Governance Matters

This chapter focuses on the governance of the fire and rescue service. This topic is an under-researched area. The fire and rescue authority (FRA) is effectively the governing body or board for the fire and rescue service (FRS) and their role in governance is an under-researched area. Very little is known about how governance operates in practice within this public service or about the relationship between the authority and the service. This chapter examines the governance within the service highlighting the stakeholder model of governance and the alternatives to this. Key issues are drawn out about the need to separate more clearly the responsibilities of both the authority and the service.