Statement of assurance - 2025 to 2026 - Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue

Introduction

The Fire and Rescue National Framework for England sets out the requirements for the fire and rescue authorities to:

  • provide an annual statement of assurance on financial, governance and operational matters
  • show how they have had due regard to:
    • the expectations set out in their integrated risk management plan
    • the requirements included in the framework

This document is intended to meet that obligation through reference to existing:

  • plans
  • reports
  • public web pages

Background

Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue (LFR) is a statutory fire and rescue service for the county of Lincolnshire. It is part of Lincolnshire County Council (LCC) which is also the Fire and Rescue Authority (FRA). The Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004 is the core legislation for fire and rescue services in England and Wales. It details the statutory responsibilities for all FRAs which includes making provision for the purpose of:

  • extinguishing fires
  • protecting life and property from fires
  • rescuing people from road traffic collisions
  • promoting fire safety
  • responding to other emergencies

The Fire and Rescue National Framework document outlines the government’s priorities and objectives for FRAs in England. It describes the high-level expectations but does not prescribe operational matters. The priorities in the framework are for FRAs to:

  • make appropriate provision for fire prevention and protection activities and response to fire and rescue related incidents
  • identify and assess the full range of foreseeable fire and rescue related risks their areas face
  • collaborate with emergency services and other local and national partners to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the service they provide
  • be accountable to communities for the service they provide
  • develop and maintain a workforce that is:
    • professional
    • resilient
    • skilled
    • flexible
    • diverse

The county

Lincolnshire is the fourth-largest county in England covering 5,921 square kilometres. The county is classified as one of the most rural in England by the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). The seven local authority districts are classified as:

  • majority rural
    • East Lindsey
    • South Holland
    • North Kesteven
    • West Lindsey
  • intermediate urban
    • South Kesteven
    • Boston
  • urban
    • Lincoln

Further information on rural-urban classifications can be found on the DEFRA and Office for National Statistics (ONS) websites.

The 2024 mid-year estimates place the county population at 789,502. This is an increase of 8% since 2014. Current projections suggest the population will increase by 8% by 2043. Despite this, population density remains low with 133 people per square kilometre compared with an average for England of 450 people per square kilometre.

Not only is the population increasing, it is also ageing. The proportion of people aged 65 and over is projected to increase from 24% in 2024, to 30% in 2043. Further information about the county can be found at Lincolnshire Open Data.

Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue

LFR operates 38 fire stations. One of these is staffed by full-time firefighters around the clock. Seven are staffed by full-time firefighters during the day, with on-call cover at night. As of 31 March 2025, the service establishment was 713 staff (actual headcount may vary), comprising:

  • 595 operational
  • 21 control
  • 97 support staff

Key operational equipment includes:

  • 48 station-based fire engines
  • 2 aerial appliances
  • 14 special appliances, including:
    • 7 technical response vehicles
    • 4 flood response pumps
    • water carrier
    • welfare unit
  • 4 swift water rescue boats
  • national resilience capability including:
    • marauding terrorist firearms attack specialist response team (MTFA SRT)
    • 4 swift water rescue teams (type B SWRT)
    • urban search and rescue (USAR)
    • high volume pumping capability
  • 26 co-responder vehicles

During 2025 to 2026, the service:

  • received 16,736 calls
  • attended 7,632 operational incidents including 397 medical response calls

Financial

LFR is included within all county council financial procedures including:

  • budget setting
  • budget monitoring
  • production of final accounts

This ensures public money is properly accounted for. The service conducts its activities, as part of the county council, in accordance with its duty under section 3 of the Local Government Act 1999 in respect of ensuring it performs:

  • economically
  • efficiently
  • effectively

The chief finance officer is responsible for preparing our statement of accounts in accordance with proper practices. The purpose of the accounts is to give clear information about our finances to:

  • electors
  • local taxpayers and service users
  • elected members
  • employees
  • other interested parties

The statement of accounts for 2024 to 2025 has been included with the 2024 to 2025 audited statement of accounts. This is due for publication by 27 February 2026. These accounts, including earlier years, can be found on our website at LCC statement of accounts.

Our financial statements and value for money conclusions are independently audited. No matters have been identified which would prevent the auditors from giving an unqualified:

  • opinion on the financial statements
  • value for money conclusion

The external auditors present regular planning updates and progress reports to the audit committee. These reports can be viewed at audit committee meetings. When published, the audit opinion can be found within the annual audit letter.

Value for money

LFR's 2025 to 2026 revenue expenditure budget of £29.4 million was fully utilised with a number of variances.

There was a cost pressure of £0.499 million which included key variances:

  • organisational support - £0.629 million underspend
    • £0.517 million underspend on the Control project
    • £0.046 million overspend including breathing apparatus testing and evaluation and on-call availibility recruitment skills (OARS)
    • £0.130 million underspend on licenses
  • professional development - £0.125m overspend
    • £0.49 million overspend relating to training recommendations from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry
    • £0.074 million overspend relating to the new Trauma training contract with LIVES
    • £0.026 million reduction in forecast commercial income
  • response - £0.942 million overspend
    • £0.578 million overspend relating to increased costs of turn-outs and attendances
      £0.054 million additional costs relating to the closure of Brayford One
      £0.076 million pressure due to the early withdrawal of the Firelink grant
      £0.072 million pressure resulting from changes to terms and conditions for bank holiday entitlements of retained staff

These cost pressures were funded by a contribution from contingency. 

Following a rephasing process early in the year, the capital budget was £2.616 million for 2025 to 2026. At the closure of accounts, the service reported an underspend of £0.771 million primarily as a result of £0.408 million relating to the control project and £0.272 million on the Fleet budget. With each of the instances of rephasing and underspend, supporting rationale outlined project slippage and further reprofiling rather than a change to the overall budget.

Governance

LCC (as the FRA) is responsible for ensuring:

  • its business is conducted in accordance with the law and proper standards
  • public money is safeguarded, properly accounted for, and used:
    • economically
    • efficiently
    • effectively

One of the executive councillors (portfolio holder) has specific responsibility for the exercise of executive functions in relation to our role as fire authority.

We have adopted a governance and assurance structure. This is consistent with the principles of the:

  • chartered institute of public finance and accountancy
  • society of local authority chief executives framework delivering good governance in local government

Our annual governance statement:

  • sets out our commitment to good governance
  • describes the governance framework and processes
  • provides details of measures taken by us to ensure:
    • appropriate business practice
    • high standards of conduct
    • sound governance
  • sets out the actions we have taken to review the effectiveness of our governance framework, including the system of internal control

Our annual governance statement is included in our statement of accounts publication.

Our internal audit department publishes an annual internal audit report. This provides an independent opinion of the overall adequacy and effectiveness of our governance framework, risk and internal control system. The opinion of the head of internal audit in respect of the year ended 31 March 2025 was considered by the audit committee on 16 June 2025. Their opinion was that:

  • the frameworks of governance, risk management and management controls are adequate
  • audit testing has demonstrated controls to be working in practice

The portfolio holder, chief executive and chief fire officer provide routine oversight of the fire and rescue service. Key decisions are processed through the county’s informal executive and executive as necessary. We report to the community safety scrutiny committee on a regular basis. This is in accordance with the scrutiny work programme. Copies of committee reports can be found on our Moderngov website.

Collectively, these arrangements provide assurance that we maintain: 

  • effective governance
  • sound risk management
  • appropriate internal controls

We are able to demonstrate:

  • transparency
  • accountability
  • compliance with statutory responsibilities

Operational

Lincolnshire FRA has carried out its functions in accordance with the defined statutory and policy framework in which it is required to operate. The key documents setting this out are:

  • The Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004
  • The Civil Contingencies Act 2004
  • The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
  • Fire Safety Act 2021
  • Fire Safety (England) Regulations
  • Building Safety Act 2022
  • The Fire and Rescue Services (Emergencies) (England) Order 2007
  • The Localism Act 2011
  • The Fire and Rescue National Framework for England
  • The Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974
  • Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions) Order 1975
  • Serous Violence Duty
  • The Care Act 2014
  • Equality Duty 2010
  • Policing and Crime Act 2017

Planning

2025 to 2026 was the second year of the four-year community risk management plan (CRMP). The CRMP:

  • outlines how the service identify, assess and manage risk across Lincolnshire
  • ensures that resources are aligned to the risks faced by communities locally
  • keeps service delivery effective, proportionate and evidence based

The CRMP is reviewed annually. This ensures it stays current and responsive to new challenges and community needs.

The CRMP captures the services strategic intent in the medium term (four-year period) and covers four sections:

  • safer communities
  • service delivery
  • value for money
  • people

The four sections are translated into the annual service plan, setting out the specific actions, milestones and performance measures required during the year and providing the mechanism through which progress is monitored and evaluated.

During 2025 to 2026, the service continued to strengthen its performance management using:

  • enhanced data analytics
  • Power BI performance dashboards
  • a robust governance framework

Progress against strategic priorities, service plans and key performance indicators was monitored through quarterly performance management board meetings, providing oversight at the highest level of the organisation. This process ensures that performance, productivity and organisational improvement remain central to service delivery. It also supports informed decision-making based on evidence and risk.

The annual review process also enables the service to:

  • assess progress against strategic objectives
  • identify emerging opportunities and challenges
  • refine priorities where necessary

This approach supports a culture of continuous improvement, organisational learning and accountability, ensuring that LFR remains focused on delivering positive outcomes for the communities it serves whilst maintaining operational effectiveness and value for money.

Community risk management

LFR adopts a structured, evidence-based approach to community risk management. This ensures that resources are aligned to identified risks and targeted where they can have the greatest impact on:

  • reducing harm
  • protecting communities
  • improving public safety

The approach to community risk management is supported by a variety of modelling processes. It combines:

  • operational data
  • demographic information
  • partner intelligence
  • emerging risk information

To develop a comprehensive understanding of current and future risks facing the county.

This process allows the service to:

  • identify community risks such as:
    • residential fires
    • road traffic collisions
    • flooding
    • severe weather events
    • rural and agricultural risks
    • emerging technologies
    • risks associated with vulnerable individuals and communities
  • prioritise prevention, protection, emergency response and resilience activities ensuring resources are directed towards areas to deliver the greatest benefit
  • deliver targeted interventions to reduce risk, improve community safety and support vulnerable individuals through:
    • education
    • engagement
    • home fire safety visits
    • business fire safety activity
    • partnership working
  • support effective emergency planning and community resilience arrangements through collaboration with:
    • local authorities
    • emergency services
    • health partners
    • voluntary organisations
    • the Lincolnshire Resilience Forum

The service continually reviews its risk modelling to ensure they reflect emerging risks, changing community demographics and learning identified through a range of sources. This enables LFR to maintain an agile and responsive approach to risk management, ensuring service delivery remains:

  • proportionate
  • effective
  • aligned to the priorities within the community risk management plan 2024 to 2028

This intelligence-led approach provides assurance that prevention, protection, response and resilience activities are directed towards the areas of greatest risk and community need. It supports compliance with the national framework expectation that fire and rescue authorities identify, assess and mitigate foreseeable fire and rescue-related risks through evidence-based decision making.

Risk identification and management

LFR use an intelligence-led approach to identifying, assessing and managing risk across the county. 

We use a combination of:

  • data analysis
  • operational learning
  • professional judgement
  • partnership intelligence

This ensures resources are targeted effectively and risks are mitigated wherever possible.

The service continually reviews a wide range of information sources, including:

  • incident data
  • demographic trends
  • community vulnerability data
  • environmental factors
  • emerging risk information

This allows us to develop a detailed understanding of the risks faced by communities, businesses and the wider county and informs strategic planning, operational preparedness and the targeting of prevention and protection activities.

Key elements of this approach include:

  • using incident data, performance information, demographic analysis and sophisticated risk modelling techniques to identify high-risk individuals, communities, premises and geographical locations
  • collaborative working with partner organisations to share information, develop joint risk profiles and coordinate interventions that reduce risk and improve community outcomes, including:
    • Lincolnshire Police
    • health partners
    • local authorities
    • housing providers
    • voluntary sector organisations
  • ongoing review of operational response arrangements to ensure that fire stations, personnel, specialist capabilities and operational assets remain aligned to identified risks and emerging threats across Lincolnshire
  • delivery of a risk-based protection programme that targets business premises and other relevant buildings through fire safety audits, inspections, engagement activities and enforcement action where appropriate, supporting compliance with fire safety legislation and reducing the likelihood and impact of fire-related incidents.
  • consideration of emerging risks and changes within the built and natural environment, including battery energy storage systems (BESS), electric vehicles, climate-related risks, flooding and changing community demographics, ensuring the service remains prepared for future challenges

This intelligence-led methodology supports evidence-based decision making across all areas of service delivery and ensures that LFR continues to deliver prevention, protection, response and resilience activities in a way that is proportionate, effective and focused on achieving the greatest benefit for the communities it serves.

Resilience and business continuity

Maintaining robust business continuity (BC) plans is essential. The service has continued to review, develop, exercise and strengthen its BC arrangements to ensure resilience against a wide range of foreseeable risks and operational challenges.

BC planning incorporates a range of potential disruptions, including:

  • staff shortages
  • loss of premises
  • technology and communication failure
  • loss of information
  • fuel shortages
  • disruption to supply chains
  • loss of a key supplier or partner

During 2025 to 2026, the service also reviewed BC plans in response to the national threat level to ensure plans were aligned with the current counter terrorism advice and national resilience requirements.

Regular exercises of BC plans, and taking part in national and local exercises, enables the service to validate plans, assess preparedness and ensure arrangements remain current, proportionate and capable of supporting critical service delivery during disruptive events.

All exercises and BC events are debriefed to ensure areas of good practice and areas for improvement are identified.

LFR has expanded its focus beyond organisational continuity and supported the development of community resilience across the county. The service has developed community resilience plans for communities across Lincolnshire, working closely with:

  • parish councils
  • local authorities
  • community groups
  • partner agencies

This work adopts a strengths-based approach, recognising and building upon the skills, knowledge, assets and capabilities that already exist within local communities. The service helps to improve preparedness and self-sufficiency during periods of disruption by supporting communities to:

  • identify local resources
  • volunteers
  • vulnerable residents
  • communication arrangements
  • community assets

Particular emphasis has been placed on communities located within flood risk areas, reflecting Lincolnshire's exposure to severe weather and flooding events. Community resilience plans are designed to help local communities prepare for and respond to incidents such as widespread flooding, prolonged power outages, severe weather and other emergencies. This enables them to support vulnerable residents and coordinate local actions before external assistance arrives.

This proactive approach:

  • strengthens community resilience
  • enhances local preparedness
  • supports a more coordinated response to emergencies
  • contributes to the efficient use of emergency service resources by enabling communities to play an active role in managing the impacts of disruptive events
  • ensure LFR remains focused on protecting those most at risk and maintaining critical service delivery

Collaboration

Collaboration remains a fundamental component of the service delivery model. It plays a vital role in ensuring the service can effectively respond to the increasingly complex and evolving risks facing communities. Recognising that many community safety challenges cannot be addressed by a single organisation in isolation, the service worked closely with a broad range of local, regional and national partners to deliver coordinated, efficient and sustainable outcomes.

Partnership working extends across:

  • emergency services
  • local authorities
  • health organisations
  • housing providers
  • voluntary and community sector organisations
  • regional and national resilience structures

Through these arrangements, the service is able to:

  • share information
  • develop joint solutions
  • coordinate interventions
  • maximise the impact of available resources
  • prevent incidents
  • protect vulnerable individuals
  • respond effectively to emergencies
  • support community resilience

Importantly, joint working enables a more integrated approach to risk management, ensuring that resources and expertise are directed towards areas of greatest need. By working collaboratively, duplication of effort is reduced, opportunities for shared learning are created and public resources can be utilised more efficiently.

Partnership activity contributes to the service's commitment to continuous improvement, value for money and public accountability. It provides opportunities to:

  • secure external funding
  • share specialist knowledge
  • improve operational interoperability
  • strengthen the resilience of communities across Lincolnshire

Throughout 2025 to 2026, LFR has continued to build upon established partnerships whilst developing new collaborative opportunities aligned to emerging risks, community needs and organisational priorities. These partnerships have supported a wide range of activities across prevention, protection, response, emergency planning and community resilience, ensuring that the service remains responsive to local requirements whilst maintaining alignment with national policy, legislation and sector best practice.

Examples of effective partnerships in 2025 to 2026

  • Working with local and national partners to strengthen caravan fire safety awareness as part of the Caravan Safety Partnership. This involved engagement with a number of partices to develop consistent safety messaging and education material for caravan owners, site operatores and visitors.
  • Providing motorcyclists with practical advice and awareness through training focused on safety and actions to be taken immediately following a collision through the Biker Down partnership with EMAS and LIVES. The partnership aims to reduce motorcycle casualties, improve awareness and support the objectives of Lincolnshire's Road Safety Partnership.
  • The Arson Task Force is a partnership between LFR and Lincolnshire Police. A focus on arson reduction, linking with wider anti-social behaviour issues, has allowed us to support county wide arson reduction initiatives. This year the partnership strengthened with the launch of FireStoppers in Lincolnshire which allows communities to report information confidentially.
  • Working with the Environment Agency, Lincolnshire Police and local authority enforcement teams on the Environmental Crime Partnership. Sharing intelligence and targeted interventions to reduce waste crime, fly-tipping, illegal burning and other anti-social behaviour.
  • Lincolnshire County Council is the Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA) which LFR works closely with to strengthen flood resilience and response across the county. Funding was secured through the LLFA to purchase additional flood response pumps and specialist 4x4 towing vehicle, enhancing the ability to respond to flooding incidents. 

Performance

The CRMP captures the delivery strategy. The strategy is outlined against four areas:

  • safer communities:
    • understanding our communities and the risks they face
    • being inclusive in our approach and tailoring services to meet the needs of our diverse communities
    • working with partners in a targeted, proactive and effective way
  • service delivery:
    • having competent, confident and skilled staff
    • having the right skills, equipment and resources in the right places to reduce risk
    • having a learning culture and continually improving what we do and how we do it
    • striving to achieve a high level of service
  • value for money:
    • making objective decisions based on evidence
    • making appropriate use of public money and providing best value
    • continually monitoring how we perform, sharing what we do, and embracing best practice from others
  • people:
    • becoming an employer of choice through building a diverse, inclusive, and supportive workplace that enables our people to thrive in a safe environment
    • giving our people the skills required to perform to the best of their ability and provide them with opportunities to realise their full potential
    • being role models, showing visible and inclusive leadership and challenging behaviour that falls short of our high standards

Over the four year period of the CRMP, strategic priorities are identified and captured against these four areas.

The strategic priorities are reviewed on an annual basis. They form the foundation of the annual service plan. In addition, a number of key performance indicators are used to assess progress against the service priorities. The KPIs represent the outcomes required from service delivery, with the aim of working together to keep our communities safe. In 2025 to 2026 the following KPIs were used and measured:

  • total incidents - 7,632 which represents an increase of 16% on 2024 to 2025
  • total fires - 2,069 fires which represents a 19% increase on 2023 to 2024
  • fire fatalities and injuries - 10 fire fatalities, an increase of six on the 2024 to 2025 year. 36 primary fire casualties, a decrease of 2 compared to 2024 to 2025
  • accidental dwelling fires - 322 incidents, a decrease of 5 (1.5%) compared with 2024 to 2025
  • deliberate primary and secondary fires - 183 deliberate primary fires, an increase of 25 (16%) compared with 2024 to 2025. 402 deliberate secondary fires, an increase of 64 (19%)
  • road traffic collisions - killed and seriously injured - 430 people killed or seriously injured on Lincolnshire’s roads during 2025 to 2026. This represents a 5% increase on the previous year
  • percentage of home fire safety visits (HFSVs) carried out to those who are vulnerable - 91.4% of our HFSVs were to households with at least one vulnerable occupant, an increase of 4.5% on the previous year
  • response standards - our average response time to dwelling fires was 10 minutes 37 seconds compared with our target of 11 minutes, an increase of 53 seconds on last year. Average response time to all other incidents was 12 minutes 24 seconds compared with our target of 15 minutes, an increase of 35 seconds on last year

The risk and intelligence team also measure agreed outputs of service delivery. These are targeted activities that allow us to achieve our required outcomes, for example:

  • number of HFSVs - 9,141 HFSVs carried out, a decrease of 2% on the previous year
  • number of fire safety audits carried out - 434 audits on premises in the RBIP, out of the 416 premises targeted for the year

Continuous improvement

In 2025 to 2026, the service identified two minor amendments or additions to strategic priorities:

  • service priority one - we will have sustainable and scalable interventions in place to mitigate the risks likely to affect our communities
  • service priority four - we will monitor, support and carry out duties as required under the Civil Contingencies Act

This resulted in an increase from 15 to 16 priorities. 

The progress made against each of these is identified in the following pages.

Safer communities

Priority 1 - we will have sustainable and scalable interventions in place to mitigate the impact of changing communities

The service continued to strengthen prevention activities with resources targeted to individuals and communities most at risk. Over 9,000 HFSVs took place with over 90% of visits to households with at least one vulnerable occupier. 

The National Fire Chiefs Council's (NFCC) online home fire safety check tool was embedded for members of the public to self-assess. This allows residents to undertake an initial assessment of their fire risk and make sure face-to-face resources are prioritised towards those identified as being most at risk.

The prevention team has continued to embed the water safety, deliberate fire reduction and wildfire reduction strategies within routine service delivery. Targeted campaigns, community engagement activities and partnership initiatives have been delivered throughout the year, with outcomes monitored to assess effectiveness and inform future interventions.

Priority 2 - we will optimise the use of data to prioritise and target people who may be at greater risk of fire and other emergencies

This year the risk and intelligence team within LFR worked across the servuce to strengthen the use of data in decision making, planning and performance.

The digital and data roadmap has been developed to set out the approach the service takes to how information is collected, managed, analysed and utilised. This supports the services ambition to become data-driven in order to ensure that decisions are based on timely and accurate information.

Power BI has been further embedded and used to enable the service to:

  • monitor performance
  • identify trends
  • target resources
  • evaluate outcomes with greater accuracy and efficiency

Priority 3 - we will ensure we have skilled professionals in place to monitor (and enforce non-compliance) relevant to fire safety legislation in the built environment

The fire protection team delivered against the risk based inspection programme (RBIP). They carry out fire safety audits, targeting those premises identified as high risk. 

Progress has been made in upskilling operational crews to support protection activities. After enhanced training operational personnel have carried out fire safety checks to gather valuable information from lower risk premises. This means specialist inspectors can focus resources on higher risk premises.

The fire protection team have reviewed and updated policies and procedure to ensure alignment with legislation, guidance and best practise. Particular focus was given to:

  • developments in the Building Safety Act
  • Fire Safety (England) Regulations
  • national building remediation programmes

The service have continued engagement with responsible persons, building owners and managers to ensure their compliance with new requirements relating to high-rise and higher-risk residential buildings.

Priority 4 - we will monitor, support and carry out duties as required under the Civil Contingencies Act

A key focus this year was continuing development of the community resilience plans across the county. The service have worked with partners to provide support and guidance to communities to:

  • identify local risks
  • understand available resources
  • develop practical arrangements for disruptive events

Emphasis was placed on communities at risk of flooding, severe weather and other local risks to build resilience and reduce the impact of emergencies.

Within the Lincolnshire Resilience Forum, LFR have worked collaboratively with:

  • emergency services
  • local authorities
  • health organisations
  • utility providers
  • voluntary agencies
  • other key partners

To support a co-ordinated approach to emergency preparedness, response and recovery and ensure resilience arrangements remain effective.

Service delivery

Priority 5 - we will provide sustainable mobilising, command and control infrastructure

The service have approached the final stages of the implementation of the new control mobilisation system. The programme was in its testing phase at the end of 2024 to 2025. The agreed ’go-live’ date at the secondary control site in Market Rasen was early 2025 to 2026. The team faced challenges due to the magnitude and criticality of the project. Despite this, the team continued to deliver. They remain on target against the project aim and objectives. Phase two of the project will see the delivery of:

  • a new rota and availability system
  • enhanced station end equipment
  • new mobile data terminals

This will provide operational crews with critical risk information when responding to incidents.

Priority 6 - we will streamline the way in which we manage data and the technology we use to access it

A key area of focus has been developing the service's digital and data roadmap. This aligns with a wider programme of work being carried out by us to:

  • modernise technology infrastructure
  • improve digital resilience
  • enhance organisational efficiency

The roadmap shows how the service will manage, use and share information in the future to ensure technology investment supports operational effectiveness and improved outcomes for communities.

During 2025 to 2026 the use of Power BI was extended to all levels of the service. This means managers, supervisors and strategic leaders can access timely, accurate and relevant information to promote a culture of evidence based decision making and increased accountability. Wider visibility of performance data has meant more effective prevention, protection and response activities directed towards the areas of greatest risk and community need.

Priority 7 -  we will ensure we have a sustainable response model

During 2025 to 2026 significant progress was made through the resourcing project, which reviewed the operational response model to identify opportunities to improve resilience and maximise operational capacity. 

Following consultation with representative bodies and staff, the decision was made to return watch commander support (WCS) roles to wholetime watches from 1 January 2026. This has increased operational resilience by:

  • strengthening frontline staffing levels
  • enhancing supervisory capacity
  • improving the service's ability to maintain appliance availability

The sustainability of the on-call duty system continues to be a national challenge and remains a key area of focus for the service. In 2025 to 2026 LFR have continued to contribute to national discussions through the NFCC on-call working group. This means the service has been able to influence and benefit from emerging national policy and best practise relating to:

  • recruitment
  • retention
  • availability
  • workforce planning

Priority 8 - we will ensure the health and safety of our staff remains a priority

A key area of focus this year has been review and development of lone working arrangements. Work has been undertaken to ensure that lone working activities are supported by appropriate risk assessments, policies, procedures and technological solutions. This has provided greater assurance that staff working alone can do so safely.

Organisational culture has been developed in relation to accident, near-miss and hazard reporting. Learning is most effective when incidents are openly reported and reviewed, so efforts have been made to encourage a positive reporting culture. This approach supports the service's commitment to organisational learning and the prevention of future incidents.

A review of existing health and safety recording and reporting systems has been undertaken to ensure that information is captured consistently, analysed effectively and used to inform decision making. Opportunities to improve data quality, reporting mechanisms and management oversight have been identified, supporting a more intelligence-led approach to health and safety management and providing enhanced assurances regarding compliance and organisational risk.

Value for money

Priority 9 - we will provide training and development facilities that are fit for the future

During 2025 to 2026 the service has asessed the capability, capacity and long-term potential of the Waddington Training Centre to ensure future investment aligns with:

  • organisational priorities
  • emerging risks
  • workforce development requirements

Work has been undertaken to understand how the centre can support:

  • evolving operational needs
  • training associated with:
    • modern methods of construction
    • electric vehicles
    • bettery energy storage systems
    • renewable energy infrastructure
    • other emering community risks identified in the community risk management plan

A long term vision has been developed for the site exploring opportunities to further enhance specialist training facilities, increase collabrative use with partner agencies and maximise value from appropriate commercial and partnership opportunities. 

Alongside investment in the centre, the service has increased capacity in the learning and development team to support modernisation of training delivery. Additional resource has allowed the team to expand capability in:

  • design and development of learning materials
  • multimedia content
  • digital training resources

This supports a blended learning approach to ensure training can be delivered flexibly, consistently and efficiently to high standards.

Priority 10 - we will invest in our ability to deliver service wide improvements

The service strengthened its approach to implementing and embedding fire standards, updating the policy and introducing a robust quality assurance process. Robust governance arrangements remain in place, providing strategic oversight of progress against all applicable fire standards and ensuring that improvement activity remains aligned to organisational priorities and risk.

A key area of development during 2025 to 2026 has been the development and enhancement of organisational learning arrangments. The organisational learning board has become firmly established as a key component of the service's governance framework, providing oversight of learning identified through a variety of sources, capturing operational and non-operational aspects. The board ensures that learning is systematically reviewed, actions are tracked and improvements are embedded across the organisation.

Priority 11 - we will further develop our performance measurement and management capability

The expansion of Power BI has improved accessibility, quality and visibility of performance information. This has enabled managers and staff to access real time data and gain greater insight into service delivery, productivity and outcomes.

A significant focus this year has been on ensuring performance information is available not only to senior leaders but also to middle managers, supervisors and operational personnel. This has supported a more informed and accountable management culture where decisions are driven by data, evidence and performance insights. The improved availability of information has enabled managers to:

  • identify trends
  • target resources more effectively
  • monitor delivery against priorities
  • implement improvements

Priority 12 - we will develop our plans to invest in the future of the service as a force multiplier

A greater emphasis has been placed on evidencing the benefits, outcomes and value generated through collaborative activity. A more robust partnership evaluation framework has been developed to:

  • better assess the effectiveness of partnership arrangements
  • identify opportunities for improvement
  • ensure resources are focused on avtivities that deliver measurable benefits to communities

The evaluation process considers a range of factors including:

  • community outcomes
  • risk reduction
  • resource efficiency
  • organisational learning
  • alignment with the community risk management plan

This approach provides greater assurance regarding the effectiveness of partnership activity and supports evidence-based decision making when reviewing existing arrangements or considering future opportunities.

People

Priority 13 - we will develop leadership and management capability at all levels in the service

This year saw the successful rollout of challenging behaviour training across the organisation. This has provided managers and staff with practical skills and techniques to:

  • confidently manage difficult conversations
  • challenge inappropriate behaviours
  • support a positive workplace culture
  • strengthen individual confidence
  • improve leadership capability
  • contribute to the service's commitment to fostering a respectful, inclusive and professional working environment

To support managers a comprehensive toolkit has been developed to provide guidance and resources relating to grievance, disciplinary and people management processes. By providing accessible resources and clear guidance, the service aims to ensure managers are appropriately supported when dealing with complex people matters.

The service has also continued to strengthen its commitment to workforce development through an increased uptake of apprenticeship programmes. During 2025 to 2026 additional apprenticeship opportunities have been introduced across a range of disciplines, supporting professional development, succession planning and the acquisition of specialist skills. This investment reflects the service's commitment to creating learning opportunities that support both individual career progression and organisational capability.

Priority 14 - we will utilise innovative practices to attract, select and champion talented people, enabling diversity and embracing difference

A key achievement during the year has been the comprehensive review and update of the service's talent management, resourcing and learning and development policies. These revised policies provide a modern and consistent framework for attracting, developing and retaining talent, whilst ensuring workforce planning and development activities remain aligned to organisational priorities, future service requirements and national best practice.

To support future workforce sustainability, local recruitment plans have been developed across all functions and departments. These plans are informed by anticipated retirements, workforce demographics, succession planning requirements and emerging service needs.

Recognising the importance of building a workforce that reflects the communities it serves, the service has developed a service-wide positive action plan. The plan establishes a coordinated approach to improving attraction, engagement and recruitment from underrepresented groups, whilst promoting greater awareness of career opportunities across all areas of the organisation.

Priority 15 - we will develop the diverse skill sets of our people to build an agile, professional and competent workforce

Throughout 2025 to 2026 additional emphasis has been placed on strengthening career development and talent management processes. Updated guidance has been introduced to support the completion of performance and development reviews (PDRs), ensuring that meaningful conversations take place between managers and employees regarding:

  • performance
  • wellbeing
  • development needs
  • future aspirations

This approach supports a more consistent and developmental experience for staff whilst strengthening links between individual objectives and organisational priorities. 

The service has introduced ambition and potential conversations as part of its broader talent management framework. These discussions encourage individuals to consider future career opportunities, identify development requirements and explore progression pathways across the organisation. By proactively identifying talent and supporting career aspirations, the service is better positioned to develop future leaders and specialist capability.

To complement this approach, development and progression panels have been established to provide greater oversight of workforce development, succession planning and talent identification.

Priority 16 - we will continue to develop a happy, healthy and resilient workforce

During 2025 to 2026, the service has continued to adopt a preventative and whole-person approach to wellbeing, recognising the interconnected nature of physical, mental, social and financial wellbeing. This approach remains aligned to our health and wellbeing strategy and supports the wider objective of creating a positive workplace culture where staff feel valued, supported and able to perform at their best.

Alongside wellbeing activity, the service has continued to embed its communications strategy, recognising the important role that effective communication plays in employee engagement, wellbeing and organisational culture. Throughout 2025 to 2026, work has continued to improve the consistency, accessibility and effectiveness of internal communications, ensuring staff are informed, engaged and connected to organisational priorities and developments.

Key strategic achievements - 2025 to 2026

In addition to the service priorities, the following key strategic achievements were also delivered during 2025 to 2026.

Response

Throughout 2025 to 2026, LFR has continued to maintain a resilient and effective response capability, ensuring resources remain aligned to:

  • community risk
  • operational demand
  • the requirements of the community risk management plan

The service has continued to review its response arrangements through the assured level of response (ALOR) framework, ensuring that fire engines, specialist resources and operational personnel are positioned to provide an appropriate level of emergency response across the county.

Additional investment has been made to strengthen resilience and capacity within the joint fire control function. This has included the introduction of dedicated day staff roles to provide greater oversight and support for key areas of work, including crewing management, training coordination and assurance of compliance with National Operational Guidance (NOG). These arrangements provide increased capacity to support operational preparedness, maintain workforce competence and ensure that mobilising and operational procedures remain aligned to national standards and best practice.

The enhanced control function also supports improved governance and operational assurance by providing greater focus on:

  • workforce planning
  • training delivery
  • policy review
  • operational learning

This investment ensures that the service remains well positioned to respond effectively to incidents whilst maintaining compliance with national requirements and supporting continuous improvement across operational response activities.

From January 2026, twelve operational watch managers returned to frontline fire engines following consultation earlier in 2025. This change has provided LFR with more resilience and has reduced overtime pressure, whilst strengthening leadership and operational command at our wholetime stations. The next phase of the response review is now underway, and this will identify improvements which will enhance operational resilience, and further align LFR’s resources to community risks.

Prevention and protection

During 2025 to 2026, LFR continued to strengthen its partnership arrangements with local authority housing and building control teams to support the implementation of evolving fire safety legislation and improvements in building safety standards. Regular engagement and information sharing arrangements have been established to improve communication between organisations, enhance understanding of emerging risks and support early intervention where fire safety concerns are identified. This collaborative approach has enabled partners to work collectively to improve compliance, promote best practice and support responsible persons in meeting their legal obligations.

A notable achievement during the year has been the successful establishment of two new fire cadet units through external funding secured from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). The units have been strategically located within communities identified through risk and vulnerability data, ensuring investment is directed towards areas where youth engagement and development can deliver the greatest social value. The expansion of the fire cadet programme provides young people with opportunities to develop:

  • confidence
  • resilience
  • leadership skills
  • community awareness, whilst supporting wider objectives relating to:
    • social inclusion
    • personal development
    • future employability.

Robust quality assurance arrangements across both prevention and protection functions were maintained to ensure activities were delivered consistently, professionally and in accordance with legislative requirements, national standards and local policies. Outcomes from home fire safety visits, fire safety audits, inspections and business engagement activities were reviewed to ensure interventions are appropriately targeted, recorded accurately and achieving the intended outcomes. Findings from quality assurance activity are reported through established governance arrangements, enabling trends, learning opportunities and areas for improvement to be identified and acted upon.

Organisational support

The organisational support department continues to play a critical role in enabling LFR to deliver safe, effective and efficient services to the communities of Lincolnshire. This year the department has led several significant programmes of work focused on strengthening operational resilience, modernising infrastructure and supporting the long-term sustainability of the service.

A key achievement during the year has been securing and progressing capital investment for the replacement of frontline operational assets. Following approval of capital funding, work commenced on the next phase of the appliance replacement programme, ensuring the service continues to maintain a modern, reliable and fit-for-purpose fleet. The project has progressed through the initial planning and procurement stages, with significant stakeholder engagement undertaken to ensure future appliances meet operational requirements, support firefighter safety and remain aligned to emerging risks and technological developments.

The department has also overseen the implementation of a new control mobilising system, representing a significant investment in operational infrastructure and emergency response capability. The new system will enhance resilience, improve mobilising functionality and provide greater flexibility to support future developments in emergency call handling and resource mobilisation. The project forms part of a wider programme of investment in control room technology and station-end equipment, ensuring operational systems remain robust, reliable and aligned to national standards and best practice.

Supporting firefighter safety remains a key priority and significant progress has been made in delivering the service's contaminants project. Building on national learning and emerging evidence relating to firefighter exposure to contaminants, work has continued to develop and embed safe systems of work designed to minimise exposure to harmful substances. This has included the review of operational procedures, investment in equipment, improvements to decontamination processes and the development of station-based arrangements that support contamination control before, during and after operational incidents.

The project has also focused on strengthening awareness and behavioural change across the workforce, ensuring that contamination management becomes embedded within everyday operational practice. Through the development of enhanced facilities, procedures and training, the Service continues to improve the protection of firefighters and staff, whilst supporting compliance with national guidance and best practice.

People

Our wholetime firefighter recruitment campaign was successfully launched, attracting over 500 applications and demonstrating strong interest in a career with LFR. Alongside this, succession plans have been developed across all leadership roles to support long-term workforce sustainability.

All operational commanders are now qualified through accredited incident command programmes, strengthening operational capability and capacity across the service. In response to the Grenfell Inquiry, investment has been made in enhancing incident command training and strategy, ensuring leaders are well prepared to respond effectively and confidently to complex operational incidents.

The team has continued to embed leadership development programmes at supervisory, middle, and senior levels, supported by a significant increase in the uptake of leadership apprenticeships across the workforce. This has further strengthened leadership capability at every tier.

Central support

The function brings together business continuity, communications, continuous improvement, risk and intelligence, and corporate assurance activities, providing a coordinated approach to organisational governance, performance and service development.

A significant achievement during the year was the coordination and facilitation of LFR's most recent HMICFRS inspection. Throughout the inspection process the central support function played a pivotal role in:

  • preparing evidence
  • coordinating inspection activity
  • managing internal assurance processes
  • supporting departments

This work provided assurance regarding organisational performance, governance and service delivery whilst helping to embed a culture of continuous improvement and self-assessment.

The business continuity function played a key role in supporting organisational preparedness in response to emerging national and international events. Throughout the year, planning assumptions and resilience arrangements were reviewed in light of evolving global conflicts and associated national resilience considerations. This work included assessing potential impacts on:

  • supply chains
  • fuel availability
  • telecommunications
  • workforce resilience
  • critical infrastructure

Ensuring that the service remained prepared for a range of potential scenarios.

The communications team has continued to play a critical role in supporting organisational culture, engagement and leadership visibility. During 2025 to 2026, significant progress has been made in embedding the service's communications strategy, ensuring communications are planned, coordinated and aligned to organisational priorities. The continued development of communication channels, leadership messaging and staff engagement initiatives has strengthened internal communication and improved the consistency of information shared across the service.

Emergency planning and business continuity

Over the past 12 months the team have been involved in the response to 26 multi-agency incidents ranging from severe weather to suspect devices. The most notable of which was the collision of two vessels in the North Sea between the MV Solong and the Stena Immaculate. This necessitated us working jointly with Humber and Norfolk Local Resilience Forum (LRF’s) and the Marine and Coastguard Agency during the response. It gave us the opportunity to implement some of our innovation projects most notably mapping and the development of applications for use by the general public to report areas of pollution on the beaches.

During the last period the team have facilitated training across 24 different emergency planning related areas with 896 people attending training. This includes officers and elected members of the county council and LRF partner agencies. Two new business continuity e-learning courses went live this year, one for all staff and one for managers. We are also developing several new courses for next year.

Working with Lead Local Flood Authority we have been able to secure Defra funding which has enabled us to employ a dedicated community resilience officer on a two-year fixed term contract to promote community resilience in the county. There are 570 parish, ward and town council boundaries within the county and at present around 30% of these have either enrolled in the programme or have completed plans. This is very much seen as the start of this project and the service will be seeking further funding in the future.

Exercise Pegasus was delivered over September and November involving over 200 staff across the county. The scenario was based on a pandemic and a transference of disease from animals to humans. Feedback from central government has suggested that Lincolnshire has performed to a high standard.

Our business continuity management system underwent an internal audit during last October to November and the final report gave a rating of satisfactory. Recommendations from this audit have all now been implemented by the team. This year is year three of the business continuity cycle and the team will be facilitating exercises to validate critical service plans across the organisation.

The team reviewed the departmental service plan, and this new plan lifespan is 2026 to 2028. The new plan has five strategic objectives and 33 actions designed to achieve each of them. Progress will be monitored and reported through LFR programme management board. All staff appraisals are linked into the new service plan.

Future service planning

As LFR moves into 2026 to 2027, the service remains committed to:

  • delivering continuous improvement
  • maintaining operational excellence
  • ensuring that resources remain aligned to the risks and needs of the communities we serve

A key priority during the year will be responding to the outcomes and recommendations arising from the most recent HMICFRS inspection. The service will build upon areas of good practice identified during the inspection process whilst implementing improvement activity where opportunities for further development have been highlighted. This work will be supported through established governance arrangements, robust performance management processes and the continued embedding of organisational learning principles across all functions.

The service will continue to progress its programme of transformation and improvement, with a particular focus on:

  • strengthening productivity
  • enhancing the use of data and technology
  • ensuring that prevention, protection and response resources are targeted effectively to deliver the greatest community benefit

A significant area of activity during 2026 to 2027 will be the preparation for the development of the next community risk management plan (CRMP) covering the period 2028 to 2032. This work will involve a comprehensive review of the current and emerging risks facing Lincolnshire, informed by:

  • operational learning
  • performance data
  • demographic trends
  • climate-related risks
  • technological developments
  • stakeholder engagement with:
    • communities
    • staff
    • elected members
    • partner agencies
    • representative bodies

Alongside the development of the new CRMP, the service will continue to review its operating model, workforce requirements, asset management plans and financial assumptions to ensure long-term sustainability and resilience. This will include consideration of emerging risks such as:

  • battery energy storage systems
  • electric vehicles
  • severe weather events
  • flooding
  • evolving community vulnerabilities

Further investment will be made in digital transformation, business intelligence and workforce development to support evidence-based decision making and improve service effectiveness. The continued development of the digital and data roadmap, implementation of new technology platforms and enhancement of performance management arrangements will ensure that the service remains responsive, agile and focused on delivering positive outcomes for the people of Lincolnshire.

By maintaining a strong focus on continuous improvement, collaboration and innovation, LFR will be well positioned to meet future challenges, deliver against its statutory responsibilities and continue providing an efficient, effective and community-focused fire and rescue service.

Summary

Lincolnshire FRA is satisfied that the systems and measures it had in place with respect to financial, governance and operational matters for the period 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026 were fit for purpose and effective. It is satisfied that:

  • its business was conducted in accordance with the law and proper standards
  • public money was properly accounted for and used:
    • economically
    • efficiently
    • effectively
  • the national framework requirements have been met