Council Tax 2024/2025

Kent Fire and Rescue Service is here for everyone, 24 hours a day – every day

Wherever you live in Kent and Medway, whoever you are, Kent Fire and Rescue Service is there for you if things go wrong. We fight fires, attend emergencies ranging from road crashes to floods, and rescue people, animals, and property. We support South East Coast Ambulance Service and help everyone to stay safe, not only at home but on the road and at work. We also offer a range of services aimed at preventing incidents, including our home fire safety visits.

With headquarters in Maidstone, we have 56 fire stations across the county ready for action at all times, with just under 1,200 uniformed, and 390 non-uniformed, staff. In the 2023/24 financial year, we attended 19,349 incidents. We also continue to work with landowners, partner agencies and communities to better manage green spaces across the county, reducing the risk of fires spreading to homes or other buildings. We also look to stay updated on the latest fire prevention research, advancements in firefighting equipment, and techniques to protect people in their homes across Kent.

We can do all this largely thanks to you because around 64% of our running costs are paid for by the Council Tax. This means an average cost to someone living in a Council Tax Band D property is £1.72 a week… less than the usual price of a cup of coffee in a café, TV streaming service subscription, and under two hours of car parking in many Kent towns and cities.

We’ve set out on this page where our money comes from and how it’s spent. This money enables us to be here, providing the best value we can and reassurance that we are working round the clock to keep everyone in the county safe.

Please note this page is a quick guide to the Council Tax we receive and how it is spent and figures have been rounded up. If you would like further or full details please see our budget book. 

Where our money comes from

This chart shows the amount of money coming from various sources to Kent Fire and Rescue Service: 64% from the Council Tax, 22% from business rates and top-up grant, 14% from other government grants (Revenue Support Grant, funding Guarantee and Services Grant).

Council Tax - how much you pay

Kent Fire and Rescue Service receives funding from the Council Tax you pay. How much we receive will depend on your Council Tax band. Here’s how it’s broken down:

How the money we receive is spent

With around 1,600 uniformed and non-uniformed officers and staff, it’s perhaps not surprising that our employee and pension-related costs account for 86% of our day-to-day annual budget. Here's a breakdown of how we spend the total funding we receive:

Spending on our buildings and equipment

Kent Fire and Rescue Services continues to invest in its fire stations to ensure that the Service and its operational bases remain fit for the future but also improve efficiency to enable us to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030. A comprehensive long-term programme is also in place for the replacement of our fleet of vehicles as well.

Savings and efficiencies

We strive to make savings wherever possible by monitoring our working methods and providing services in the most efficient and effective way.