Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service

What Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service does

Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service (MFRS) is a statutory Fire and Rescue Authority established in 1974 through the merger of predecessor brigades serving Bootle, Liverpool, St Helens, Wallasey, Southport, Birkenhead, and parts of Cheshire and Lancashire. Operating under the governance of the Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority, MFRS delivers 24/7 emergency response, fire prevention, and community safety services across the Merseyside region — covering Liverpool, Wirral, Sefton, St Helens, and Knowsley — to a resident population of approximately 1.4 million. The service operates a network of 23+ community fire stations, a Marine Rescue Unit on the River Mersey, a Training and Development Academy designated as a National Centre of Excellence, and a National Resilience Centre of Excellence housing specialist Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) and UK International Search and Rescue (UK ISAR) teams. Operational technology assets include drones for incident support, rescue boats for water incidents, and a ReciteMe accessibility toolbar providing multilingual (130+ languages) website access.

MFRS's core product surface spans Emergency Response Services (fires, road traffic collisions, water rescue, hazardous materials), Community Safety and Fire Prevention (home fire safety checks, arson reduction, youth engagement including Fire Cadets and the King's Trust Team Programme), Business Fire Safety Services (consultations, risk assessments, enforcement under the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022), and National Resilience capabilities deployable nationally. Ancillary offerings include commercial training courses (Fire Awareness, Fire Marshal, NEBOSH, Manual Handling) and conference facilities for hire. The operating model is primarily publicly funded through council tax precept and central government grants, with commercial training and facility hire as secondary revenue streams. MFRS holds the highest OUTSTANDING inspection rating from HMICFRS/Ofsted for preventing fires, responding to major incidents, and making best use of resources, alongside the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme Gold Award and a series of operational and workplace accreditations.

Name

Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service

Legal name

Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service

Website

https://merseyfire.gov.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service is a UK statutory Fire and Rescue Authority delivering 24/7 emergency response, fire prevention, community safety, and specialist national resilience capabilities across the Merseyside region (Liverpool, Wirral, Sefton, St Helens, Knowsley), funded by council tax and government grants with ancillary commercial training revenue.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fire and Rescue Services

NAICS

Fire Protection (92216), Fire Protection (922160)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Wildfire Suppression & Incident Response (AFAMAEAE), Search & Rescue (Urban/Water/Wilderness) Coordination (HLAJAGAJ), Wildfire Risk Assessment, Prevention & Suppression Services (IMAMAJAG), Emergency Response & Search-and-Rescue (SAR) (BPAGAAAA)

Keywords

• Fire and rescue services
• Emergency response services
• Fire safety compliance
• Community safety programs
• Commercial fire training

Headquarters

HQ city

Bootle, England

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices14 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: Public sector funding through Fire and Rescue Authority, primarily funded by local council tax and government grants
2. Commercial Training Services: Training and Development Academy offers commercial training courses to external organisations including emergency response training, fire marshal training, NEBOSH qualifications

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service is a statutory Fire and Rescue Authority providing 24/7 emergency response to fires, road traffic collisions, water rescue incidents, and hazardous materials across the Merseyside region. The service delivers fire prevention and community safety programmes, business fire safety compliance services, and operates a Training and Development Academy offering both internal firefighter training and commercial courses to external organisations. It also maintains National Resilience assets including Urban Search and Rescue (USAR), UK ISAR, and a Marine Rescue Unit for major incident deployment.

Product overview

Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service operates as a unified public safety organization providing emergency response, prevention, and training services. The core offerings include 24/7 emergency response to fires, road traffic collisions, water rescue, and hazardous materials incidents across 22 community fire stations. Prevention services encompass community safety programs, youth engagement (Fire Cadets, King's Trust, Beacon Project), and business fire safety compliance. The Training & Development Academy delivers tactical firefighting, technical rescue, HAZMAT, and commercial training. Additional capabilities include National Resilience assets (Urban Search and Rescue, Marine Rescue Unit) for major incident deployment. A digital Online Home Fire Safety Check tool enables residents to self-assess risks.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• OUTSTANDING rating from Ofsted for preventing fires, responding to major incidents, and making the best use of resources
• +2 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint water safety campaigns with RNLI to warn of open water dangers and promote water safety awareness across Merseyside
• LFC FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Premier League Kicks programme delivering road safety education at MFRS Training and Development Academy
• King's TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMFRS King's Trust Team Programme helping young people develop skills for work and life. Celebrating 50 years of King's Trust partnership
• Canal & River TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint initiative to give St Helens beauty spot a safety boost, promoting water safety around canals and rivers
• Merseyside PolicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint operations including road safety campaigns, scrambler bike enforcement, and community safety initiatives
• Local Councils (Liverpool, Wirral, Sefton, St Helens, Knowsley)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with five local authorities across Merseyside for community safety, fire station operations, and emergency planning
• North West Fire and Rescue ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional collaboration for high-rise training exercises, tactical firefighting challenges, and operational interoperability
• National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWater rescue equipment for Ukraine secured through NFCC. National coordination on fire safety standards and policies

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves13 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• London Fire Brigade: Statutory fire and rescue authority for London, the largest UK fire service. Operates under the same regulatory framework as MFRS (Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004), delivers the same core emergency response and prevention services, with an equivalent funding/governance model via the GLA.
• Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service: Statutory metropolitan fire and rescue authority for Tyne and Wear, providing the same statutory emergency response, prevention, and protection services under the same UK regulatory framework. Direct operational peer for comparison.
• West Midlands Fire Service: Statutory metropolitan fire and rescue authority for the West Midlands, providing equivalent emergency response, fire prevention, and community safety services. Comparable in scale, governance, and statutory mandate to MFRS.
• Cheshire Fire & Rescue Service: Statutory fire and rescue authority serving Cheshire, directly adjacent to Merseyside. Operates the same statutory emergency response, prevention, and protection model funded by council tax precept, and is one of MFRS's regional collaboration partners.
• Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue Service: Statutory fire and rescue authority covering Devon and Somerset, delivering equivalent emergency response, prevention, and protection services. Direct operational peer despite covering a more rural geography than MFRS.
• Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire & Rescue Service: Statutory fire and rescue authority covering Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. Operates the same statutory emergency response, fire prevention, and protection services funded by council tax precept under the same regulatory regime.
• Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue Service: Statutory fire and rescue authority serving Greater Manchester, providing the same emergency response, prevention, and protection services funded by council tax precept. Directly comparable peer in terms of governance structure, funding model, and service scope in a neighbouring English metropolitan area.

Others

• National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC): Professional body for UK chief fire officers that coordinates national fire and rescue policy, equipment procurement, and standards. Not a direct competitor but a key strategic partner for MFRS, including through which MFRS has secured water rescue equipment for Ukraine.

Emerging players

• Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI): Charity operating lifeboat rescue services around the UK and Ireland. A direct collaboration partner with MFRS on water safety campaigns and adjacent in the marine/water rescue space, though operating as a private charity rather than a statutory authority.
• St John Ambulance: UK first aid and ambulance charity providing emergency medical response, event medical cover, and first aid training. Adjacent to MFRS in the broader emergency response and training services space, particularly in community safety and first aid training.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/merseyside-fire-&-rescue-service

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries2 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 Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service