Section 1: Part 2 - Efficiencies (cash)
In achieving a balanced revenue budget for 2024/2025 the following efficiencies have been budgeted for:
- £1.3m: changes to the wholetime duty system allowing for better utilisation of the workforce and a reduction of supervisory management establishment through natural attrition.
- £0.250m: renegotiation of the payment for availability terms and conditions.
- £0.133m: changes to the operating model for specialist rescue capability. For example, boat, and animal rescues etc.
- £0.069m: amendments to the policy and practice with respect to responding to unwanted fire signals.
Total reductions: £1.752m
| Item | Actual 2022-23 |
Forecast 2023-24 |
Forecast 2024-25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opening revenue expenditure budget (Net) | 93,747 | 98,310 | 108,020 |
| Less total direct employee costs | 74,366 | 76,413 | 84,285 |
| Non-pay budget | 19,381 | 21,897 | 23,735 |
| Efficiency target 2% of non-pay budget | 388 | 438 | 475 |
|
Efficiency savings |
|||
| Reduction in Prevention, Protection and Response staff | 0 | -1,593 | -1,752 |
| Reduction in support staff | -256 | -1,484 | 0 |
| Utilities | -100 | -11 | 0 |
| Rent and rates | -100 | -41 | 0 |
| Other premises costs | -87 | -67 | 0 |
| Fleet | -100 | -245 | -169 |
| Fuel | -100 | -282 | 0 |
| Other transport costs | 0 | -118 | 0 |
| Procurement savings | -100 | 0 | 0 |
| Technology improvements | 0 | -79 | -45 |
| Increase in income | 0 | -132 | -117 |
| Total efficiency savings | -843 | -4,052 | -2,083 |
| Savings as a percentage of non-payroll budget | 4.35% | 18.50% | 8.78% |
Reduction in workforce
There has been a 6% reduction in wholetime posts and 9% reduction in support staff posts since 2022.
| 31/03/2022 | 31/03/2023 | 31/03/2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wholetime uniformed | 577 | 559 | 542 |
| Support staff | 336 | 309 | 309 |