This paper applies the concept of public value to fire services. After first defining and introducing the notion of public value, it applies it to Melbourne’s fire brigade as an example. It distinguishes public from private value, and explores the key outcomes a fire brigade might create, in both cases taking into account opportunities for synergies or trade-offs between types of value. The paper then considers alternative methods of providing the public value outcomes, utilising the ‘public value chain’ framework to identify potential providers, and an expanded benefit/cost approach, which incorporates not only the service benefits and costs, but also the relationship and strategic costs, to weigh up their relative contributions to public value.