Chief Fire Officers Association
The Chief Fire Officers Association or CFOA is the professional body representing senior fire officers in the United Kingdom. The organisation used to be known as the Chief and Assistant Chief Fire Officers Association, it was formed in 1974 following local government re-structuring.
The CFOA website says, "CFOA's Aim is to continue as the professional voice of the UK Fire Service, assisting and supporting our members to fulfil their leadership role in improving the well being of local communities in all matters relating to the Fire Services' activities. "[1]
Membership of the CFOA is open to any UK-based senior fire officer above the rank of assistant chief officer, in addition to Chief Fire Officer, sometimes now known as brigade managers or, in Scotland, Fire Master. The CFOA acts as a collective 'voice' for the fire services in the United Kingdom on issues such policy, training, legislative, and fire safety issues.
CFOA and FiReControl
As one example of setting policy, the CFOA has been involved in the planning process for response times for the FiReControl project.[2] FiReControl will consolidate the number of control rooms that answer emergency calls in England from 46 to nine, by 2009. The new system will see 98% of calls answered within five seconds, exceeding the CFOA's own policy.
Policy areas
The home page of the CFOA's website has a list of current policies and initiatives, with information and press releases attached. Some of the organisation's policy areas are summarised as follows (2006):
- New fire safety laws, (The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2006)
- Department for Communities and Local Government policy on building regulations
- London Regional Resilience Forum, policy document on 7 July attacks
- Warning on electric blankets
- Relaxation of air security
- Home Office document on 7 July attacks
Presidents of the CFOA
- 2013 Chief Fire Officer Vij Randeniya West Midlands Fire Service
- 2012 Chief Fire Officer Lee Howell Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service
- 2010 Chief Fire Officer Peter Holland Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service
- 2009 Chief Fire Officer John Bonney Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service
- 2008 Chief Fire Officer Charlie Hendry Kent Fire and Rescue Service
- 2007 Chief Fire Officer Steve McGuirk Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service
- 2006 Chief Fire Officer Phil Toase, [3] West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service
References
- ↑ Chief Fire Officers Association
- ↑ Government Response to the Communities and Local Govt Ctte Report on the Fire & Rescue Service, 29 September 2006, TSO Archived September 28, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ Our Fire and Rescue Service Practitioners Forum: website
See also
- Chief Fire and Rescue Adviser
- FiReControl
- Fire Service College
- Fire services in the United Kingdom
- London Fire Brigade
- Women in firefighting