Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service
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“Working Together for a Safer Gloucestershire” Integrated Risk Management Plan 2015 - 2018 www.glosfire.gov.uk/irmp Contents Introduction 1 What is an Integrated Risk Management Plan (IRMP)? 2 What have we achieved through our last IRMP? 3 Risk in Gloucestershire 5 How we currently manage risk 8 How we can continue to improve our risk management 20 Have your say 22 Action Plan 2015-2018 23 Our Mission: Working Together for a Safer Gloucestershire “GFRS Mission statement:” Working together we will provide the highest standard of community safety and emergency “ response services to the communities of Gloucestershire ” Introduction Welcome to the Gloucestershire Fire & Rescue Since our last plan, which we published in 2012 we Service 2015-18 Integrated Risk Management have been set new challenges in reducing costs Plan (IRMP). This is my first IRMP as your Chief and becoming even more efficient. Influences such Fire Officer. I am determined that it will build as those financial demands and the conclusions on the achievements of previous IRMPs and drawn by the Peer Challenge led me to commission will make the lives of the people of a Strategic Review of the Service shortly after taking Gloucestershire safer. over my role. The review has now concluded and recommended a fresh delivery model which aims to Although we continue to face financial challenges, put greater emphasis on prevention work, helping Stewart Edgar QFSM we can continue to be proud of the Fire & Rescue people to avoid having fires and other emergencies, Chief Fire Officer Service here in Gloucestershire. The recent Peer thereby reducing costs by reducing demand on and Operations Director Challenge, during which a team of respected the Service. We are calling this fresh approach a professionals from both a Fire & Rescue Service ‘Demand Management Service Delivery Model’ and background and other walks of life took an in-depth are currently in the process of changing the Service look at the Service, described Gloucestershire Fire & structure to enable us to put the model into action. Rescue Service as ‘highly committed’, ‘proud’, ‘well regarded’ and ‘ambitious’. We continue to be one As a Service that has serving our community at its of the highest performing and lowest cost-per-head heart, we have a clear set of strategic aims: Services in the country. Cllr Will Windsor-Clive Cabinet Member for Fire, Planning & Infrastructure Prevention Response People Performance & Protection & Resilience I hope that this plan gives you a clear understanding of how your Fire & Rescue Service is moving toward a future that will bring better outcomes for you, both in terms of your safety but also in terms of the pressure on your bank balance. 1 What is an Integrated Risk Management Plan? As required by the Fire & Rescue Services Act • What opportunities are there for improvement 2004 the Government outlines its expectations and setting of appropriate standards? of English Fire & Rescue Services through the • What resources are necessary to meet National Framework for Fire & Rescue Services those standards? (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ we then build a plan based on the answers to fire-and-rescue-national-framework- those questions. for-england). One of the Governments expectations is the assessment of local risks The IRMP incorporates a three-year action plan to life and how effectively those resources are to manage the changes/improvements to Service used in response to those risks, at the same provision identified through the planning process. time providing value for money to the local taxpayer – this is called an Integrated Risk Once the plan has been agreed by Cabinet the Management Plan (IRMP). All Fire & Rescue Service will consult with the community and their Services have to produce a local IRMP that representatives over the plan. sets out their plan for: The IRMP is all about giving the community a • Reducing the number and severity of fires, road ‘tailor made’ Service that best meets their needs traffic collisions and other emergency incidents but cannot do so without taking into account occurring in the area for which it is responsible; realities such as the current financial climate. • Reducing the severity of injuries due to In order to effectively manage risk in our fires, road traffic collisions and other community the Service uses a combination of emergency incidents; tactics, which compliment each-other to deliver the • Reducing the commercial, economic and social Services strategic aims. It is the ‘integrated’ nature impact of fires and other emergency incidents; of these risk management tactics in the optimum • Safeguarding the environment and heritage blend, linked with the strategic aims, that gives the (both built and natural); plan its name. • Providing value for money. The IRMP also outlines the improvements and The IRMP development process makes the changes the Service plans to make in order Service regularly consider four key questions: to manage existing and emerging risk more effectively. The route to those improvements is • What are the existing and potential risks in outlined within the associated action plan which Gloucestershire? will explain the ‘what, how and when’. • How effective are our current risk management measures? 2 the completion of four What have we achieved new fire stations in through our last IRMP? “the Gloucester and Cheltenham areas has IRMP 2012/15 Objective What we have done Replace specialist Following the introduction of the new pump/rescue improved the rescue appliance appliances the specialist rescue appliance was removed from service. The new specialist incident emergency cover support unit is now in service and supports the pump/rescue appliances when required. we give in those areas Improve the efficiency of A review of crewing arrangements for our Aerial the crewing for our aerial Ladder Platforms was undertaken leading to a appliances revised approach which guarantees availability of at least one of these appliances whilst allowing for a ” more efficient use of staff. Improve our response The completion of the four new fire stations in the standards and coverage Gloucester and Cheltenham areas has improved the emergency cover we give in those areas and has improved the support they give to surrounding stations. As part of this project we set ourselves challenging response standards which has driven improved performance. 3 IRMP 2012/15 Objective What we have done partnership working Improve how we carry out The traditional approach to large animal rescue animal rescues has been questioned and a new ‘safe system of with the Severn Area work’ adopted using a range of new equipment and techniques. All firefighters have been given Rescue Association basic training and specialist teams established who “ have had level 2 training and will lead a rescue. In support of the firefighters partnerships have been has led to the formed with vets. establishment of a joint Improve our water rescue The Service now provides a national response to response water emergencies and a more extensive response Water Rescue Centre within Gloucestershire with additional water rescue teams at Moreton In Marsh and Fairford. at the fire station in Significant investment in equipment has lead to the replacement of boats and ground-breaking Tewkesbury partnership working with the Severn Area Rescue Association has led to the establishment of a joint Water Rescue Centre at the fire station in Tewkesbury. Review the availability of Historically each retained fire station has had a firefighters at each retained specified number of staff as an ‘establishment’ ” station linked to the number of fire engines based there i.e. 1 fire engine - 12 Firefighters, 2 fire engines - 20 Firefighters. The review has lead to a complete change of approach now leading to a variable ‘establishment’ driven by the patterns of cover provided by individual Firefighters. This approach is more testing managerially but is also more efficient in terms of resources. 4 Risk in Gloucestershire Our existing and potential risks Our risk information comes from various sources. in Cheltenham and Gloucester. The remainder are It informs our professional judgments when we spread over a number of market towns, as well decide on the most suitable protection, prevention as many small villages and hamlets. Population and emergency response arrangements to put in growth is steady and is predicted to rise by place, to maintain that risk at an acceptable level. another 11% by 2025. However, Gloucestershire is predicted to have a higher than average number of What are the risks? over 65 year olds rising by 55,000 to reach 158,000 • Injury or death to residents and visitors by 2025. This increase in a higher risk group, coupled with the government desire to deliver • Damage to property ‘personalised’ services to the elderly will have a • Impact on the economy of Gloucestershire and direct impact on the County’s ability to support and disruption to business deliver services, such as nursing and social care, • Loss of built and natural heritage that support safe and independent living. • Social impact on communities While the County has areas of affluence, there • Firefighter safety are some pockets of significant deprivation in • Loss of infrastructure Cheltenham and Gloucester with some rural deprivation in the Forest of Dean. There is a About our County proven link between social deprivation and Gloucestershire is a county of contrasts. Covering incidence of fire. 2,653 square km and with a population of In the last 10 years population growth has been approximately 597,000. concentrated in the urban areas. However, Gloucestershire is an attractive place to live, there is now a developing tendency towards work and invest, the rural and urban mix featuring dispersed residential development, which will carry excellent transport links, historic heritage and implications for service delivery in that it takes leisure opportunities attracts people to the area.