Contents PREFACE CORE ACCOUNTING STATEMENTS SUPPLEMENTARY STATEMENTS Narrative Statement 2 Comprehensive Income and Firefighters’ Pension Schemes Fund Expenditure Statement 30 Account 132 Statement of Responsibilities for the Statement of Accounts 23 Movement in Reserves Statement 31 Net Assets Statement 133 Statement of Accounting Policies 25 Balance Sheet 33 Firefighters’ Pension Schemes Fund Account notes 134 Accounting Standards Issued but Not 28 Cash Flow Statement 34 Yet Adopted Annual Governance Statement 137 Notes to Core Accounting Statements 35 Glossary of Terms 152 1 WRITTEN STATEMENTS AND NARRATIVE REPORT 2 Director of Corporate Services’ Narrative Report 1. THE LONDON FIRE BRIGADE HOW THAT WORKS IN PRACTICE The London Fire Brigade (LFB) is the busiest The LFB’s main role as a fire and rescue service In addition to the aims of reducing the risk of fire and rescue service in the country. It is also is to make London the safest global city. This fire, LFB will also deliver a wide range of one of the largest firefighting and rescue means working to make sure London has the services, information and advice together with organisations in the world, protecting people lowest number of fires, and fewer injuries and emergency partners to contribute to: and property from fire within the 1,587 square deaths caused by fire. The LFB can do this by kilometres of Greater London. influencing safety in the ‘built environment’ – • The lowest numbers of deaths and injuries buildings, roads, transport systems and so on – from road traffic collisions The LFB is run by the London Fire and through education and regulation. Commissioner (LFC), a corporation sole and the • The highest survival rates in cardiac arrests fire and rescue authority for London. The LFB is a trusted partner, helping to create a in the world safer, healthier London by working with local The LFB is here to help make London the safest communities to promote healthier lifestyles. • The lowest levels of crime and disorder global city. Our vision is to be a world class fire The LFB raises awareness of safety and and rescue service for London, Londoners and wellbeing considerations in a whole range of visitors. activities, from fire safety and road safety, through to caring for the most vulnerable residents and educating and informing tomorrow’s young Londoners. The LFB will maximise what it can do by working with individuals and businesses to help them identify what they can do for themselves to ensure their own safety and the safety of others. The LFB will continue to provide services to meet the needs of London’s diverse communities. 3 Director of Corporate Services’ Narrative Report (continued) 2. THE MAYOR OF LONDON HOW DECISIONS ARE MADE EXCEPTIONS TO THE PROCESS The London Fire Commissioner is a corporation The process for decisions is: The Mayor can direct that reports/decisions sole and the fire and rescue authority for should go to him or the Deputy Mayor for Fire London. It is a functional body of the Greater i. Reports for decision are taken to a and Resilience. If that is the case, final London Authority. The Mayor of London sets Commissioner’s Board, usually following recommendations will still come back to the its budget, approves the London Safety Plan, consideration by the relevant directorate London Fire Commissioner for formal decision and can direct it to act. There is a Deputy Board(s) and publication. Mayor for Fire and Resilience. ii. The Commissioner’s Board will discuss and HOW THE LONDON FIRE COMMISSIONER 3. THE LONDON FIRE COMMISSIONER agree final recommendations IS SCRUTINISED HOW THE LONDON FIRE BRIGADE IS iii. The London Fire Commissioner will then The Fire, Resilience and Emergency Planning GOVERNED take final decisions based on (FREP) Committee scrutinises how the London recommendations from the Commissioner’s Fire Commissioner is exercising its functions. The London Fire Commissioner is responsible Board for providing London’s fire and rescue service, LFB staff prepare performance reports, ensuring that it is effective and efficient. monitoring data and help develop thematic iv. Once the formal decision is made by the reviews to facilitate the scrutiny work of FREP. All formal decisions about London Fire Brigade London Fire Commissioner, the decision are taken by the London Fire Commissioner. and the reports supporting it will be The London Fire Commissioner’s budget is also Some decisions relating to the London Fire published on our decisions page subject to scrutiny through the London Brigade may need to be taken by, or in Assembly’s Budget and Performance consultation with, the Deputy Mayor for Fire Committee. and Resilience, or the Mayor of London. These decisions are published, and can also be subject to scrutiny by the London Assembly. 4 Director of Corporate Services’ Narrative Report (continued) THE BRIGADE’S PERFORMANCE ACHIEVEMENTS 2019/20 Performance as at year ending 31st March 2020 shows that most performance indicators are meeting their target. Highlights include: Despatch fire engines to 999 call 1m 34s in 2019/20 01:40 01:37 01:36 01:35 01:34 15/16 16/17 17/18 18/19 19/20 People injured in fires Incidents by type 889 in 2019/20 105,679 in 2019/20 Give Intervene to reassurance, resolve, 10% 58% 993 966 936 889 1,057 Provide assistance, 15/16 16/17 17/18 18/19 19/20 32% Arrival of first fire engine Greater London 5m 12s in 2019/20 3rd largest European capital 10m daytime population 8.98m residents 05:32 05:21 3.6m households 05:13 05:12 05:12 5 15/16 16/17 17/18 18/19 19/20 Director of Corporate Services’ Narrative Report (continued) Fire safety audits 8,876 in 2019/20 16,269 14,645 11,532 8,876 11,646 15/16 16/17 17/18 18/19 19/20 Arrival of second fire engine All incidents attended 6m 30s in 2019/20 105,679 in 2019/20 06:51 06:44 06:34 06:32 06:30 99,535 105,679 104,839 104,746 104,697 15/16 16/17 17/18 18/19 19/20 15/16 16/17 17/18 18/19 19/20 Home fire safety visits People who died in fires 77,087 in 2019/20 34 in 2019/20 108 44 39 36 34 86,608 84,898 83,343 82,102 77,087 15/16 16/17 17/18 18/19 19/20 15/16 16/17 17/18 18/19 19/20 6 Director of Corporate Services’ Narrative Report (continued) MAP OF FIRE BRIGADE LOCATIONS AND ATTENDANCES 7 Director of Corporate Services’ Narrative Report (continued) THE BRIGADE’S PERFORMANCE take every action we can to improve public action as a result of a recommendation, the safety. Many of the recommendations are reasons why the action is not being pursued). The Brigade is delivering well against its welcome and will need to be fully understood performance portfolio. Commitments and not only by London Fire Brigade, but by COMMISSIONER ANNOUNCEMENTS actions arising from strategic plans such as the government, every fire and rescue service and In December media, staff and stakeholder London Safety Plan are progressing well. In every residential building owner and manager communications were issued following terms of performance across the three across the country” Corporate Aims, the summary position is good Commissioner Dany Cotton’s announcement to and is improving. The Brigade is doing well in HMICFRS INSPECTION REPORT step down at the end of 2019. On 10 December terms of delivering against Aim 1 – Prevention the appointment of Andy Roe as the new and Protection, with 10 out of 12 indicators HMICFRS undertook an inspection of the Commissioner was publicly announced. reporting as green, including fire fatalities, and London Fire Brigade from 22 July to 2 August 2019 and published the Inspection Report on IMPROVING COMMUNITY AND against Aim 2 – Response and Resilience, with STAKEHOLDER RELATIONS 17 December 2019. all six indicators reporting as green. However, Aim 3 – People and Resources continues to be Within the Inspection Report the HMICFRS In line with the Commissioner’s firm affected by long term sickness levels and the identified two immediate causes for concern commitment set out during his confirmation challenge to meet higher diversity targets. and required the Brigade to develop actions to hearing, the Brigade also reached out to the Grenfell Tower community working closely with GRENFELL TOWER FIRE INQUIRY address these immediate concerns by 28 the Mayor’s office. The Commissioner met with February 2020. A report was presented to the The Grenfell Tower Inquiry published its Phase Commissioner’s Board on 26 February 2020 some of the families and loved ones of those 1 Report on 30 October 2019. That report and the proposed actions to address these two who died at Grenfell Tower for the first time on focused on the factual narrative of the events causes for concern were submitted to the Monday 24 February. on the night of 14 June 2017 and set out a HMICFRS by 28 February 2020. A significant amount of stakeholder number of recommendations for the London engagement activity was undertaken on 27 Fire Brigade. In addition, the Inspection Report also contained 25 areas for improvement and February when the Brigade invited the Deputy In response to the Phase 1 report the then required the Brigade to prepare, update and Mayor, FREP members and representatives Commissioner made a statement, noting that: regularly publish an action plan detailing how from the Home Office and NFCC to observe a all recommendations are being actioned (or if training exercise at a high rise building in the “We will now carefully and fully consider all of the Brigade does not propose to undertake any London borough of Southwark to demonstrate Sir Martin Moore-Bick’s Phase 1 report and and discuss ways in which the Brigade is 8 Director of Corporate Services’ Narrative Report (continued) training for and improving its response to high undertake delivery to a single point within each The Brigade has actively campaigned for this rise buildings incidents since the Grenfell borough, and any other hub at the request of change.