APPENDIX A

 

 

SUMMARY OF FRAMEWORK

Actions and Requirements

 

 

1.6       In summary, Fire and Rescue Authorities must each have in place and maintain an IRMP, which reflects local need and which sets out plans to tackle effectively both existing and potential risks to communities. They should also:

 

·         produce annual action plans on which they have fully consulted their local communities, allowing twelve weeks for the consultation;

·          take account of central government guidance in producing their plans; and

·         make efficient and effective use of resources to implement the IRMP and the action plan, including using more efficient working practices where appropriate.

 

The Fire Authority Integrated Risk Management Plan (FAIRMaP) for 2004/05 is in place following Select Committee scrutiny and wide consultation.  An action plan has been agreed and is underway.

 

1.7       Working with partners where appropriate, Fire and Rescue Authorities should develop a planned programme of community fire safety work, including evaluation, which responds to the needs and risks identified in their communities by the IRMP, and targets resources on vulnerable communities.

 

The Brigade is producing a revised Community Safety Plan/Strategy, which will encompass the need to work closely with other partners to reduce fire deaths and injuries.  Risks are presently being reduced in the Community by mapping existing data to ensure that priority is given to areas identified such as specific elderly groups, houses of multiple occupancy and areas where clusters of fire or crimes of arson have taken place.  The use of the Fire Service Emergency Cover Model (FSEC) will also assist the risk profile of the Community when available data has been improved.

 

1.21     Fire and Rescue Authorities should use the opportunity afforded by their membership of the Community Safety Partnerships (established under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998) to develop, with other agencies, local solutions to local problems - for example, deliberate firesetting, hoax calls and other forms of anti-social behaviour.

 

The Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service is a Member of the local Crime and Disorder Partnership.  The Service has been instrumental in forming a Schools Arson Prevention Group and an Arson Reduction Group to work with partners in trying to drive down the increases of arson and hoax calls.  The Service also has an effective firesetters programme and schools educational programme to engage with the youth groups on the Island.  The scheme has links with the Police and Education Authority.

 

1.30     An authority's strategy for enforcement of fire safety legislation must form part of its overall strategy for the protection of its community, as detailed in its IRMP.

           

The strategy for enforcement of fire safety legislation is linked to FAIRMaP, specifically:

 

            2B(a) – Regulatory Reform Order (RRO) and

2B(b) – Performance – Risk Assessment/Audit of the Annual Community Safety Action Plan for 2004/05 and 2005/06.

 

1.31     Fire and Rescue Authorities should - in drawing up their enforcement programmes - prioritise inspection of places that, in the case of fire, pose a significant risk to life.

 

Guidance published in January 2004 about risk-based enforcement, provides information             about prioritising inspections.  It is based on the research carried out for the review of fire cover and was issued as IRMP guidance and forms only one of the risk factors to be considered as part of FAIRMaP, addressing risk to the community as a whole.

 

The recently published Fire Safety Inspection Programme policy document is fully compliant with IRMP Guidance Note 4.

 

1.34     Fire and Rescue Authorities should be aware of the contribution Crown Inspectors can make to achieving the aims and objectives of their IRMPs, consult Crown Inspectors on their IRMPs, and work closely with them where appropriate.

 

The separate inspection system for Crown premises will be removed and Fire and Rescue Authorities become enforcers of fire safety legislation within these premises.

 

2.7       They (Regional Management Boards) must have:

 

·         clear aims and objectives; and

·         delegated powers that are appropriate to those aims and objectives.

 

Our South East Regional Management Board (RMB) has a constitution agreed by all Constituent Authorities, which includes aims, objectives and delegated powers.

 

2.10          Regional Management Boards should:

 

·         integrate common and specialist services, e.g. fire investigation (see attached list);

·         put in place effective resilience plans for large scale emergencies;

·         introduce regional personnel and human resource functions;

·         develop a regional approach to training;

·         establish regional control centres; and

·         introduce regional procurement within the context of a national procurement strategy.

The RMB has established work streams for all these areas.  The Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service participate fully in:

 

·         Resilience Planning

·         Regional Control Centres

·         Procurement

 

We do not fully participate in the other areas due to lack of resources both in time and personnel.

 

 

2.16     Against the background above, Fire and Rescue Authorities, through the Regional Management Boards, must:

 

·         ensure the phased transition from existing control rooms to the new control centres is delivered within the overall national timetable by the end of 2007;

·         ensure that the control centres are provided with timely, accurate and comprehensive information as to the status of operational assets;

·         work closely with the Government to ensure that the timetable for roll-out, and integration with the Firelink timetable, are achieved;

·         agree with Government by November 2004 arrangements for managing and maintaining the new centres; and

·         comply with national protocols on staff roles, training and mobilising, and back­up and resilience requirements, drafts of which will be produced for consultation by December 2004.

 

The Brigade is a full participating member of the Project Board to enable these outcomes to be achieved.

 

Richard Hards, Chief Fire Officer               -           Deputy Project Director

George Bryson, Deputy Chief Fire Officer            -           Board Member (Senior User)

FCO J Stannett, Officer in Charge             -           Local Project Manager

                                                                                    (and on the Practitioners Group)

DO P Street, Third Officer                           -           Brigade Coordinator

                                                                                    (assisted by a Policy Unit staff

member)

 

 

2.18     Where at all possible authorities should re­deploy staff no longer needed for control centre work to other roles. They should also ensure retention of sufficient staff to manage individual control rooms until regional control centres have been established.

 

Much work has been carried out in conjunction with Virginia Gledhill from Human Resources to deal with personnel issues.  5 positions have been identified for retention to other roles (there are 13 staff members).

 

2.22     Fire Service Circular 11/2004 gave advice on the arrangements that Fire and Rescue Authorities should adopt before entering into new contracts for major operational equipment, with the aim of aligning contract termination dates to those envisaged in the national strategy. These arrangements will be lifted once the draft national strategy is published.

 

The Brigade has taken notice of the advice and guidance contained within Fire Service Circular 11/2004.  The Procurement in the Brigade on new contracts is fairly minimal.  However, we will ensure that we would only enter into a new contract if there was an urgent exceptional need and if it was based on a short-term contract.  It is accepted that existing regional contracts such as Fleet purchasing through consortia already give good value for money.

 

 

2.23     Once it is published, Fire and Rescue Authorities should implement the national strategy for procurement.

 

            To be implemented.

 

 

3.3       Fire and Rescue Authorities should ensure a professional and effective response is available to meet the range of incidents which they may encounter, working together as appropriate. This includes ensuring that:

 

·         staff are trained to professional standards, and are familiar with risks;

·         effective command and control systems are in place;

·         incident commanders have the appropriate training and experience; and

·         the right equipment is available.

 

The FAIRMaP Improvement Plan includes these matters.

 

 

3.8       Fire and Rescue Authorities should have regard to guidance produced by the Health and Safety Task Group, share local good practice and explore opportunities for effective collaboration.

 

As a member of the SE Region Practitioners’ Forum, guidance from the national Health and Safety Task Group is regularly discussed and local action taken where necessary.

Good practice is shared throughout the region and nationally, and collaboration issues such as the RoSPA inter-Brigade audit is supported.

 

 

3.12     Fire and Rescue Authorities should:

 

·         have regard to ODPM's Guide to Reducing the Number of False Alarms from Fire Detection and Fire Alarm Systems;

·         where appropriate, working with other Fire and Rescue Authorities and other emergency services, take steps to drive down the number of hoax calls and unwanted signals from automatic fire alarms; and

·         log the callers and properties that create the greatest demand, assess the risks associated with them, and decide upon action to achieve improvement, which may include increased fire prevention work or a changed level of response.

The Brigade is working towards a local policy to reduce the number of false alarms in partnership with occupiers of premises and alarm recording centres to enable a reduced response where appropriate through risk assessments and call challenge.  We already log and monitor the worst offenders in terms of unwanted alarms and therefore can take steps to educate and inform on Best Practice as to reductions of alarms at source. 

 

 

3.14     Fire and Rescue Authorities should therefore explore the benefits of implementing co-responder schemes in partnership with other agencies.

 

We as a Service are currently investigating the benefits of operating in association with the Health Trust of a co-responder system for each fire station that will offer support to the Ambulance Service where they cannot meet there attendance times.

 

 

3.17     Authorities should, therefore, design their IRMPs to ensure that, so far as practical, there is greater shared use of resources, particularly, for example: the services of senior officers; pumping and non-pumping appliances, such as those used for aerial access; equipment used in traffic accident response and the bulk supply of water; and specialist support services such as rope rescue teams.

 

The disposition of appliances is contained within the FAIRMaP, as is the deployment of officers and crews.  The turntable ladder is moving to Ryde Fire Station and the redeployment of wholetime staff to community safety duties has commenced.

 

 

3.18     Regional Management Boards should provide an appropriate forum for improving collaboration.

 

            The RMB’s work streams ensure the maximisation of collaboration.

 

 

3.22     In accordance with the Civil Contingencies Bill, Fire and Rescue Authorities, through Regional Management Boards where appropriate, should:

 

·         work with other emergency services, authorities and agencies in the development of major emergency response management and recovery plans, and review all existing operational plans and policies;

·         employ national incident command management systems to enable safe and effective emergency operations and joint service training; and

·         adopt recognised good practice.

 

The Emergency Planning Department and the Fire and Rescue Service work very closely with Hampshire, both in Emergency Planning and Fire and Rescue Collaborations.

 

The RMB Resilience work stream caters for the civil contingency matters.

 

National incident command management systems will be covered through the national work with the New Dimensions Team.  ICS is the nationally adopted system and we work to this.

 

 

3.27     Once it is published, Fire and Rescue Authorities should have regard to the model protocol for fire investigation and, through Regional Management Boards, should pool this specialist fire investigation capacity to provide an effective regional capability.

 

            Work has commenced on this with the RMB work stream on common services.

 

 

4.6       Hence, once the Bill is enacted, Fire and Rescue Authorities will be under a duty to work in co­operation with other emergency services, local authorities and front line responders at the local level to:

 

·         assess the risk of an emergency occurring;

·         put in place emergency contingency plans and conduct exercises to ensure that they can both prevent and respond to emergencies;

·         establish business continuity management arrangements, so that an authority can function in an emergency;

·         share information with other local emergency responders; and

·         inform the public about civil protection in order to reduce, control or mitigate the effects of emergencies.

 

The Council’s Emergency Planning function is a department within The Fire and Rescue Service Directorate.   In compliance with the Civil Contingencies Bill, as a Category 1 Responder, we co-operate with other emergency services and front line responders.  This collaborative working is nothing new and strong alliances have been built up over time.   However, under the Bill this collaboration will be reinforced and, together with other Category 1 Responders, we will:

·         Continue to assess the risk of an emergency occurring;

·         Constantly monitor, review and revise contingency plans and conduct joint exercise

 

Business Continuity Plans are already in place so that the Authority cannot only function in an emergency but assist in the recovery of   services as speedily as possible.

 

At a strategic level the Emergency Services Joint Liaison Group (ESJLG), chaired by the Chief Fire Officer, shares information and keeps members of the group informed on current issues within each Service.  A Tactical Liaison Group consists of all emergency services, Emergency Planning and the Armed Forces and exists particularly to deal with CCBRN issues.

 

The Fire and Rescue Services, including the Emergency Planning Department works within the Category 1 Responder Group to ensure the public are informed about civil protection in order to reduce, control or mitigate the effects of emergencies.

 

4.10     Fire and Rescue Authorities should, therefore, participate in the Regional Resilience Forums.

 

            Work has commenced on this with the RMB work stream on common services.

 

 

4.17     As requested in Fire Service Circular 8/2004, Fire and Rescue Authorities should confirm their willingness to participate in the Agreement for Mutual Aid by signing a copy of it and returning it to ODPM.

 

The Executive Committee on 21 April 2004 resolved to approve the Mutual Aid Agreement.

 

 

4.21     Fire and Rescue Authorities should ensure that Chief Fire Officers work with the New Dimension Regional Planners to decide which personnel receive New Dimension training.

 

One member of staff funded by the ODPM is employed as a Regional Trainer thus ensuring the national and regional aspects of procedures and equipment training are fully complied with and implemented on the Fire Stations.

 

 

5.2       Fire and Rescue Authorities must ensure that all members of staff are treated fairly and afforded equality of opportunity. Authorities should ensure that all staff are developed in a way, which takes account of the differing needs of the individual, in order to deliver the Fire and Rescue Service's aims and objectives effectively.

 

The Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service fully comply with the Council’s Equalities and Diversity Policies.

 

5.3       Fire and Rescue Authorities should ensure that their human resources strategy fully reflects the needs set out in the IRMP, and includes the use that will be made of flexible shift patterns and working practices.

 

The FAIRMaP includes action plan items to create a human resources strategy.  Duty systems were in the year one plan where the flexi duty system to reflect incident command has been introduced and the duty system at Newport Fire Station is included in the consultation draft for the 2005/06 action plan.

5.4       Fire and Rescue Authorities should ensure that there is as much opportunity as is reasonably possible for people to work flexibly, for example on a part-time basis, using flexi-time or working as part of a job share partnership.

 

The service has adopted the Council’s policy on flexible and part-time work and will incorporate this into the wholetime, day duty and retained duty systems.

 

 

5.8              ●    take practical steps to implement the recommendations of the Retained Review

                       Team report;

·                     make full use of staff on the retained duty system in line with the needs in their IRMPs;

·         give staff on the retained duty system access to development opportunities comparable to those for whole time and other staff; and

·         break down artificial barriers between staff on the retained duty system and other staff, including where appropriate exploring options such as mixed crewing.

           

            The ODPM Retained Review Team has not yet had their report published.

 

5.12     Fire and Rescue Authorities, through Regional Management Boards, should:

·         draw up a regional HR strategy, encompassing recruitment, training and development (see Chapter 6), occupational health, health and safety, medical advice services, sickness/ill health management, discipline, mobility and a regional equalities strategy; and

·         identify and implement the most efficient and effective means for the region to deliver these services, including through lead authorities or out­sourcing where appropriate.

 

See 2.10

 

5.17     Fire and Rescue Authorities, through Regional Management Boards, should produce an equalities strategy as part of their regional Human Resources strategy (as set out in paragraph 5.12) which should include stretching targets for improvement. Regional HR strategies should be compatible with local IRMPs. It is for each Regional Management Board to decide which issues are best dealt with in the regional strategy and those, which fall within IRMPs, and to ensure that there is a fit.

 

See 2.10

 

5.19     Fire and Rescue Authorities:

·         must adhere to the requirements for the appointment of operational staff as set out in the Fire Services (Appointment and Promotion) (England and Wales) Regulations 2004, until such time as they are repealed; and

·         should, following enactment of the Fire and Rescue Services Bill, act in accordance with the guidance issued by ODPM and employ best practice in the operation of appointments and promotions for all staff in line with legal requirements and the principles of IPDS.

IPDS principles are being applied with collaborative regional and inter-brigade work on assessment centres.

 

 

5.21     Fire and Rescue Authorities, through Regional Management Boards where appropriate:

 

·         must comply with existing equality legislation on race and gender; the newly introduced regulations on sexual orientation, religion or belief; the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act (1995); and, in due course, with regulations on equal treatment and age;

·         should apply identified good practice; and

·         should, from Spring 2005, roll out and operate recruitment on a regional basis using the national firefighter selection tests.

 

See 2.10 and 5.19

 

 

5.23     Fire and Rescue Authorities should:

 

·         introduce disciplinary procedures based on ACAS best practice guidance; and

·         consider the costs, best practice and efficiency benefits of developing disciplinary procedures, dealing with disciplinary issues and providing effective management training through a regional HR function.

 

The Discipline Regulations/Procedures are being developed through the Pay Award negotiation and will be implemented with the assistance of the Human Resources Department.

 

 

5.28     Fire and Rescue Authorities should:

 

·         ensure that their occupational health arrangements are efficient and effective, including considering the benefits of operating on a regional basis;

·         ensure that full consideration is given to the health and fitness of staff and that they are assigned to appropriate roles;

·         ensure that Government targets on the reduction of sickness absence and ill health retirements are achieved through the introduction and administration of effective absence management processes and procedures; and

·         consider at a regional level the most efficient and cost effective method of obtaining independent Occupational Health advice.

 

The Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service uses both the local National Health Service Occupational Health Unit and a Private Doctor.

 

The NHS Occupational Health Unit deal with the following:

 

·         Specific injuries i.e. broken bones

·         Long term sickness

·         Accident injuries

·         Routine 3 yearly medicals and lifestyle medicals

 

The Private Doctor deals with all referrals from the above, and ill health retirements.

 

Representatives on various working groups also represent the Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service at a regional level.

 

Staff when recovering from illness/injury or when through a medical incapacity are unable to carryout their normal duties are assigned light duties based upon advice from the Occupational Health Medical Advisors.

 

The management and monitoring of sickness absence is carried by line managers on a quarterly basis using information provided by the personnel function this information includes:

 

·         Number of days lost

·         Number of shifts lost

·         If the injury/illness was sustained whilst on duty

·         Day of the week in which the sickness commenced

 

All of the above is detailed in the Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service Administrative Memorandum 9.

 

                       

6.7       In adopting and implementing IPDS, Fire and Rescue Authorities should:

 

·         use the nationally developed personal qualities and attributes for assessing the potential of candidates for a new operational or control role;

·         put in place systems and train managers to ensure that staff are assessed fairly against national standards and that workplace assessments are recorded consistently[1];

·         consider how collaborative working may maximise the benefit from available resources for IPDS;

·         support the use of any pay flexibilities currently available with robust evidence, for example on recruitment and retention needs and through job evaluation exercises; and

·         communicate all changes to staff effectively.

 

The use of personal qualities and attributes for assessing potential is incorporated into the Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service assessment and development centre, which it is intended that the Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service will use from 2005 onwards.

 

The Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service has recently taken on the role of an NVQ Satelite Centre, with the main centre being administered by Hampshire, this will enable the Brigade to train managers to assess and deliver training against the NVQ Standard.

 

The process of staff communication is being addressed in the following ways:

 

·         Chief Fire Officer’s News Letter

·         Integrated Personal Development System (IPDS) Booklet “Its all about you” sent to all personnel

·         Weekly Routine Notice

·         The Brigade’s Web Site

·         Normal and routine communication by line managers

 

 

6.12     Regional Management Boards should review the use currently made of existing facilities and resources, and consider whether any improvements can be made. They should consider whether better value for money could be achieved by providing training locally, regionally or at the Fire Service College.

 

The Brigade is presently reviewing these provisions with the Best Value Unit and the Learning Centre and a report will be tabled in October.  The Regional links are developing through the work streams from the RMB.

 

 

6.14     Until the National Workforce Development Strategy has been finalised and put in place, Fire and Rescue Authorities, through Regional Management Boards, should concentrate on identifying the efficiencies to be achieved through greater regional collaboration, for example in the use of assessment development centre processes and the delivery of core modules.

 

See 5.28 and 2.10

 

The National Workforce Development Strategy has just been published and work is commencing on the implications for the Fire Authority and staff.

 

 

6.15     Once the National Workforce Development Strategy is published, Fire and Rescue Authorities, through Regional Management Boards, should:

 

·         deliver training and development in accordance with national standards and the Strategy; and

·         draw up their regional HR strategies to encompass regional workforce development plans in line with the Strategy; and

·         deliver training as efficiently and effectively as possible, at the regional level, or via the Fire Service College, where appropriate.

 

See 6.14

 

6.25     Fire and Rescue Authorities should:

 

·         develop and support existing staff in their leadership functions;

·         encourage interchange of staff between authorities and with outside organisations; and

·         make use of the new flexibilities for recruitment (see paragraph 5.20).

 

See 6.14

 

The Brigade will adopt the new national recruitment procedures.

 

 

7.2       Fire and Rescue Authorities should develop fully the opportunities for efficiency improvements, including through collaboration, consistent with their duties under Best Value and the Government's objectives to reduce accidental deaths from fire in the home and deliberate fires.

 

            FAIRMaP encompasses these issues.

 

 

8.25     Fire and Rescue Authorities should ensure that their plans for e-government contribute to both their key organisational objectives and those set out in the Government's White Paper Our Fire and Rescue Service and the National Framework.

 

The Fire and Rescue Service is working with the Corporate ICT Department to address the requirements necessary to comply with e-government by December 2005.

 

In order to achieve our key objectives of delivering a modernised fire and rescue service, delivering the FAIRMaP and the National Framework the Fire and Rescue Service is planning the installation of critical systems to underpin the support processes for the efficient, effective and economic running of the Fire and Rescue Service, whilst meeting its responsibilities of providing the public with accessible services in the way they want to access them. Provision of information to our stakeholders is a vital service and plays a vital role in our prevention strategies.

 

 

9.11     Fire and Rescue Authorities should:

 

·         draw on the relevant research in exercising their functions, for example in formulating their strategies to prevent fires; and

·         avoid duplication by drawing on others' work and sharing their own findings and plans, including through the Practitioners' Forum.

 

The Website and FINDS system (a database run by the Chief Fire Officers’ Association) are well used in this respect.

 

 

 

9.15     Fire and Rescue Authorities should:

 

·         continue the timely completion of statistical returns issued by ODPM; and

·         assist ODPM in establishing a fully electronic data collection system by contributing their knowledge of fire and rescue service procedures and incident recording to the e-data collection project, which was launched with the review of the existing fire incident collection in Autumn 2003. We aim to complete this work in 2005.

 

The Brigade will continue to provide all the data required within the resources provided to achieve this.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Common and Specialist Services