Hampshire Fire and Rescue Authority Item...

7 15/03/2005December 2005

Error! Bookmark not defined.HFRS Business Continuity

Report of the Chief Fire Officer

Contact: Deputy Chief Fire Officer Alan House - [email protected]

1

Summary

1.1

The Civil Contingencies Act 2004, designates Fire Authorities as a Category 1 Responder. The Act places two key responsibilities on all Category 1 Responders and these are to maintain plans to ensure that they can continue to exercise their functions in the event of an emergency, as far as reasonably practicable. The second is to provide advice and assistance to businesses and other organisations about Business Continuity Management.

1.2

To discharge our responsibilities under the CC Act we must develop a robust, practical and tested Business Continuity Plan for Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service. We must also consider how we can support businesses and other organisations to develop their own business continuity arrangements.

1.3

A good Business Continuity Plan should assist in the day-to-day management of the service. It will prevent the need to `firefight' in the event of a major event affecting our premises or other resources and will enable us to continue to provide a high level of service to the public a time of need.

2

RecommendationError! Bookmark not defined.s

2.1

The Fire Authority note the need and importance of developing a Business Continuity Plan for the service.

2.2

The Fire Authority accept the outline business continuity project plan that supports development of the response and recovery plans for the service.

3

Introduction Error! Bookmark not defined.and Background

3.1

The Civil Contingencies Act 2004 became law in November 2004. The Act designates Fire Authorities as Category 1 Responders and places specific duties on them in the event of an emergency.

3.2

The Act defines an emergency as:

· an event or situation which threatens serious damage to human welfare;

· an event or situation which threatens serious damage to the environment, or;

· war, or terrorism, which threatens serious damage to security.

3.3

Other duties placed upon Fire Authorities by the Act are to:

· Assess local risks and use this to inform emergency planning;

· Put in place emergency plans;

· Put in place Business Continuity Management arrangements;

· Put in place arrangements to make information available to the public about civil protection matters and maintain arrangements to warn, inform and advise the public in the event of an emergency;

· Share information with other local responders to enhance co-ordination;

· Co-operate with other local responders to enhance co-ordination and efficiency;

· Provide advice and assistance to businesses and voluntary organizations about business continuity management.

3.4

The Act requires responders to have in place arrangements to continue to deliver their functions in the event of an emergency `so far as is reasonably practicable'. Responders should concentrate on ensuring they can deliver their critical functions and these should be identified by senior management. The level of delivery may require to be adjusted during an emergency and the investment required must be balanced against the organisations appetite for risk.

3.5

Business Continuity Management provides a strategic framework for improving an organisations resilience to interruption. It is an ongoing process that helps organisations anticipate, prepare for, prevent, respond to and recover from disruptions. It is about maintaining the essential business deliverables of an organisation in an emergency. We should share best practice and develop a Business Continuity Plan to maintain our service delivery, so far as reasonably practicable, in the event of an emergency.

3.6

The Fire Authority must also be proactive and be in a position to provide advice and assistance to businesses and other organisations to help them develop their business continuity arrangements. This should be directly linked to our work within IRMP where we are working to reduce risk in the community.

4

Contribution to Corporate Aims and Objectives

4.1

The disruption caused by a large-scale emergency could have a short, medium and long-term impact on the infrastructure and resources we rely on to deliver our prevention, protection and response services. Business Continuity Management will contribute to achievement of our corporate aims and objectives by ensuring we maintain our capacity and ability to deliver an emergency response to the people of Hampshire in the event of a large-scale emergency.

5.

Business Continuity Management

5.1

In an ideal situation, HFRS would be able to carry on delivering all of our services to the community despite the disruption caused by a large-scale emergency. The reality is that we would need to understand what functions we must continue to deliver immediately and which are less of a priority.

5.2

The Business Continuity Institute (BCI) has developed a five stage process focussed on Business Continuity Management to provide a generic framework applicable across the public, private and voluntary sectors. The five stages are:

1. Understanding your business

2. Business Continuity Management strategies

3. Developing and implementing a response

4. Establishing a `continuity' culture

5. Exercising and plan maintenance

5.3

A Business Continuity Plan is one element and draws together the five aspects to ensure we can continue to deliver our services in the event of an emergency . The plan should have regard to risk assessments of internal and external risks and must include arrangements for exercising the plan to ensure it is workable. The plan must be reviewed and kept up to date. Training must be provided to those responsible for implementing the plan.

6.

HFRS Business Continuity Plan

6.1

There are long standing arrangements for `business continuity' to maintain Control in the event of disruption. These use Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service and a fallback Control at the Castle. We also have individual plans, developed over the last few years, based on events that have threatened our service e.g. Year 2000, Fuel Crisis, Foot and Mouth.

6.2

Initial work has been undertaken by the Contingency Planning department to develop a `first level' BCP focussed purely on the loss of the HQ building. Each function has contributed to the process and has identified the basic requirement for office space, IT systems and have indicated a preferred location.

6.3

This information has been brought together and is contained in the draft document `Business Continuity in an Emergency'. It must be recognised that this work is very limited and has not been based on a full process as identified in 5.4 above. It does however give a platform for HFRS to work from and to develop our BCP into a detailed and effective document. Further work is required to refine this initial work and each team/function must commit to test their element of the plan.

6.4

The attached outline project plan (Appendix A) captures each element of the BCI framework and identifies the activity required to achieve it and an estimated timescale.

6.5

This project plan will build on and develop the work already undertaken by the Contingency Planning Department in producing the plan to relocate headquarters based departments and personnel.

6.6

To kick start the process HFRS have engaged NCC Group of consultants. This will deliver:

· The identification and high level evaluation of existing business continuity arrangements:

o The disaster recovery provisions that exist today

o Other arrangements relevant to business continuity

· A draft high level definition of the key services provided by the service and the key risks to its activities.

· A headline project plan that identifies the key steps towards formulation and implementation of a set of service wide BC plans.

· Delivery of a BC awareness session to SMT members and department heads to ensure consistency of understanding and requirements for the future.

7

Advice and guidance to others

7.1

The guidance states that " firefighters should reinforce the proactive approach to fire prevention by taking forward aspects of business continuity as part of their day to day work".

7.2

TFS Inspecting Officers are working directly with businesses to reduce risk in the premises and improve the safety of the occupants. This provides an ideal link for the service to promote business continuity to the owner/occupiers as part of the advice we provide.

7.3

The development of the Business Education Unit (formerly Commercial Training Unit) will provide further opportunity to work with local business and help them prepare for emergencies.

8

Risk Analysis

8.1

The lack of a formal Business Continuity Plan for the service, and development of the organisation to embrace Business Continuity Management is a strategic risk to the organisation and one that could have significant impacts on our ability to deliver our core functions.

8.2

The Strategic Risk Register identifies `Failure to implement a robust organisational resilience response' as a risk to the organisation. Business Continuity Management will help reduce the impact of this risk and improve the quality of service we deliver.

9

Resource/Financial Implications

9.1

NCC Group have been engaged to carry out the initial analysis within HFRS. Development of the BCP following the analysis will be led by the Contingency Planning Department.

9.2

Development of the BCP requires SMT to commit to test the plan, evaluate its ongoing effectiveness and update it in light of changes. This will require an enhanced level of knowledge within HFRS which will be developed internally but may benefit from external support.

9.3

Once the plan is developed there will be a requirement for each function/team to exercise their element of the plan and maintain its currency. This will have a resource impact across the service which must be committed to by SMT.

10

Equality Impact Assessment

10.1

Failure to have a robust Business Continuity Plan will undermine our effectiveness in delivering our essential services. This may have a differential impact on sections of our community and as policy and procedure is developed it will require Equalities Impact Assessments to be completed. EIA.

10.2

An Initial Screening has been carried out and is attached (Appendix B).

11

Consultation

11.1

The final plan will require consultation with the representative bodies as their members will be affected by changes in working practices and locations in the event of the plan being implemented.

12

Conclusion

12.1

The Civil Contingencies Act 2004 requires all Category 1 Responders to maintain plans to ensure that they can continue to exercise their functions in the event of an emergency, as far as reasonably practicable. It also requires us to provide advice and assistance to businesses and other organisations about Business Continuity Management.

12.2

The commitment of time and resources to develop Business Continuity Management within HFRS will assist in the day-to-day management of the service and improve the quality of the service we deliver. Promoting BCM in the wider context will ultimately benefit our communities and reduce the impact of an emergency when it occurs.

12.3

Business Continuity is one element of the Civil Contingencies Act that the Fire Authority must address. Further papers will be brought to the HFRA as other elements are addressed in the future.

Background Information (Section 100D of Local Government Act 1972)

The following documents disclose the facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and has been relied upon to a material extent in the preparation of the report:

Civil Contingencies Act 2004

Note: The list excludes: (1) published works; and (2) documents that disclose exempt or confidential information defined in the Act.

Ref:

Activity

Commence

Complete

Who?

Notes

1

Initial assessment of HFRS BC capability and awareness

November 2005

January 2006

NCC Group

External consultants

2

SMT/ Department Head initial awareness training

January 2006

NCC Group

Part of initial cost

3

Business Impact Analysis

February 2006

April 2007

Function/ Department Heads

Co-ordinated by Contingency Planning Department

4

SMT Response Plan

December 2005

April 2006

MR/Contingency Planning

5

BC Media Plan

December 2005

March 2006

Laura Small

6

Department Response Plans

February 2006

April 2006

Department Heads

Co-ordinated and supported by Contingency Planning Department

7

Department Recovery Plans

April 2006

July 2006

Department Heads

Co-ordinated and supported by Contingency Planning Department

8

Response Plan Testing

September 2006

December 2006

SMT Department Heads

Co-ordinated and supported by Contingency Planning Department

9

HFRS BC Review

November 2006

March 20007

Contingency Planning / MR

Function/Department

Community Fire Safety/Operations (Support)

Person responsible for the assessment

Mark Rayner

Name of the policy to be addressed

Business Continuity

Date of assessment

7^th October 2005

Is this a new or existing policy

1 Briefly describe the aims, objectives and purpose of the policy.

Development of a robust, practical and tested Business Continuity Plan for Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service to maintain service delivery during and emergency and to meet the requirements of the CC Act.

2 Are there any associated objectives of the policy, please explain.

The identification and high level evaluation of existing business continuity arrangements:

o The disaster recovery provisions that exist today

o Other arrangements relevant to business continuity

Identify a high level definition of the key services provided by the service and the key risks to its activities.

Develop a headline project plan that identifies the key steps towards formulation and implementation of a set of service wide BC plans.

Delivery of a BC awareness session to SMT members and department heads to ensure consistency of understanding and requirements for the future.

3 Who is intended to benefit from the policy and in what way?

Business continuity will benefit the employees of HFRS during an emergency as there will be a proven plan of response and recovery for each department. It will benefit the communities of Hampshire as HFRS will be able to maintain delivery of our key services during an emergency.

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4 What outcomes are wanted from this policy?

Development of a robust, practical and tested Business Continuity Plan for Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service to maintain service delivery during and emergency and to meet the requirements of the CC Act.

5 What factors/forces could contribute/detract from the outcomes?

Requires engagement of all department heads and SMT to ensure success

6 Who are the main stakeholders in relation to the policy?

SMT

Department Heads

7 Who implements the policy and who is responsible for the policy?

Implementation by SDO CFS/Ops (Support)

DCFO Ops/CFS is responsible

8 Are there concerns that the policy could have a differential impact:

- On racial groups?

- Due to gender?

- Due to disability?

- Due to sexual orientation?

- Due to their age?

- Due to their religious belief?

- Due to them having dependants/caring responsibilities?

- Due to them being transgendered or transsexual?

Yes / No - What existing evidence (either presumed or otherwise) do you have for this?

No

No

Yes

No

No

Yes

Yes

No

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9 Could the differential impact identified in 8 amount to there being the potential for adverse impact in this policy?

Yes / No / NA - Please explain

Individuals will be identified as key personnel in the response and recovery plans for departments. This will require them to be available to respond to a workplace and form part of the response/recovery initiatives. This will require any disability to be considered as part of the response plan; could interfere with religious practices; may interfere with their responsibilities for dependants.

10 Can this adverse impact be justified on the grounds of promoting equality of opportunity for one group? Or any other reason.

Yes / No - Please explain for each equality strand, if necessary use a separate piece of paper

All departments will develop response and recovery plans for initiation in the event of an emergency. They will identify alternative locations from which they can operate in the short, medium and long-term. When identifying alternative accommodation full consideration will be given to members of staff with disabilities both for access and equipment.

Key personnel will be required to respond at short notice and will need to consider the potential impacts of this. Suitable allowance can be made during the planning process to identify potential issues and nominate alternative staff.

11 Should the policy proceed to a partial impact assessment?

Yes / No

A Partial Impact Assessment will be completed for each department plan as it is developed. This will identify specific issues which need to be considered.

12 If yes, is there enough evidence of proceed to a full EIA?

Yes / No

13 Date on which partial or full impact assessment to be completed by

N/A

Completing Officer

Name: Mark Rayner

Date: 7^th October

Review Date:

Lead Officer

Name:

Date: