Kent and Medway Fire and Rescue Authority has approved plans to put proposals on station closures, response time targets, and council tax to a 12-week public consultation starting 25 June 2026.
The Vote That Starts the Clock
Kent and Medway Fire and Rescue Authority has given the green light for a public consultation on a package of hefty changes proposed by Kent Fire and Rescue Service. The authority — the governing body that oversees KFRS — approved the plans to go out to public scrutiny, rather than letting the service launch without that formal sign-off first.
Twelve weeks. Starting 25 June 2026.
What KFRS Is Actually Proposing
The proposals are wide-ranging, and some will sting in certain parts of the county. KFRS wants to close five standalone on-call fire stations, strip attached on-call sections from four wholetime stations, and relocate two fire engines overnight — a move the service says would free up three additional daytime appliances across Kent. Residents will also be asked about council tax levels, so this isn’t just an operational conversation; it’s about the bill too.
And then there are the response time targets. For rural areas, KFRS is proposing to shift its target for reaching 75% of life-threatening emergencies from 10 minutes to 15. Urban targets would actually tighten — from 10 minutes to 9.
What the Chief Executive Says
That rural figure will raise eyebrows in villages and market towns across Kent. Fifteen minutes is a long time.
But KFRS chief executive Ann Millington has pushed back firmly against any suggestion the service is retreating. She said the service was “not deliberately extending the time” and that the changes were about how performance is measured, not about slowing actual response.
Millington has also pointed to KFRS’s current average urban response time of 8 minutes — already inside the proposed 9-minute target — as evidence the service is in decent shape. She said the number of fires in Kent and Medway had fallen over the years, partly because of prevention work: home visits, free smoke alarms, and targeted support for people at higher risk. The service’s argument, stripped back, is that the county’s risk profile has shifted and the targets ought to reflect that.
Why Rural Kent Will Be Watching Closely
Whether that argument lands with residents in communities that rely on on-call stations is another matter entirely. KFRS says rural areas have lower demand and a reduced chance of emergencies, and that factors like lower speed limits and country lanes already affect response times in practice anyway. But closing or altering on-call provision across multiple stations could change local fire cover — and how quickly crews can get moving — in ways that won’t be abstract to the people who live there.
The proposals are underpinned, KFRS says, by risk intelligence and data analysis. The 12-week consultation will give residents the chance to say whether they buy that.
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Key Takeaways
- Kent and Medway Fire and Rescue Authority approved a 12-week public consultation on KFRS proposals, due to start 25 June 2026
- Proposals include closing five standalone on-call stations and changing rural response time targets from 10 minutes to 15 minutes for 75% of life-threatening emergencies
- Residents will also be consulted on council tax levels for the fire service
What This Means for Kent Residents
If you live in a rural part of Kent — chiefly in communities served by on-call stations — these proposals could directly affect the fire cover available to you. The consultation is your formal opportunity to respond, and KFRS has committed to a 12-week window for that feedback. Watch for details from KFRS on how to take part once the consultation opens on 25 June 2026.