Desired outcome
A fire and rescue service that keeps its community and employees safe from harm and contributes to the Economic Wellbeing of society through robust risk planning which assesses foreseeable community related risks. These processes support evidenced, transparent and inclusive decision making to mitigate identified risks through its prevention, protection, response (including fire control) and resilience activities.
To understand its community related risks and build its community risk management plan, the service actively consults and engages (in line with its governance arrangements) with its communities, employees, representative bodies and other stakeholders. The service is aware of its impact on the environment and considers sustainability whilst providing value for money.
A service that is resilient because core services are shielded against business disruption that may result from major incidents, spate incidents or business continuity events.
Resources, including people, money and assets, are deployed effectively and efficiently to meet the needs of the service’s community.
The service works effectively across borders, with other agencies, key organisational influences and via National Resilience to inform the overall strategic planning process.
Activity
Strategic
Business Area(s)
Strategic & Business Planning
- Date approved
- Date issued
- next review
- Reference number
- FSS-CRMP02
What is required to meet the fire standard
A fire and rescue service must:
- Clearly define a senior person who has overall accountability for the community risk management plan and responsibility for the various components contained within it.
- Ensure transparency in the community risk management planning process through either implementing and/or supporting ongoing engagement and formal consultation processes, ensuring these are accessible and publicly available.
- Ensure that organisational decisions and the measures implemented support equality, diversity, inclusivity, are non-discriminatory and are equality impact assessed.
- Meet its legislative, framework and governance requirements linked to community risk management.
- Be able to evidence its external and internal operating environment and the strategic objectives the community risk management plan is seeking to achieve.
- Utilise and share accurate data and business intelligence (from both internal and external sources) to support key activities such as evidence-based decision making, horizon scanning, cross-border risk identification and organisational learning.
- Identify and describe the existing and emerging local, regional, national and global hazards it faces, the hazardous events that could arise and the risk groups (People, Place, Environment and Economy) that could be harmed.
- Analyse risks and trends to consider its risk appetite, determine the risk levels and prioritise risk accordingly.
- Make decisions about the deployment of resources based on the prioritised risk levels and planning assumptions involved. This should be carried out with consideration of internal and external resource availability (people, financial and physical) including collaborative, cross-border and National Resilience assistance. Consideration should also be given to other strategic influences such as consultation feedback, stakeholder engagement and political objectives.
- Consider its sustainability impact, including ensuring that assets remain fit for purpose for their entire lifecycle, providing resilience to the service and value for money to the public.
- Continually evaluate the effectiveness, efficiency and delivery of the community risk management plan and the organisational impact of risk management decisions.
- Provide training and/or support (where required) to all who are involved in the development, management and implementation of the community risk management plan.
- Take a strategic approach to managing finance and budgets aligned to the risk, vision and resourcing requirements of the service to deliver value for money for the public.
Expected benefits of achieving the fire standard
- Better value for money for the public through evidence-based decisions and effective financial planning.
- Improved understanding in the development and evidence base of local community risk management planning.
- Improved information sharing, evaluation of activities and sharing of good practice because of a standardised use of data and business intelligence.
- Improved cross border, collaborative and national working because of a standardised and nationally approved approach to community risk management planning.
- Improved deployment decisions because they are evidence-based, inclusive, transparent and target resources in an efficient and effective manner to mitigate community, firefighter and economic risk.
- Improved community risk management plans because of effective consultation and engagement activities.
Legal requirements or mandatory duties
It is recognised that fire and rescue services must comply with a broad list of legislation to undertake their duties. This Fire Standard reflects only the most appropriate legislation to this topic and should not be regarded as exhaustive. Much of the legislation that relates to this Fire Standard can be found on the webpage that describes legislation which applies to all Fire Standards.
The additional legislation listed below must be complied with when undertaking community risk management planning:
Linked qualifications, accreditations or fire standards
Currently there are no specific or linked qualifications and accreditations for this Fire Standard. However, future projects are being scoped regarding competencies linked to CRMP processes.
Fire Standards
Guidance and supporting information
- NFCC Operational Guidance
- NFCC Community Risk Management Planning Strategic Framework
- NFCC National Review of Community Risk methodology
- NFCC Competency Frameworks for community risk management planning
- NFCC Definition of Risk
- NFCC Data and Business Intelligence Guidance
- NFCC Defining Scope
- NFCC Hazard Identification Guidance
- NFCC Risk Analysis Guidance
- NFCC National Risk Methodology for Domestic Dwelling Fires
- NFCC National Risk Methodology for Road Traffic Collisions
- NFCC Economic and Social Value of Fire Report
- NFCC CRMP Decision Making Guidance
- NFCC Stakeholder and Public Engagement Guidance
- NFCC Equality Impact Assessment Guidance and Tools
- NFCC Evaluation Methodology
- NFCC Evaluation Methods Data Analysis
- NFCC CRMP Process Evaluation Guidance
- NFCC Glossary of risk-related terms
- The Gunning Principles for Public Consultations
- The Orange Book: Management of Risk – Principles and Concepts (HMG)
- The Magenta Book – Central Government Guidance on evaluation (HMG)
- The Aqua Book: guidance on producing quality analysis (HMG)
- National Risk Register
- Chronic Risks Analysis
- Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA)
Glossary of terms
Economic Wellbeing
The capacity of individuals and communities to secure and sustain income, employment, and economic security, enabling them to maintain an acceptable standard of living and to be resilient to economic disruption, including losses resulting from fire and other emergencies.
CRMP Fire Standard and HMICFRS Characteristics of Good
The following shows how the CRMP Fire Standard relates to HMICFRS Characteristics of Good from the 2025-27 inspection round.
1. How well does the FRS understand and manage the risk of fire and other emergencies?
1.1. The FRS routinely uses a wide range of data to produce an accurate and clear risk profile and community risk management plan (CRMP). Resources are clearly allocated using evidence-based decision-making, informed by a comprehensive corporate risk register.
1.2. The CRMP identifies and clearly sets out current and future changes in risk, taking account of local community and national risk registers.
1.3. The CRMP clearly establishes how the FRS will manage risk to the public and monitor the delivery of its objectives for prevention, protection and response activity.
1.4. The FRS has appropriate governance arrangements in place which consider local risk and contribute to setting the priorities in the CRMP. The governance arrangements provide clear accountability to communities for the FRS’s service.
2. How effective is the FRS at preventing fires and other risks?
2.2. The FRS tailors its communications to provide information about fire prevention and to promote community safety. The FRS has a comprehensive understanding of the diverse needs of its communities and makes sure that its engagement and communication is designed to be appropriate and accessible to meet those diverse needs.
2.3. FRS staff are able to recognise the opportunity to prevent fires and other risks and take appropriate action. The FRS works with other FRSs, a wide range of partner organisations and diverse sections of the community to reduce the number of fires and other risks. The FRS evaluates the impact of its prevention activity and uses this to improve its own and partners’ approaches.
3. How effective is the FRS at protecting the public through the regulation of fire safety?
3.1. The FRS has developed and implemented a fire safety enforcement strategy and risk-based intervention programme which is informed by local risk. The FRS’s regulatory activities comply with statutory requirements to reduce the risk of fire and activity is aligned with other statutory bodies such as the building safety regulator. The FRS’s enforcement plan prioritises the highest risks and includes a proportionate level of activity to reduce risk. The FRS carries out a programme of fire safety audits in line with its enforcement plan.
4. How effective is the FRS at responding to fires and other emergencies?
4.2. The FRS has developed a response strategy that is based on a thorough assessment of risk to the community. The FRS has an appropriate range of resources (people and equipment) available to respond to personal, property and environmental risk in line with its risk management plan. The FRS understands and actively manages the resources and capabilities available for deployment. The FRS is able to handle calls in a timely manner to ensure public safety. The FRS is able to manage the fair deployment (and temporary redeployment) of resources to meet operational need.
4.3. The FRS routinely gathers relevant risk information about people, places and threats. It makes sure that the information it has gathered is accurate and up to date. It has easily accessible systems in place so staff involved in emergency incidents can access risk information in easily usable formats.
4.4. FRS staff are able to command fire service assets assertively, effectively and safely at incidents. FRS staff make sure the public are protected at incidents.
4.5. The FRS can mobilise sufficient resources to respond to local and crossborder incidents.
5. How well prepared is the FRS to respond to major and multi-agency incidents?
5.1. The FRS understands national and cross-border risks, and has sufficiently assessed reasonably foreseeable local community risks that are likely to require a major or multi-agency response.
5.2. The FRS uses risk assessments to develop plans to respond to major and multiagency incidents, and is supporting local communities to make them more resilient.
6. How well does the FRS use resources to manage risk, making sure it is efficient and affordable?
6.2. Senior officers are constructively held to account for the corporate management and activity of the FRS through effective governance arrangements. A scheme of delegation clearly sets out responsibilities.
6.3. The FRS’s budget and resource allocation is proportionate and supports the activity set out in its CRMP and its strategic priorities. The FRS has allocated enough resources to prevention, protection and response activity. There is a clear rationale for the levels of this activity linked to its CRMP. The FRS’s workforce model allows it to carry out its core functions effectively and efficiently.
6.4. The FRS understands its likely financial challenges. The FRS’s plans are built on sound assumptions, including scenario plans, and mitigate the main financial risks. The FRS has a plan for using reserves sustainably. The FRS has an affordable workforce model that provides the right skills and capabilities, and is linked to its CRMP and priorities. The FRS’s financial plans help it to make sure it can provide a sustained service to the public, can continuously improve and will result in a balanced budget. The FRS has financial controls and financial risk control systems in place to reduce the risk of inappropriate use of public money.
6.5. The FRS’s arrangements for managing its performance make sure the use of its resources is clearly linked to its CRMP and strategic priorities. The FRS has tools and systems in place to collect, interpret and analyse data to improve staff productivity, make sure resources are used efficiently and effectively, and provide value for money.
6.8. The FRS actively considers how changes in technology and future innovation may affect risk, and it exploits opportunities presented by these to improve efficiency and effectiveness. The FRS can show it has a record of carrying out IT projects on time and on budget, managing risks appropriately.
8. How well trained and skilled are FRS staff?
8.1. The FRS has a good understanding of the skills its workforce needs for its CRMP, now and in the future. The FRS has training and succession plans in place to identify and address gaps in its capabilities, taking account of organisational and wider learning, and regularly reviews these.
Related Updates
You Said, We did
If you have taken part in a consultation, you may be interested to read our post-consultation “You said, we did” report to see how your feedback has shaped this Fire Standard.
Community Risk Management Planning Fire Standard Review 2025
Updates to this standard
Last Update:
8 October 2025
Desired Outcome
- The desired outcome statement has been adapted into continuous prose from bullet points.
What is required to meet the Fire Standard
1. Clearly define a senior person who has overall accountability for the community risk management plan and responsibility for the various components contained within it.
7. Identify and describe the existing and emerging local, regional, national and global hazards it faces, the hazardous events that could arise and the risk groups (People, Place, Environment and Economy) that could be harmed.
8. Analyse risks and trends to consider its risk appetite, determine the risk levels and prioritise risk accordingly.
10. Consider its sustainability impact, including ensuring that assets remain fit for purpose for their entire lifecycle, providing resilience to the service and value for money to the public.
13. Take a strategic approach to managing finance and budgets aligned to the risk, vision and resourcing requirements of the service to deliver value for money for the public.
Expected Benefits
1. Better value for money for the public through evidence-based decisions and effective financial planning.
3. Improved information sharing, evaluation of activities and sharing of good practice because of a standardised use of data and business intelligence.
4. Improved cross border, collaborative and national working because of a standardised and nationally approved approach to community risk management planning.
5. Improved deployment decisions because they are evidence-based, inclusive, transparent and target resources in an efficient and effective manner to mitigate community, firefighter and economic risk.
6. Improved community risk management plans because of effective consultation and engagement activities.
Linked Qualifications, Accreditations and Fire Standards
Emergency Preparedness and Resilience Fire Standard
Fire Control Fire Standard
Operational Competence Fire Standard
Operational Preparedness Fire Standard
Operational Learning Fire Standard
Guidance and Supporting Information
- NFCC Operational Guidance
- Chronic Risks Analysis
- Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA)
Note Please contact the Fire Standards team within the NFCC for any queries or support with regards to this Fire Standard [email protected]