Archived decisions

Hampshire Fire and Rescue Authority Item 14

7 December 2005

Integrated Risk Management Planning - Update

Report of the Chief Officer

Contact: Deputy Chief Fire Officer Alan House - 023 8062 6831

1

Summary

The purpose of this report is to update Members on progress with regard to our 2005 IRMP and the current proposed content of the 2006 IRMP.

2

Recommendations

That Members note the progress being made in respect of IRMP 2005 and the proposals currently out for public consultation that may be included in IRMP 2006.

3

Introduction and Background

3.1

As from April 2003, all Fire and Rescue Authorities were required to produce local Integrated Risk Management Plans (IRMPs) to replace the previous rigid national emergency response standards. The IRMP for Hampshire must now set down our approach to making our communities a safer place to live and work.

3.2

Importantly the IRMP focuses on the risk to life rather than the previous approach of risk to property. The plan has to be flexible, dynamic and suit local needs, embracing all members of the community. It is for each Fire and Rescue Authority to decide what type of calls it will respond to (not just fires), whether these calls are categorised as emergency or non emergency, what resources it will send to calls and set a standard for arriving at any call that is attended. The standard that has been set for Hampshire is to arrive at emergency incidents within 8 minutes on 80% of occasions. Locally this has become known as the "8/80" standard.

3.3

Whilst of course the response to an emergency is important the IRMP has much wider aims. Any response should really be the last resort and the greater emphasis must now be the reduction in the need to respond to any emergency by our involvement in all strategies aimed at having safer communities with fewer emergencies, particularly those leading to death and injury or widespread damage or destruction. The Fire and Rescue Service Act 2004 places a statutory duty on Fire and Rescue Authorities to promote fire safety. This was an important element of updating legislation and reflected the increased emphasis on prevention.

3.4

The Fire and Rescue Service Act 2004 also extends the duties of Fire and Rescue Authorities to include:

- Responding to road traffic accidents.

- Removing chemical, biological or radioactive contaminants from people (using the mass decontamination equipment provided under the Government's Civil Resilience `New Dimension' programme) and capturing any water used to remove such contaminants.

- Incidents involving search and rescue. This would include any terrorist or other incident where there is the potential for persons to be trapped, or where it is necessary to use search and rescue equipment to detect individuals.

- Major flooding incidents where there is a serious threat to human health or welfare. For example, firefighters would be needed to assist in the rescue of people trapped by large floods and their transfer to safety. This excludes smaller and more localised flooding events such as a burst water main and serious transport incidents other than road traffic accidents.

3.5

The Act also requires Authorities to use and maintain any equipment as specified by the Secretary of State. This would include mass decontamination, search and rescue equipment and high volume pumping equipment provided under the Civil Resilience `New Dimension' programme.

3.6

Specifically the IRMP must set out the Fire and Rescue Authority's strategy for:

- Reducing the number and severity of fires, and in collaboration with other agencies, road traffic accidents and other emergency incidents occurring in the area for which it is responsible.

- Reducing the severity of injuries in fires, road traffic accidents and other emergency incidents.

- Reducing the commercial, economic and social impact of fires and other emergency incidents.

- Safeguarding the environment and heritage (both built and natural).

- Providing value for money.

3.7

The IRMP must include the Authority's assessment of local risk to life and, in line with this analysis, how it is going to deploy its resources to tackle these risks and improve the safety of all sections of society. IRMPs should be able to:

- Identify existing and potential risks to the community within the area.

- Evaluate the effectiveness of current preventative and response arrangements.

- Identify opportunities for improvement and determine policies and standards for `Preventing', `Protecting' and `Responding'.

- Determine resource requirements to meet these policies and standards.

3.8

Research shows that those most likely to be at risk from fire are those in the lower socio-economic groups, the elderly, ethnic minorities and families with young children, who are often concentrated in deprived neighbourhoods. For a variety of reasons these groups may be particularly hard to reach with fire safety advice and unable or unwilling to take action in response to an emergency. In many cases this will require innovative methods and as part of the IRMP process joint working with partners in health, social services, housing, education, the voluntary sector and other emergency services.

3.9

Authorities are required to make their IRMPs accessible - to the public, business and other stakeholders - and easy to understand. Consultation with all members of the community must be given high importance and their views should be taken into account. Each year the Authority is expected to produce an annual action plan on which they have fully consulted their local communities, allowing 12 weeks for the consultation.

4

IRMP 2005 - Progress to Date

IRMP 2005 became effective on 1 April 2005 and was given wide public circulation. The main progress points are shown in Appendix 1.

5

IRMP 2006 - Progress to Date

5.1

A number of proposals are currently out for public consultation as per the programme shown in Appendix 2.

5.2

The proposals, some of which are a natural progression from the adopted proposals in IRMP 2005, include the `Hot Topics' are shown in Appendix 3.

5.3

Following the period of consultation the Service Management Team, in conjunction with the Corporate Management Team, will consider fully the feedback from consultees and prepare a final report which will be presented to the HFRA at the meeting on 15 February 2006.

5.4

All comments received at the various consultation meetings have been recorded and collated to enable full consideration to be given to the feedback on each separate proposal.

5.5

Consultation has also included a separate exercise to seek the views of others with regard to the style, artwork and general appearance of what would be circulated as the printed version of IRMP 2006.

6

Contribution to Corporate Aims and Objectives

The IRMP is the central platform for "Making Hampshire Safer" and is the method by which we will achieve our corporate mission, the key aims of which are:

- 20% reduction in fire related deaths by 2010.

- 10% reduction in arson fires by 2010.

- 3% reduction in building fires by 2006.

- 2% transfer of resources from response to prevention/protection by 2006.

- Place HFRA in the top 20% of best performing Fire and Rescue Authorities.

7

European Convention on Human Rights and the Human Rights Act 1998

The proposals within this report are compatible with the provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights and the Human Rights Act 1998 and considered in the light of the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000.

Section 100D - Local Government Act 1972 - Background Papers

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.

(Note: Insert here either the details of the background papers used or type the word `None' if no background papers used - Delete this paragraph)

Note: The list excludes:

(1) Published works

(2) Documents that disclose exempt or confidential information as defined in the Act