Transforming preventive work in the Community: The case of Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service

The role of the UK Fire and Rescue Services in communities has transformed dramatically in the last decade, specifically with a shift in strategy towards community safety. This paper concentrates on the case of Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service, where their community safety work has moved away from fire safety to a holistic model of community safety. Drawing on qualitative data collected from fifteen interviews and three focus groups, this paper reports four initial themes from preliminary data analysis of a larger PhD project. This paper concludes that the strategic shift towards preventive work in the this specific organisation and the continued evolution of this work has been interdependent on cultural change within the organisation. Furthermore, the evolution of this preventive work has meant that members of this organisation are being specialists in working with vulnerable people in the community.