterlee firefighter car wash – Peterlee Asda – Friday, March 28
- Seaham firefighter car wash – Seaham Fire Station – Saturday, March 29
- High Handenhold Fire Station Open Day – Saturday, April 26
- Darlington Fire Station Open Day –Saturday, May 10
