PETER MICHAEL HOLLAND CBE OStJ QFSM FIFireE
CHIEF FIRE OFFICER – LANCASHIRE FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICE

Peter Holland has been the Chief Fire Officer of Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service since July 1999 having spent nearly four years as Chief Fire Officer of Bedfordshire and Luton Fire and Rescue Service and three years as Deputy Chief Fire Officer with Lancashire. In 2009 Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service was the only Service to be awarded ‘Excellent’ status by the Audit Commission in the Comprehensive Area Assessment.

Mr. Holland is Vice President of the UK Chief Fire Officers Association (CFOA) and will be President from Sept 2010 to Sept 2011.
He was also elected (June 2009) for a three year term onto the USA based National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Board of Directors. He is Vice Chairman of the Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE) and also a Past International President (1997/8).

He established the National Fire Sprinkler Network in the UK (July 1998) in conjunction with a UK Member of Parliament following work during his presidential year to promote an increased use of sprinklers in both industrial and residential properties,  and was Chairman for 10 years.

Exceeding Customers’ Expectations

Lancashire’s Fire and Rescue Authority is best in Country
The Lancashire Combined Fire Authority got the highest rating the Audit Commission can give, of ‘Excellent’, underpinned by the following achievements:

• A 26% reduction in fire casualties since 2006

• The average number of incidents requiring an emergency response has been brought down by 18% in the last three years, thanks to effective preventative work

• Anti-arson initiatives have led to a 26% fall in arson since 2006

• Over 125,000 home fire safety checks have been completed in the last three years

• A 14% reduction in overall fire risk has been achieved, with a 55% reduction in very high risk areas

• An exceptionally well-managed use of resources has contributed to achieving the lowest ever element of Council Tax attributable to Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service

• £11m efficiency savings have been achieved over three years

The Audit Commission judged that in all the five key aspects of performance it examined, the Lancashire CFA exceeded the minimum requirements - significantly so in the categories of ‘managing performance’ and ‘managing resources’ -  putting the Authority as the best performing in the UK.

In its summary the Audit Commission concluded:-

“Lancashire Fire Authority is a top performer.  The Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service provides a good response to fires and other emergencies but importantly it is very successful at preventing them occurring in the first place … It finds successful, innovative ways to keep the people of Lancashire safe.  Other fire and rescue authorities could learn from its approaches including how it measures and reduces risks from fire, how it uses its powers to make commercial properties safer and its work with young people.”