Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Authority (the Authority) is constituted in accordance with The Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Authority (Combination Scheme) Order 2015 (Statutory Instrument No 435). The membership of the Authority was varied (with effect from 6 June 2018) by the Fire and Rescue Authority (Membership) Order 2017 (Statutory Instrument 1165).
The Authority consists of 18 elected Members drawn from our four constituent local authorities:
- Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole Council – Four Members
- Dorset Council – Five Members
- Swindon Borough Council – Three Members
- Wiltshire Council – Six Members
Please note: as of 1 April 2019, the new Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole Council came into being, as did the new authority of the Dorset Council.
The Authority has three statutory officers:
- Head of Paid Service – Chief Fire Officer, Ben Ansell
- Chief Finance Officer – Head of Financial Services & Treasurer, Ian Cotter
- Monitoring Officer – Clerk & Monitoring Officer, Jonathan Mair
Meetings will normally held in June (the annual meeting), September, December and February each year and are convened by the Clerk & Monitoring Officer to the Authority.
The Authority has delegated a number of its functions to committees and to senior officers, but the following have not been delegated:
- Establish and maintain high standards and arrangements to support good governance including approving the annual Statement of Assurance
- Approve and maintain a scheme of standing orders and financial regulations
- Approve the Community Safety Plan
- Approve associated policies and significant changes to service delivery that have policy implications
- Approve the annual budget and fire precept
- Approve the Medium-Term Finance Plan
- Approve significant changes to the agreed revenue and capital programme
- Approve and monitor the Treasury Management Policy
- Establish and maintain a comprehensive performance management system to ensure that the Authority’s objectives are being met
Scrutiny
Scrutiny is the responsibility of all Authority Members. The overall objective of scrutiny is to aid improvement. Member seminars and working groups are the principal mechanisms for Members of this Authority to oversee and scrutinise; through monitoring, examination and questioning of decisions, actions and performance.
The Authority has established the following: Finance & Audit Committee, Local Performance and Scrutiny Committees, Appointments & Disputes Committee, and Appeals Committee. Their Terms of Reference are set out in the Members’ Handbook
Further information is available from our Democratic Services team.