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1 |
Summary |
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1.1 |
This report has been compiled in order to inform Members about how the introduction of the automatic fire alarm (AFA) challenge policy, and improvements in performance for the existing false alarm malicious (FAM) policy, implemented by members of the Fire Control team, are successfully reducing the number of unnecessary responses to false alarms. |
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1.2 |
The report also quantifies the amount of cashable and non cashable efficiency savings that have been generated during the 2007/8 financial year and looks at the performance management arrangements in place for delivering further improvements and efficiency savings in the future. |
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2 |
RecommendationError! Bookmark not defined. |
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2.1 |
That Members note the content of this report and in particular how the introduction of the AFA challenge policy, and improvements in performance for the FAM challenge policy are generating significant cashable and non cashable savings, and reducing risk to both HFRS staff and members of the public. |
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3 |
Introduction Error! Bookmark not defined.and Background |
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3.1 |
The FAM challenge policy was introduced by the Fire Control team in 2005 in order to reduce the increasing number of malicious false alarm calls received by HFRS. |
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3.2 |
This policy enables Control Operators to challenge and attempt to screen out and reduce attendances to the obvious malicious calls received by the Service. The policy lays down a clear process for Control Operators to follow in order to ensure it is achieving its aims, and this has been successfully adopted and embedded into the performance management arrangements within Fire Control. |
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3.3 |
It became clear that the policy was successfully reducing attendances to FAM calls and it was decided to replicate the arrangements for calls to automatic fire alarms, another area where HFRS experience a high number of false alarms. This policy was introduced in April 2007. |
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4 |
Current Performance |
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4.1 |
During the 2007/8 financial year, a total of 749 FAM calls were successfully challenged and screened out by Control Operators, an improvement of 177 on 2006/7 statistics. Additionally, during the same period, a total of 1269 AFA calls were successfully challenged and screened out, resulting in an overall reduction of 2018 incidents where we would have otherwise made an attendance. |
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4.2 |
The LGA calculated the average cost of a fire appliance responding to an incident in 2007/8 to be £274. Out of a total of 2018 incidents not attended, 240 originated on retained station grounds resulting in cashable savings of £65,760 being generated through a reduction in turnout and attendance payments to staff. The remaining 1778 calls originated on wholetime station grounds and whilst there are minimal direct cashable savings due to staff already being at work, there are significant efficiency savings through more effective use of staff time amounting to £486,898. |
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4.3 |
It is also important to take account of the hazards posed to both Firefighters and members of the public when a fire appliance is responding to an incident under blue lights. It is important to ensure that where possible powers held by the Service to contravene the Road Traffic Act, including travelling at increased speed, treating red traffic lights as give way signs etc are only used in genuine emergencies. Introduction of the AFA and FAM challenge policy has resulted in a reduction of 2018 emergency responses and a consequential reduction in the hazard posed by the emergency responses. |
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4.4 |
It is important for Control Operators to seek ways of improving their performance in this area for the future, and embedding the call challenge policy into the performance management arrangements within Fire Control should ensure future improvements are realised. |
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5 |
Contribution to Corporate Aims and Objectives |
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5.1 |
The AFA and FAM challenge policies contribute directly to our vision of making Hampshire safer through reducing the risk presented by emergency responses, and indirectly to our Corporate Aims by releasing capacity from non productive areas of activity and enabling them to be used more efficiently elsewhere. |
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6 |
Risk Analysis |
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6.1 |
It has already been mentioned that the introduction of the AFA challenge policy and continued improvement in performance for the FAM challenge policy has resulted in 2018 fewer emergency blue light responses. This is a hazardous activity and by no longer attending we have directly reduced the risk to HFRS crews who would have attended the incident, and members of the public who would have been exposed to a speeding Fire Appliance. |
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7 |
Resource Implications |
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7.1 |
Human Resources |
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There are no additional human resource requirements associated with this report. |
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7.2 |
Physical Resources |
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There are no additional physical resource requirements associated with this report. |
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7.3 |
Information and Communications Technology Resources |
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There are no additional ICT resource requirements associated with this report. |
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7.4 |
Financial Implications The report highlights the amount of cashable and non cashable efficiency savings that have been generated during the 2007/8 financial year through the implementation of the false alarm malicious and automatic fire alarm challenge policies. |
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8 |
Equality Impact Assessment |
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8.1 |
There is no identified adverse impact associated with this report. |
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8.2 |
The proposals within this report are considered compatible with the provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights, the Human Rights Act 1998, and the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000. |
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9 |
Consultation |
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9.1 |
There has been no formal consultation undertaken in the course of preparing this report. |
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10 |
Conclusion |
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10.1 |
The FAM and AFD call challenge policies within Fire Control have enabled Control Operators to screen out a significant number of unwanted calls, and this is realising significant cashable and non-cashable savings whilst simultaneously reducing risk. Effective performance management of these policies in the future should see greater efficiency savings being realised. |
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Background Information (Section 100D of Local Government Act 1972) |
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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: The list excludes: (1) published works; and (2) documents that disclose exempt or confidential information defined in the Act. |
