Kent Fire and Rescue Service

What Kent Fire and Rescue Service does

Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) is the statutory fire and rescue authority for the counties of Kent and Medway in Southeast England, operating under the Kent and Medway Fire and Rescue Authority and the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004. The service serves an estimated population of 1,578,000 across the region through 70+ fire stations and a workforce of 753 employees combining wholetime and on-call firefighters. KFRS delivers an integrated portfolio of operational firefighting and rescue services (including road traffic collision response, technical rescue, animal rescue, water rescue, USAR, and drone-supported aerial reconnaissance), prevention and education programmes (Home Fire Safety Visits, Firesetters Intervention, school education, water safety, road safety, wildfire prevention), and regulatory advisory services under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and the new Fire Safety (Residential Evacuation Plans) (England) Regulations 2025.

The underlying technology stack comprises standard public-sector IT: Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365, Docusign for document workflows, FireServiceRota for workforce rostering and payroll (2025-2028 contract), XVR Simulation for immersive training, Recite Me for web accessibility (110+ languages, 35 text-to-speech voices), and a multi-agency Command and Control system (the Sopra Steria contract ended July 2025). KFRS is not a commercial enterprise; all emergency and prevention services are free to the public. The authority is funded primarily through council tax, business rates (NNDR), and central government grants including Revenue Support Grant, with minor transactional revenue from incident reports sold to insurers/solicitors and complex FOI requests. Total income was £77.4m in 2022-23 against expenditure of £78.2m (of which ~91% was employee costs), and the 2024/25 pay bill is £80.675m. Procurement spend reached £20.5m in 2024/25 and capital expenditure was £4.2m in 2022-23.

Name

Kent Fire and Rescue Service

Legal name

Kent Fire and Rescue Service

Website

https://kent.fire-uk.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Kent Fire and Rescue Service is the statutory fire and rescue authority for Kent and Medway in Southeast England, serving 1.578m residents via 70+ fire stations with operational response, prevention, education, and regulatory advisory services funded by council tax and government grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fire and Rescue Services

NAICS

Fire Protection (92216), Fire Protection (922160)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Fire & Rescue Services (Fire Suppression, Rescue) (BPAIAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Safety Administration (Fire/EMS, Emergency Management) (BPAIACAL), Wildfire Risk Assessment, Prevention & Suppression Services (IMAMAJAG), Evacuation Planning, Drills & Warden Programs (BPABANAE)

Keywords

• Fire and rescue services
• Emergency response operations
• Community fire safety
• Fire safety regulation
• Fire prevention education

Headquarters

HQ city

Maidstone

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Public Funding (Council Tax): Kent and Medway Fire and Rescue Authority receives funding through Council Tax from residents in Kent and Medway. This is the primary source of revenue for providing fire and rescue services.
2. Business Rates: Business rates (National Non-Domestic Rates) collected by district councils from businesses in Kent and Medway contribute to the authority's funding.
3. Government Grants: Central government grants including Revenue Support Grant and other government funding streams.
4. Incident Report Fees: May charge insurance companies, solicitors and private companies for incident reports. Does not charge members of the public.
5. FOI Request Fees: May charge for very complex freedom of information requests where work required exceeds a threshold.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Kent Fire and Rescue Service delivers statutory firefighting, rescue, and community safety services across Kent and Medway. It provides 24/7 emergency response, home fire safety visits, business fire safety advice under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, school education programmes, water and rural safety services, and the Safer Care Service for health and care premises. All services are delivered free to the public and funded through council tax, business rates, and central government grants.

Product overview

Kent Fire and Rescue Service provides integrated emergency response and prevention services for Kent and Medway, combining operational firefighting and rescue capabilities with community safety programmes. The service operates as a portfolio of interconnected offerings: Home Fire Safety Visits and the Firesetters Intervention programme serve vulnerable populations; Business Safety delivers regulatory compliance support; Education Programmes reach schools; Water Safety and Rural/Agricultural Safety address specific hazard domains; Event Safety serves public gatherings; and core Emergency Response handles incidents including USAR, animal rescue, and drone-supported operations. The Safer Care Service adds sector-specific guidance for health and care premises.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Home Fire Safety Visits (Safe and Well Visits) Free home visits conducted by firefighters or Safe and Well officers to assess fire risks, install smoke alarms, and provide personalized safety advice for vulnerable individuals and households in Kent and Medway.
• Business Safety Services Fire safety advice, risk assessments, and regulatory guidance for businesses, including high-rise buildings, care homes, and commercial premises, provided under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and Fire Safety Act 2021.
• Education Programmes Education programmes for schools and colleges covering fire safety, water safety, road safety, and arson prevention, tailored for early years, primary, and secondary age groups.
• Emergency Response and Rescue Services Operational firefighting, rescue, and emergency response services including road traffic collisions, technical rescue, animal rescue, water rescue, and USAR (Urban Search and Rescue) capabilities across Kent and Medway.
• Fire Safety Intervention (Firesetters Programme) Specialist intervention services for young people who have set fires or are at risk of fire-related behavior, delivered by Education Intervention Officers for individuals up to age 18.
• Water Safety Services Water safety campaigns and rescue services for inland waterways, including throwline deployment guidance, cold water shock awareness, and partnership with RNLI for coastal safety.
• Rural and Agricultural Safety Fire safety guidance and risk management for rural homes, farms, agricultural businesses, and landowners, including wildfire prevention and animal rescue services.
• Event Safety Services Safety advice and approval processes for public events, including fire risk assessments, emergency planning, and attendance at events for community engagement.
• Drones at Incidents UAV/drone deployment at emergency incidents for aerial reconnaissance, situational awareness, and incident management support.
• Safer Care Service Safer Care Service providing fire safety seminars and guidance for responsible persons and owners of health and care premises, delivered at KFRS Headquarters in Maidstone.

Quantifiable outcome

• 91% of £78.2m expenditure on employee expenses - indicating significant investment in operational workforce
• +1 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Crown Commercial ServicecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGovernment procurement body providing framework agreements for public sector procurement. KFRS utilizes Crown Commercial Service frameworks for procurement of goods and services.
• Kent County CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal government partner providing various shared services including interpretation services, business portal for procurement, and joint initiatives.
• Laser Energy Buying GroupminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEnergy procurement consortium used by KFRS for energy supply procurement.
• South East ConsortiumminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional consortium for joint procurement activities with other fire and rescue authorities and public sector bodies.
• National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational professional body representing fire and rescue services. KFRS supports NFCC submissions to Home Office on fire services reform.
• Grant Thornton UK LLPcoreOthersAppointed external auditor for KFRS since 2023/24 by Public Sector Audit Appointments (PSAA) for a five-year period.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• London Fire Brigade: Statutory fire and rescue authority for Greater London under the same Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004 framework. Operates a similar model of firefighting, prevention, business safety, and community education, and is the closest comparably structured UK FRS peer.
• Essex County Fire & Rescue Service: Regional statutory fire and rescue authority serving Essex with comparable services including home fire safety, business safety, and community risk reduction. Same regulatory and funding structure as KFRS.
• Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service: Large metropolitan fire and rescue authority in the North West of England operating under the same statutory framework. Comparable scope of operational response, prevention, and business safety services.
• West Midlands Fire Service: Metropolitan statutory fire and rescue authority providing firefighting, prevention, and community safety services under the same UK legislative framework. Comparable scale and service portfolio.
• Surrey Fire & Rescue Service: Adjacent county fire and rescue authority operating under identical statutory and funding frameworks. Delivers prevention, response, and business safety services to a similar demographic profile in the South East.
• Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service: Neighbouring statutory fire and rescue authority in the South East serving a comparable population scale. Operates the same council tax–funded model with overlapping service lines including home fire safety visits, business safety, and wildfire response.

Broad incumbents

• London Ambulance Service: Statutory emergency medical service operating in a parallel public safety domain with shared multi-agency command and control interfaces with fire services. Comparable public funding structure and emergency response mission.

Regional players

• East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service: Statutory fire and rescue authority serving East Sussex — a neighbouring South East county with significant coastal and rural exposure similar to Kent. Operates the same council tax funding model with overlapping service lines.

Others

• National Fire Chiefs Council: Professional body representing UK fire and rescue services, of which KFRS is a member. Provides national policy leadership, training standards, and Home Office engagement — relevant as a sector coordinator and influencer on KFRS operating environment.
• Kent Police: Statutory public safety body operating in the same Kent and Medway geography as KFRS, sharing multi-agency command and control systems and joint working on community safety. Useful comparable for funding model and public sector governance structure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/kentfirerescue
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/kfrsstudio
• Facebookfacebook.com/kentfirerescue
• Instagraminstagram.com/kentfirerescue/?hl=en
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kentfirerescue

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Kent Fire and Rescue Service