Under the Freedom of Information Act anyone, who makes a request in writing to Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service for information held, with notably few exceptions, is entitled to that information.
The Service has 20 working days (Mondays to Fridays excluding Bank Holidays), starting from the day after the request is received, to respond. Within that time, Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service has a duty to confirm or deny whether it holds the information. If they do hold it, they are required to disclose it, unless it falls into one of the exemptions, such as national interest, law enforcement or personal data.
A written request can be submitted anywhere within the Fire and Rescue Service
In addition to hard copy documents, information can be photographs, videos, emails, electronic files and even handwritten post-it notes.
An individual making a request for information does not have to state that it is made under the Act. Also, for example, a person could hand a letter requesting information about a recent Fire Authority meeting to a firefighter attending an incident. Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service is then obliged to treat this as a request under the Act and deal with it accordingly.
