Fire Prevention

• One of the major features of the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004 is the new duty for all fire and rescue services to promote fire safety. Research published by the Office of Public Sector Information showed that more than half of all fire deaths occur before the fire services are called out, and that the best way to prevent deaths and injuries is to reduce the total number of fires that start in the first place. The Act requires local governments to draw up plans that identify areas that are at a greater risk of fire and target their prevention programs in these areas.
  
  

Non-Fire Emergency

• The Fire and Rescue Service Act sets out additional duties for the fire and rescue services so they can respond to major non-fire emergencies, such as flood or terrorist attack. The Act gives the government powers to co-ordinate different fire and rescue services in the event of a major emergency. It also gives power to the Secretary of State, who can require fire services to use particular equipment in the event of an emergency, such as requiring mass decontamination equipment in the event of a chemical attack.
  
  

Government Control

• The Act requires the British government to draw up orders directing local fire and rescue services how to plan, equip and respond to major emergencies. These orders specify what fire and rescue services should and should not do when responding to certain types of non-fire emergency. This is to allow the government to present a coordinated response to these type of major, non-fire emergencies.
  
  

Flexibility

• The Fire and Rescue Services Act contains provisions that allow fire and rescue services from different parts of the country to work together. It also allows public fire services to work with private fire services, such as airport fire services, to improve flexibility and efficiency. The Act also allows fire services in different areas to work in partnership in cases of serious emergency without getting separate local government approval each time. In addition, fire and rescue services can work in partnership with other types of organizations, for example, to work with private companies to deliver fire safety education in schools.
  
  

National Framework

• Under the Fire and Rescue Services Act, the national government must set out a "Fire and Rescue National Framework" for the fire and rescue services. This framework must explain the national government's goals for the fire and rescue services and give guidance on exactly what the fire and rescue services should do to meet these goals. It also allows the national government to intervene whenever a fire and rescue service is not meeting the goals.
  
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