The Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Authority (TWFRA) will meet at its Barmston Mere headquarters in Washington, Tyne and Wear, on Thursday 19 February 2026 to decide how the emergency service will be funded for 2026/27. This monthly meeting falls in the statutory window for local authorities to finalise their budgets and is when elected members agree how money and resources are allocated across the region’s stations.
One of the main priorities for the board is the continued funding of Washington Community Fire Station. The station is a high-profile tri‑service hub where Tyne and Wear firefighters, North East Ambulance Service crews and, since late 2025, Northumbria Police officers work co‑located from the same building.
The authority will also vote on the fire service’s share of the local council tax (the ‘fire precept’) for 2026/27. That income is central to meeting the Service’s response standard — specifically, the aim to attend 90% of life‑risk incidents within 10 minutes — a target set out in the Tyne and Wear Community Risk Management Plan 2024–2027.
The meeting follows the announcement that Chief Fire Officer Peter Heath will retire in March 2026. While the service recruits his successor, the Authority must grapple with a projected funding gap to protect frontline resources and keep the Service’s fleet — recorded as 25 fire engines in recent HMICFRS material — ready for duty.
