London Fire Brigade is the busiest fire & rescue service in the country. It is one of the largest firefighting and rescue organisations in the world protecting people and property from fire within the 1,587 square kilometres of Greater London.
It responds to fires and other emergencies but its work has changed over the years, with a stronger emphasis now on fire prevention and community safety.
The brigade has operational staff and a range of non-uniformed and non-operational staff who work behind the scenes to support frontline services, including IT, finance, procurement and community safety officers.
Decisions are made either by the London Fire Commissioner (the statutory fire and rescue authority for Greater London), the Mayor of London or the Deputy Mayor for Fire and Resilience. A Fire, Resilience and Emergency Planning Committee of the London Assembly holds the Commissioner, Mayor and Deputy Mayor to account.
For over 160 years, His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary has independently assessed and reported on the efficiency and effectiveness of police forces and policing, in the public interest.
In summer 2017, HMIC (now HMICFRS) took on inspections of England’s fire & rescue services, assessing and reporting on their efficiency, effectiveness and leadership.
