Issue - meetings

Forward Plan Ref: 2021/139

Contact: Rob MacDougall, Director for Community Safety & Chief Fire Officer Tel: 07881 583208

Report by Director for Community Safety & Chief Fire Officer.

The Fire and Rescue Authorities (FRA) collaborate successfully in the operation of a single joint emergency call handling, mobilising and resource management function from a single location at Calcot in Berkshire and a fallback provision to a joint secondary control room in Kidlington in Oxfordshire (together the Thames Valley Fire Control Service). 

The FRAs have statutory responsibilities under sections 7(2)(a); 8(2)(a) and 9(3)(a) of the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004 to secure the provision of personnel to respond to fires, road traffic incidents, and other emergencies; have powers under section 11 of the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004 to respond to other emergencies; and have duties placed on them as Category 1 responders under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 and regulations made pursuant to it (the “Statutory Functions”).

The FRAs recognise that the Covid 19 Pandemic is a national crisis that continues to test the capacity of the Services to protect the public from the impacts of the Covid 19 Pandemic, and acknowledge the risk that its Principal Officers may themselves become incapacitated through illness or the requirements of Covid 19 self-isolation such that such scenarios could compromise the ability of an FRA to discharge its Statutory Functions.

The FRAs therefore wish to enter into arrangements under section 16 of the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004 for the discharge of the Statutory Functions of one FRA by another FRA through their respective cadres of Principal Officer acting as Level 4 Incident Commanders on the terms set out in the legal agreement.

The Cabinet Member for Community Services and Safety is RECOMMENDED to authorise the sealing of the legal agreement which will allow Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue to enter arrangements under section 16 of the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004 for the discharge of the Statutory Functions of one FRA by another FRA through their respective cadres of Principal Officers acting as Level 4 Incident Commanders across the Thames Valley.

Mr Rob MacDougall, Chief Fire Officer presented the item which reported on the successful collaborate operation of a single joint emergency call handling, mobilising and resource management function from a single location at Calcot in Berkshire and a fallback provision to a joint secondary control room in Kidlington in Oxfordshire (together the Thames Valley Fire Control Service).

The FRAs have statutory responsibilities under sections 7(2)(a); 8(2)(a) and 9(3)(a) of the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004 to secure the provision of personnel to respond to fires, road traffic incidents, and other emergencies; have powers under section 11 of the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004 to respond to other emergencies; and have duties placed on them as Category 1 responders under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 and regulations made pursuant to it (the “Statutory Functions”).

The FRAs recognise that the Covid 19 Pandemic is a national crisis that continues to test the capacity of the Services to protect the public from the impacts of the Covid 19 Pandemic and acknowledge the risk that its Principal Officers may themselves become incapacitated through illness or the requirements of Covid 19 self-isolation such that such scenarios could compromise the ability of an FRA to discharge its Statutory Functions.

The FRAs therefore wish to enter into arrangements under section 16 of the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004 for the discharge of the Statutory Functions of one FRA by another FRA through their respective cadres of Principal Officer acting as Level 4 Incident Commanders on the terms set out in the legal agreement.

Councillor Neil Fawcett, Cabinet Member for Community Services and Safety, noted the strong working relationships developed by these collaborative working practices and asked how many principal officers worked across the services.  Mr MacDougall responded that officers work on a level 4 strategic rota, of which there are 5 officers in Oxfordshire and 8 across the remaining counties.