North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service is about to begin a mass consultation programme to discover what people most want from the service.

The Government has set up new Best Value arrangements to ensure all local authorities, including fire authorities, look at how their work can be improved.

As a Best Value authority, North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority has to publish an annual Best Value performance plan telling people about the way it provides services, how it is performing and what targets it is setting for future improvements.

Chief Fire Officer Eric Clark explained the plan had to be based on what people say they wanted, their views of where improvements were needed and on performance measures which demonstrated progress in comparison to other organisations.

He said: "The Fire and Rescue Service is often taken for granted and people only notice us when they have need of our services, which is often in traumatic circumstances.

"Best Value will enable us to take the service to the community and plan our future development to reflect what people actually want.

"We will be consulting widely over the next 12 months to help us understand how we can provide a more locally responsive service."

He said that people should take time to read the Best Value performance plan and send in a Freepost questionnaire detailing their thoughts.

Over the next few weeks, summaries of the plan will be delivered to every household and every business in North Yorkshire.

Copies of the plan will be held at libraries, council offices and fire stations, while it can be read by on to fire service website:

www.north-yorkshire-fire.org.uk

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