A public sector report has urged fire and rescue services to employ collaborative procurement practices, in order to increase efficiencies and reduce costs.

An independent report by Sir Ken Knight highlighted the need to increase efficiencies and operations in UK fire and rescue authorities.

The report entitled Facing the Future, detailed large discrepancies in cost per head between providing services depending on where services are being provided.

According to the report, as much as £200 million could be saved per year from efficiency savings, generated from modernising procurement frameworks. Facing the Future concluded that fire and rescue services would be well served by moving to a national framework, as seen within police procurement, rather than sourcing services independently leading to waste and duplication.

The report concluded that it was: “clear is that authorities should adopt a principle of never buying alone”.

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