Cambridgeshire’s fire service – which has been ranked among the top four in the country – has outlined its plan for the next four years, and urged the public to have their say on future priorities before the deadline later this month.

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service is seeking feedback on its Integrated Risk Management Plan, which contains information about its local community, the risks and opportunities the service faces and how it plans to manage them.

This culminates in a list of priorities that the service - one of just four to be rated 'good' by inspectors across the board - will focus on over the next four years, which includes improving firefighter training facilities, implementing new emergency call handling technology into the control room and developing mental health support for staff,

The draft plan has been agreed by the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Fire Authority and is now out for consultation.

Chief Fire Officer Chris Strickland said: "The plans set out what we think are the priority areas for us to concentrate on to improve our service or to manage the key risks we have identified. For example, one risk for us is the ageing population. Our historic data shows that the majority of deaths as a result of fire in the county have been residents aged over 65 with an additional form of vulnerability such as a disability affecting their ability to escape. This has always been a priority area for our fire prevention work and will remain so, exploring other opportunities to identify where vulnerable residents are within our communities so we can visit them and identify any fire risks in their homes."

The list of priorities also includes continuing to develop how on-call firefighters are used to improve operational response and exploring other opportunities to positively influence young people.

Mr Strictland added: "We have carried out some detailed consultation with a number of focus groups across the county, but would like to give everyone the opportunity have a say and let us know what you think. We'd like to know if you think there are key risks or opportunities missing and if you think our priorities seem about right or again, if you think there is something else we should be focusing resources on."

The draft IRMP is available to read on the fire service's website - cambsfire.gov.uk/media/2581/cfrs-548583-v2-draft_irmp_2020-2024.pdf.

To provide feedback before the January 24 deadline visit surveymonkey.co.uk/r/NSXMC2S.