Trustee Vacancy - Individual Member
The NFCC is seeking interest from individual NFCC members who are keen to play an active part in our governance during what is a critical phase in our journey as a charity and membership organisation. The role is unpaid and requires commitment of time on top of your own work requirements but offers the opportunity to oversee the NFCC at the highest level.
As NFCC members, you will know that the National Fire Chiefs Council Limited is a registered charity representing the professional voice of the United Kingdom’s fire and rescue services.
Our purpose is:
- to lead, co-ordinate and support effective prevention, protection and emergency response to reduce the loss of life, personal injury and damage to property and the environment which can arise from fire, accident, major incidents and other emergencies.
- to support fire and rescue services in transforming their role to meet changing demands and resources for the benefit of the society.
- to promote effective service delivery working with partner organisations, governments, private sector bodies and the community.
The NFCC Strategy can be found on our website – NFCC_Member_Strategy_2023_-_2026.pdf
The government’s stated commitment to develop a new College of Fire and Rescue will have significant impact on FRSs as well as on the NFCC. In addition, the coming years will see other significant changes and developments, as Fire and Rescue Services respond to new and emerging risks such as climate change, severe weather events and the increasing role of FRSs in local and national resilience.
Against this backdrop the NFCC is seeking a greater role in developing data, insights and research to improve our public service, and in commercial opportunities to help secure our more sustainable financial future, and in greater international impact including our hosting of the World Fire Congress this September 2026.
The NFCC is governed by a Board of Trustees, with an independent Chair, Nick Ross CBE, and ten trustees. Six of these are from the NFCC individual membership and a further four are independent Trustees bringing skills from outside the fire sector. Further details on the current Board can be found on National Fire Chiefs Council – NFCC. The Trustees are supported by the Chiefs Council, and together they lead on setting the strategy for the NFCC and developing standards, tools and guidance to support FRSs in the furtherance of the NFCC’s charitable objects.
Trustees have a legal ‘fiduciary duty’ to the charity itself. That means members who are appointed must act independently as trustees, not as representatives of their FRS or colleagues. Like their lay, independent colleagues, they must apply their own individual judgement.
We are seeking one individual NFCC member to join the Board of Trustees due to a current trustee stepping down from the role. The initial appointment will be from 1st April 2026 and will be for three years, renewable for one further three-year term. The time commitment, including reading board papers, normally adds up to the equivalent of about ten days per year. Most of it is virtual but at least two days are face-to-face.
We are particularly keen to encourage applications from women to support a gender balance on the board, and from individuals bringing diverse experiences from a non-operational career background However, applicants from all individual members are welcome. The key criteria are the ability contribute to diverse thinking and yet seek consensual outcomes and a willingness to take shared responsibility.
While the role is unremunerated, Trustees may be paid reasonable travelling, hotel and other out of pocket expenses incurred directly in connection with the role.
The NFCC Nominations Committee is overseeing the recruitment process of all Trustee vacancies and interviews for this Trustee position will be conducted by members of the committee.
Please view the Role Profile here: Role Profile NFCC trustees 2026
If you would like an informal discussion about the role, please email helen.nightingale@nfcc.org.uk so that this can be arranged. All informal approaches will be treated confidentially. To apply for the position please send your CV and a letter of application should be sent to helen.nightingale@nfcc.org.uk by 23rd February 2026.