Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue Service

What Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue Service does

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) is the largest fire and rescue service in the United Kingdom, operating across the 10 metropolitan boroughs of Greater Manchester. Founded in 1826 as Manchester Fire Brigade — the first municipal fire service in England — the organization was consolidated into the Greater Manchester County Fire Service in 1974 and adopted its current name in 2004. The service operates from 41 community fire stations equipped with 52 fire engines and more than 30 specialist vehicles, employing approximately 1,250 firefighters and 350 support staff across headquarters (Swinton, Manchester), technical services, and combined training and safety centres.

GMFRS delivers a statutory set of services under the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004: 24/7 emergency response via the 999 system, Home Fire Safety Assessments for residents, business fire safety inspections and risk assessments, road safety education, water safety and drowning prevention, wildfire prevention (Be Moor Aware), and youth engagement through school visits, the Bury Safety Centre, and Fire Cadets. The service is funded entirely through council tax precept and government grants administered via the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), under the governance of the Mayor of Greater Manchester with day-to-day operations led by Chief Fire Officer Dave Russel (appointed September 2020).

The service is currently executing a £51m, 16-year Estates Improvement Programme (2021-2037), with the new Blackley Community Fire Station opened on 16 December 2025, Whitefield and Stockport Central stations scheduled for completion in Autumn 2026, and Heywood and Stockport (Whitehill) in planning. HMICFRS inspection outcomes have improved structurally, moving from 2018/19 (3 good, 7 requires improvement, 1 inadequate) to 2025/26 (2 outstanding, 7 good, 1 adequate), with a first-ever Outstanding rating in prevention and values and culture. Strategic partnerships include Greater Manchester Police, North West Ambulance Service, North West Fire Control, Robertson Construction (capital delivery), British Red Cross and Co-op (loneliness initiative), and the Fire Fighters Charity.

Name

Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue Service

Legal name

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service

Website

https://manchesterfire.gov.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1826

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service is the UK's largest fire and rescue service, operating 41 stations across 10 boroughs to deliver 24/7 emergency response, fire prevention, and community safety programmes funded via GMCA council tax.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Manchester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Public Funding: GMFRS is funded through the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) via council tax precept and government funding. The Mayor is responsible for the overall governance, strategic and financial management of the Fire Service.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) is a statutory public emergency service delivering firefighting, rescue, and prevention services across the 10 metropolitan boroughs of Greater Manchester. Operating from 41 fire stations with 52 fire engines and over 30 specialist vehicles, it serves approximately 1,250 firefighters and 350 support staff providing 24/7 emergency response, home and business fire safety assessments, road and water safety education, and community engagement programmes funded through council tax precept and Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) budgets.

Product overview

Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue Service (GMFRS) operates as a unified emergency service providing fire prevention, protection, and emergency response services across Greater Manchester. The service operates from 41 fire stations equipped with 52 fire engines and 30+ specialist vehicles, serving approximately 1,250 firefighters and 350 support staff. Core offerings include Home Fire Safety Assessments, Business Fire Safety services, Emergency Response, Road Safety programmes, Water Safety campaigns, and Education Services. The organisation also delivers community engagement through initiatives like the Beyond the Call podcast, Fire Station Safe Spaces, and various safety campaigns including Be Moor Aware, Safe4Summer, and Think Sprinkler. The service operates as part of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and is governed by the Mayor of Greater Manchester.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Home Fire Safety Assessment (HFSA) A free assessment service that evaluates fire risks in residents' homes and provides safety recommendations to prevent fire incidents, including smoke alarm installation and escape planning for eligible residents.
• Business Fire Safety Fire safety guidance, regulatory inspections, and risk assessment services for businesses, commercial premises, and landlords across Greater Manchester.
• Emergency Response Services 24/7 emergency firefighting, rescue operations, and incident response delivered from 41 fire stations across Greater Manchester, dispatched via the 999 system.
• Road Safety Programmes Road safety education, training courses, and awareness campaigns including driver safety, motorcycle safety, and pedestrian safety initiatives, with a focus on young drivers.
• Water Safety Campaign Water safety education and prevention campaigns covering canal safety, beach safety, frozen water safety, and drowning prevention.
• Education Services Fire safety education programmes including school visits, Bury Safety Centre, Fire Cadets, and youth engagement initiatives for primary and secondary school students.
• Think Sprinkler Campaign promoting the installation and benefits of sprinkler systems in residential and commercial buildings.
• Community Safety Campaigns Various safety campaigns including Be Moor Aware (wildfire prevention), Safe4Summer, Stay Focused Drive Safe, Be Battery Aware, and Cook Safe.
• Beyond the Call Podcast Official GMFRS podcast sharing stories of firefighters and life inside the service.
• Fire Station Safe Spaces Community initiative providing fire stations as safe spaces for vulnerable individuals.
• Fire Risk Assessments Comprehensive fire risk assessment services for residential and non-residential properties.

Quantifiable outcome

• Significantly improved HMICFRS inspection ratings from 2018/19 (3 good, 7 requires improvement, 1 inadequate) to 2025/26 (2 outstanding, 7 goods, 1 adequate)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered major, core, strategic and minor.

• Robertson ConstructionmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2024Lead construction contractor for building new community fire stations including Blackley and Whitefield as part of the £51m estates improvement programme.
• Bolton CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Partner in The Cube fire incident response in Bolton town centre, working with GMFRS on emergency response and resident evacuation.
• University of BoltoncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Partner in The Cube student accommodation incident response, coordinating support for students affected by the fire.
• North West Fire ControlcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint operational coordination for emergency response across the region, working together on major incidents and mobilising resources efficiently.
• Greater Manchester PolicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint emergency response and major incident management, collaborating on public safety operations and community safety initiatives.
• North West Ambulance ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTri-service emergency response coordination for incidents requiring combined emergency services response.
• British Red CrossstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to tackle loneliness across all age groups, with GMFRS and GMCA working jointly with British Red Cross and Co-op.
• Co-opstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint partnership with British Red Cross to tackle loneliness, contributing to public health transformation in Greater Manchester.
• Shaw Trust Accessibility ServicesminorOthersIndependent accessibility testing of GMFRS website to ensure compliance with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines.
• Fire Fighters CharitystrategicOthersCharitable partnership for firefighter welfare support, with GMFRS hosting car washes and fundraising events.
• Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGMFRS is part of GMCA, which is run jointly by leaders of the ten councils, with the Mayor responsible for overall governance and strategic management of the Fire Service.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service: Combined fire authority covering Cheshire. Adjacent North West FRS with comparable rural-urban mix and similar governance framework. Source of GMFRS's incoming Assistant Chief Fire Officer.
• West Midlands Fire Service: Metropolitan fire service covering Birmingham, Coventry, and surrounding boroughs. Closest peer to GMFRS in scale, urban density, and combined-authority governance model.
• West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service: Combined authority fire and rescue service covering Leeds, Bradford, and four other metropolitan boroughs. Similar statutory mandate, combined-authority governance, and community risk profile to GMFRS.
• South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue: Combined authority fire and rescue service covering four South Yorkshire boroughs. Comparable metropolitan FRS operating under the same statutory framework with similar community safety mandate.
• Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service: Metropolitan fire and rescue authority serving five boroughs around Liverpool. Comparable in governance structure, urban risk profile, and tri-service coordination arrangements to GMFRS.
• Cleveland Fire Brigade: Combined fire authority covering the Teesside area. Smaller-scale statutory FRS operating under the same regulatory regime and HMICFRS inspection framework as GMFRS.
• London Fire Brigade: Largest UK fire and rescue service by population and budget, operating across 32 boroughs plus the City of London. Directly comparable statutory fire and rescue service with similar prevention, protection, and emergency response mandate to GMFRS.
• Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service: Metropolitan fire and rescue authority covering five boroughs around Newcastle and Sunderland. Comparable scale and urban risk profile among English metropolitan FRSs.
• Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service: Combined fire authority covering Lancashire. Directly comparable statutory FRS operating under the same Act, with overlapping response area in the North West. GMFRS's current CFO joined from this service.
• Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service: Combined fire authority covering Hampshire and Isle of Wight. Comparable statutory FRS with similar mix of urban and rural risk, including significant wildfire exposure on heathland.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/manchesterfire
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/GMFRSVideoChannel
• Facebookfacebook.com/manchesterfire
• Instagraminstagram.com/manchesterfire

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue Service