Residents and businesses invited to work in partnership with Oxfordshire’s fire and rescue service
Residents and business are being invited to work in partnership with Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service to help shape its future.
Henley, Eynsham and Woodstock fire stations had been considered for closure because of low availability of on-call crews; however, a public consultation, between October 2025 and January 2026, showed significant community support for retaining them.
Rob MacDougall, Oxfordshire County Council Fire and Rescue Service’s Chief Fire Officer, said: “Thank you to everyone who shared their views, we received well over a thousand responses.
“It’s apparent, having read and listened carefully to those who gave their feedback during the consultation, that local people are keen to support existing fire stations in their towns and villages.
“Building on that brilliant community support, on 21 April 2026 Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet approved plans to work with communities to support recruitment at on-call stations, particularly in Henley, Woodstock and Eynsham. This is with the aim of increasing on-call firefighter numbers, so the fire engines are more often available for emergency callouts.”
The main proposal in the public consultation was to address ongoing challenges with fire engine availability during the daytime, when demand and risk are highest.
Work will continue to identify how Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service can deliver its key objectives of improved first response times, increased daytime cover, stronger service resilience, and an increased amount of fire prevention work.
Further engagement with employees and the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) will take place to help shape how proposals could work in practice.
On-call firefighters are everyday people who do extraordinary things. They balance their other jobs and commitments with being ready to respond to emergencies at a moment’s notice. Because of this, they need to live or work close to the fire station they respond from.
Cabinet also agreed to withdraw a proposal presented in the public consultation to remove the second fire engine at Thame fire station. This was put forward based on low availability of crews and because the vehicle had been attending less than 20 incidents a year.
This will allow time to consider consultation feedback alongside similar proposals recently consulted on by Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service, particularly given the proximity of Thame and Haddenham fire stations.
Proposals relating to the building of a new fire station north of Oxford will require further work before any decisions are made. While the long‑term potential remains, the proposal is being paused for now due to uncertainty around developer negotiations and the need for further engagement.
This means the city’s existing Rewley Road fire station and its allocation of fire engines will remain for the time being. No timeframe has been finalised for a future decision.
The specialist fire and rescue vehicle based at Kidlington fire station will remain in place. Further detailed work on specialist rescue provision will continue separately, recognising the complexity and importance of this area, and will be shaped through engagement with employees and representative bodies.
Councillor Neil Fawcett, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Resources, said: “I’d like to thank everyone who contributed to the consultation, from employees to residents, businesses and politicians. The response to the consultation has highlighted how important our fire service is to local communities and the value residents place on the dedication and commitment of crews."
Further details, including how to apply to become an on-call firefighter, are available on Oxfordshire County Council’s website.
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