Top award for Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service

The IESE is a public sector transformation partner which was created by local authorities as a shared resource to transform public services.

At its eleventh awards ceremony in London, Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service was nominated for the UK Fire Service of the Year alongside three other fire and rescue services.

The judges were impressed by the service’s longstanding commitment to offering the best equipment and training.

The judges also remarked that the service has some of the most innovative and outstanding facilities in the country.

Lancashire's Stinger appliance has enhanced firefighter safety and firefighting capability; its air support unit has transformed the way it fights fires using aerial intelligence; and a collaboration with North West Ambulance Service has resulted in a state-of-the-art community fire and ambulance station in Lancaster.

Chief Fire Officer Justin Johnston said: “This is an award for the whole service and I am thrilled and proud to have received this award on behalf of our employees.

“It is important to reflect that this award is for the increased operational investment and innovation in frontline service delivery.

"The investments made in frontline innovation such as the drones and stingers make for safer firefighting and help us deal with incidents more swiftly and effectively.

"The community reap the benefits of the this work through reducing the impact of fires and shorter recovery times for residents and business.”