Issue - meetings

Forward Plan Ref: 2012/003

Contact: Colin Thomas, Deputy Chief Fire Officer Tel: (01865) 855206

Report by Chief Fire Officer (CMDSSC4).

Following the termination of the Department for Communities and Local Government national FiReControl project, Cabinet approved Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service joint working with Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes and Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Authorities to create a Strategic Outline (business) Case for the provision of their collective Fire Control functions.  This examined the feasibility of the creation of a joint "999" call receipt, mobilising and incident management function for Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service and its partners.

In September 2012 both Oxfordshire County Council Cabinet and Royal Berkshire Fire Authority supported the proposal and gave the go ahead to proceed with the programme. Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes Fire Authority chose to pursue another option outside of the Thames Valley Sub-Region.

In the case of either Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes or Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Authorities failing to approve the further progression of the Joint Thames Valley Approach, Cabinet required the Chief Fire Officer to instigate appropriate actions to progress an alternative contingency plan, subject to the approval of the Cabinet Member for Safer & Stronger Communities.

In addition the Cabinet resolution required the Chief Fire Officer to report back to the Cabinet Member for Safer and Stronger Communities on a regular basis concerning:

(a) progress with the joint DCLG bid for the resilience grant funding

(b) progress with Thames Valley partnership working arrangements

(c) progress on the creation of a suitable governance structure

This report identifies the contingency arrangements and gives details of further progress of items a-c above.

The Cabinet Member for Safer and Stronger Communities is RECOMMENDED to:

(a)  approve continued working with RBFRA on a joint programme to create the Outline Business Case for a single Joint Control which will be subject to final approval by the Cabinet in July 2012;

(b)  note the submission of the DCLG joint Bid;

(c)   approve the creation and membership of the Programme Sponsorship Group;

(d)  require the Chief Fire Officer to maintain an alternative contingency plan should DCLG funding not be secured or other unknown issues cause the cessation of the joint approach;

(e)  require the Chief Fire Officer to continue to report back to the Cabinet Member for Safer and Stronger Communities on a regular basis concerning:

(i)     progress with the joint DCLG bid for the resilience grant funding

(ii)   creation of the Outline Business Case

(iii) progress on the creation of a suitable governance structure

The Cabinet Member for Safer and Stronger Communities decided as follows: (amendment in capitals)

(a)  Approved

(b)  Approved

(c)   Approve the creation and membership of the Programme Sponsorship Group AND SET A DATE FOR ITS FIRST MEETING AS SOON AS POSSIBLE ON THE CONCLUSION OF THIS DELEGATED DECISIONS MEETING

(d)  Approved

(e)  Approved