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ITEM EX11 - ANNEX 1

EXECUTIVE – 28 OCTOBER 2003

FIRE RISK MANAGEMENT PLANNING IN OXFORDSHIRE

Methodology/Approach

  1. Developing the IRMP will require analysis of key data relating to the inherent and potential fire risk within the County and a determination of the appropriate allocation of resources to control and militate against those risks.

  2. The scale of this initiative requires that the development of the IRMP, creation of the Action Plan for ‘year one’ and establishing and embedding the IRMP Process, be subject to formal Project Management. Accordingly, the IRMP Project has been initiated and accords with the principles of Oxfordshire County Council’s approach to project management.

  3. The methodology for developing the plans adopts the underpinning philosophy of evidence-based change. The process seeks to utilise both quantitative and qualitative data to inform policy development, resource allocation and determine service delivery standards. It will also require a similar quality of evidence to facilitate performance management, monitoring and audit. Identifying the existing risks will consider data relevant to the potential risk and empirical activity data relating to the Brigade’s prevention, protection and emergency response provision.

  4. Data inputs will consider national trends and research and focus on local experience. The data sources available to inform the risk potential will include:

    • Built Environment (including specific heritage considerations);

    • Socio-economic;

    • Demographic;

    • Social and Healthcare;

    • Transport Infrastructures;

    • Social Transience;

    • Crime and Disorder;

    • Environmental hazard assessments; and

    • Major Accident hazard profiles (including terrorist related threats and Civil Contingency planning)

  1. Analysis designed to predict future demand will utilise empirical data from the last three financial years’ service delivery activity. The data will consider the Brigade’s activity in the areas of:

    • Prevention - Community Fire Safety activity

    • Protection - Legislative and non-statutory activity

    • Intervention - Emergency response to fire and non-fire incidents

  1. The data will be compared with national trends and other Brigade’s, within relevant comparator groups, to establish patterns of activity. This management information will be utilised, in conjunction with the potential outputs, as the basis for assessing the County’s overall risk.

  2. The ‘outputs’ from this stage of the process will enable an assessment of the effectiveness of our current arrangements for managing risk. Predictive analysis tools will be applied to this information to assess how our shift of emphasis from ‘intervention’ to ‘prevention’ may impact upon how, current and proposed, resources are allocated. This process will identify where opportunities for improvement exist and those policies and performance standards that need to be created or amended to meet the new approach.

  3. The identified opportunities for improvement will establish resource needs. These needs may vary existing provision or identify additional resource requirements. A quantified risk assessment process will provide robust evidence to support any recommended variation to current resource allocation.

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