Agenda 070314
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CLEVELAND FIRE AUTHORITY EXTRAORDINARY MEETING 7 MARCH 2014 - 1.00PM FIRE BRIGADE HEADQUARTERS, STOCKTON ROAD, HARTLEPOOL, TS25 5TB MEMBERS OF CLEVELAND FIRE AUTHORITY - HARTLEPOOL : Councillors - Akers-Belcher, Richardson, Payne, Wells MIDDLESBROUGH : Councillors - Biswas, Brunton, Clark, Hussain, Pearson, Sanderson REDCAR & CLEVELAND : Councillors - Briggs, Cooney, Dunning, Hannon, Jeffrey, Ovens STOCKTON ON TEES : Councillors - Corr, Cunningham, Gardener, O’Donnell, Stoker, Walmsley, Woodhead A G E N D A 1. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE 2. DECLARATIONS OF MEMBERS INTEREST 3. TO RECEIVE THE REPORT OF THE CHIEF FIRE OFFICER 3.1 Draft Community Integrated Risk Management Plan Proposals 2014 -18 4. ANY OTHER BUSINESS WHICH, IN THE OPINION OF THE CHAIR, SHOULD BE CONSIDERED AS A MATTER OF URGENCY AGENDA ITEM 3.1 CLEVELAND FIRE AUTHORITY 7 MARCH 2014 DRAFT COMMUNITY INTEGRATED RISK MANAGEMENT PLAN (CIRMP) PROPOSALS 2014 – 18 REPORT OF CHIEF FIRE OFFICER For Approval 1. PURPOSE OF REPORT 1.1 To inform Elected Members of the outcomes from the consultation exercise on the draft Community Integrated Risk Management Plan (CIRMP) 2014 -18. 1.2 To advise Elected Members of the Authority’s updated medium term financial position including use of reserves. 1.3 To approve the CIRMP proposals 2014-18 that reflect the Authority’s current risk assessment outcomes, the outcomes from the consultation exercise and the new medium term financial position. 2. RECOMMENDATIONS 2.1 Members are asked to: • note the outcomes from the Authority’s integrated risk assessment process as detailed in Section 4.3 of this report and at Appendix 1 • note the outcomes from the consultation exercise on the draft CIRMP 2014-18 as detailed in Sections 8 and 9 of this report and at Appendices 4 and 5 • note the revised medium term financial position as detailed in Section 10 of this report which changes the budget shortfall over the four years to 2017/18 from £5.946m to £5.758m • as a result of the above points, consider the proposed changes to the draft CIRMP Proposals 2014-18 as detailed in Section 11 of this report • ratify the recommendation from the Executive Committee on 7th March to approve the revised CIRMP proposals 2014 -18 as detailed in Appendix 6 of this report (to be tabled) and that will be included within the Authority’s CIRMP 2014- 18 to be published in April 2014 • approve £176,000 from reserves to offset the budget shortfall for 2015/16, thereby assisting the Authority in managing the reduction of staff i.e. natural wastage CLEVELAND FIRE AUTHORITY 7 MARCH 2014 • note the on-going review of the proposals to ensure they continue to meet the community risk and demand; the Authority’s strategic objectives; and the ever- present financial challenges • note that a Workforce Transition Plan will be developed as per the principles outlined in Section 13 of this report and forwarded to the Fire Authority for approval in 2014/15 3. BACKGROUND 3.1 Cleveland Fire Authority has been using the process of integrated risk management planning for the last ten years and this has led to the current configuration of Cleveland Fire Brigade’s resources. 3.2 The requirement for an Integrated Risk Management Plan (IRMP) was introduced in 2003 and included in the Fire and Rescue Service National Framework, published by the Department for Communities and Local Government. This was given statutory effect by the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004. 3.3 The Framework states that each Fire and Rescue Authority must produce an IRMP that: ‘identifies and assesses all foreseeable fire and rescue related risks that could affect its community, including those of a cross-border, multi-authority and/or national nature. The plan must have regard to the Community Risk Registers produced by Local Resilience Forums and any other local risk analyses as appropriate’ 3.4 Integrated risk management planning is simply about using resources in the most effective way to save lives, improve public safety and reduce emergency incidents. It is an approach that: • identifies who or what is most at risk of fire and other emergencies • determines where they are and how best to reach them • identifies the best way to reduce and manage the risk • ensures that resources are deployed in proportion to the size of the risk 3.5 Using the IRMP approach, the fire and rescue service has evolved from its historic roots in fire-fighting to become key to UK public safety through its roles in preventing accidents, protecting the public and responding to a range of emergencies. DRAFT COMMUNITY INTEGRATED RISK MANAGEMENT PLAN (CIRMP) PROPOSALS 2014 -18 Page 2 CLEVELAND FIRE AUTHORITY 7 MARCH 2014 3.6 In December 2013 the Authority finalised its Community Integrated Risk Management Plan (CIRMP) 2014 -18; the Plan combines its previous Strategic and Integrated Risk Management Plans. 3.7 The CIRMP sets out the Authority’s: • operating environment • vision, strategic goals, aims and associated outcomes; • medium term financial position • community risk assessment model • risk assessment outcomes; and • organisational, risk management, prevention, protection and emergency response proposals to 2018 3.8 At its meeting on 13th December 2013, the Authority approved the draft CIRMP 2014 -18 for consultation; a copy of which has been previously circulated to stakeholders and is available from the Authority’s website and Democratic Services Team. This consultation exercise is now complete. 3.9 At its meeting on 7th March the Executive Committee considered and recommended for approval to the Fire Authority on 7th March revised CIRMP proposals 2014 -18. These proposals will be tabled as Appendix 6 of this report and, if approved, will be included within the Authority’s CIRMP 2014-18 to be published in April 2014. 4. RISK ASSESSMENT 4.1 The Authority has a range of tools, systems, and processes that are used to assess, and understand the nature and scale of the risks faced by its communities; these are comprehensively detailed within the draft CIRMP. 4.2 The key factors considered in the risk assessments are: incident data; performance information; risk categorisations; local resilience community risk register and horizon scanning 4.3 The outcomes relating to the risk assessment of each of these key factors are detailed in Appendix 1. In summary these show: • significant reductions in total incidents and mobilisations trends over the years • majority of incidents are non-life threatening DRAFT COMMUNITY INTEGRATED RISK MANAGEMENT PLAN (CIRMP) PROPOSALS 2014 -18 Page 3 CLEVELAND FIRE AUTHORITY 7 MARCH 2014 • majority of incidents occur between 16:00hrs and 21:59hrs • the busiest fire appliance averages fewer than 4 mobilisations per day • in 2012/13, an average of 1.34 appliances out of the Brigade’s 21 appliances were mobilised per day to emergency response incidents • overall performance is GOOD • performance in 2012/13 against all service delivery indicators is better than it was in the previous year; and the best that it has been for the last 10 Years • the Authority meets all its emergency response standards • prevention and protection risk assessment highlights that there are 14 high; 38 medium and 30 low risk wards • emergency response risk assessment highlights that there are 2 high, 14 medium and 66 low risks • predominantly high level of risks in relation to road traffic collisions • 53 of the 14,000 inspected buildings are categorised as being very high or high risk • 33 ‘top tier’ and 3 ‘lower tier’ COMAH sites are on Teesside representing 12% of National COMAH Sites • all potential major emergencies risks are placed on Cleveland’s Community Risk Register and managed through the Local Resilience Forum; and the Brigade’s policies; systems and procedures • all risks relating to the environmental scanning exercise are placed on the Authority’s Corporate Risk Register and managed through the Brigade’s policies and strategies DRAFT COMMUNITY INTEGRATED RISK MANAGEMENT PLAN (CIRMP) PROPOSALS 2014 -18 Page 4 CLEVELAND FIRE AUTHORITY 7 MARCH 2014 5. MEDIUM TERM FINANCIAL POSITION AS AT DECEMBER 2013 5.1 The Authority’s medium term financial position in December 2013 was outlined within the draft CIRMP 2014 -18. It was based on the provisional local government finance settlement for 2014/15 and subject to the Authority approving a Council Tax increase of 1.9%. 5.2 The medium term financial position in December 2013 highlighted a budget shortfall over the four years to 2017/18 as being £5.946m with annual budget shortfalls over the four years being: • 2014/15 - £1.965m • 2015/16 - £1.715m • 2016/17 - £1.167m • 2017/18 - £1.099m 6. DRAFT CIRMP PROPOSALS 2014 - 18 6.1 The integrated risk assessment informs the Authority considerations on how it will deliver its strategies and services in the future; and achieve the appropriate balance between what it knows about the risks and the needs of the communities across Teesside and its available resources. 6.2 The outcomes from the risk assessment process allowed the Authority to fully review the configuration and deployment of its resources across the whole of the organisation to ensure that it continues to: • pursue its risk reduction strategies of prevention, protection and emergency response • deliver true value for money to the people of Teesside • ensure fire-fighter safety 6.3 Through this approach the Authority is following the fundamental principle of integrated risk management planning; ensuring that in future it has the right resources, in the right place, at the right time, doing the right things. 6.4 The Authority’s draft preferred proposals for re-organising and rebalancing its prevention, protection, emergency response and organisational development strategies against the diminishing resources available are set out in Appendix 2. DRAFT COMMUNITY INTEGRATED RISK MANAGEMENT PLAN (CIRMP) PROPOSALS 2014 -18 Page 5 CLEVELAND FIRE AUTHORITY 7 MARCH 2014 6.5 As stated in the draft CIRMP, these proposals, particularly those in the later stages of the four-year Plan, will continue to be scrutinised through the annual risk assessment processes to ensure they continue to meet the community risk and demand; the strategic objectives; and the ever-present financial challenges.