Cumbria’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner (Commissioner), David Allen, approved the Fire and Rescue Service’s (CFRS) Budget for 2026-27 at his Public Accountability Conference.
The budget will allow will help ensure that Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service are able to continue to respond quickly and supports a balanced budget after years of underinvestment.
The Fire element of council tax will rise by £4.95 (41p per month) for a Band D property will be used to maintain the current service and allow our firefighters the ability to continue to deliver a legal and safe service to the public.
Commissioner David Allen said: “When I came into office, I inherited ageing fire stations and an outdated fleet that had seen little investment over the years. My key priority for this budget was to ensure that Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service had a stable footing to ensure that the Service has the resources need to protect the public when it matters most.
“I need to be clear that this budget is a challenging one. It’s always a difficult decision to raise council tax. However, the increase of £4.95 for the year means that the service can continue to deliver the best service possible to the public, allowing them to protect our communities.
“I continually see the passion and hard work of our firefighters and fire staff. They put their lives on the line to ensure that the public are kept safe when an emergency is happening and spend their working lives trying to prevent fires and other incidents from happening through education. Between 1 April 2025 and 31 December 2025, the Prevention team completed 5,545 Home Fire Safety Visits with 70% of these being delivered to our most vulnerable residents – this work is invaluable so I am committed to ensuring the Service can continue to deliver positive work like this.
“My role is to be the voice of the public in Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service, including the budget, which is why I have put in place processes to hold the Chief Fire Officer and CFRS to account in how they spend taxpayers money. This is to ensure the money is placed in the areas the public wish to see prioritised and I will make sure that this scrutiny and challenge continues to be provided on behalf of the residents of Cumbria.”
Paul Hancock, Chief Fire Officer at Cumbria Fire & Rescue Service, said: “The people of Cumbria can have full confidence that they have a professional fire and rescue service which is proud to respond quickly and effectively when we are needed most.
“Our focus is on making Cumbria a safer place for all, whether that’s by turning out in an emergency on what may be someone’s worst day or completing thousands of home fire safety visits and business and community engagements each year to keep our county safe.
“The budget means that our residents and businesses can be assured that they will continue to receive the highest standards of fire prevention, protection and response, delivered by a service that puts our communities first.”
Those interested in the budget breakdown for Cumbria Fire and Rescue, can find the information on the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner website.