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ITEM CA12
CABINET
– 15 NOVEMBER 2005
OXFORDSHIRE
FIRE COVER REVIEW
Report by
Director for Community Safety & Chief Fire Officer
Introduction
- The purpose of
the report is to provide the Cabinet with the outcomes and recommendations
arising from the West Oxfordshire Fire Cover Review and provide an up-date
and recommendation for the review of Fire Service cover for Oxfordshire
as a whole.
West Oxfordshire
Review
- As part of the
Fire Authority’s Integrated Risk Management Plan for 2004/5, councillors
instructed Oxfordshire Fire & Rescue Service to review fire cover
in the Carterton area in relation to that provided for the whole of
Oxfordshire.
- The Review did
not provide strong evidence supporting the provision of a new fire station
in Carterton. Annex 1 (download as
.doc file) summarises the findings.
- Following the
risk analysis and pending a decision by the Cabinet, a pro-active Community
Fire Safety response has been directed at Carterton. This consists of
targeted campaigns of home risk visits with the siting and fitting of
domestic smoke alarms. To date, firefighters have made over three hundred
home risk visits offering advice and fitting domestic smoke alarms where
appropriate. The initial phase of this work targeted high risk groups
such as lone pensioners and single parent families.
- In addition, partnership
work with Thames Valley Police has
been carried out focusing on home security risk assessments to reduce
the threat of crime against vulnerable groups in Carterton.
Fire Cover
Review for Oxfordshire
- Taking into account
the interrelated nature of providing fire cover across the county it
is necessary to take a holistic view of the issue. It is therefore the
intention to action a formal review of fire cover for Oxfordshire. This
comprises one of the proposed action plans forming the Integrated Risk
Management Plan 2006/7 for the Fire & Rescue Service, which was
agreed for consultation by Cabinet on 18 October 2005.
- The purpose of
the Review is to gather evidence to inform the development of a fifteen
year strategy that will determine the level and spread of Fire &
Rescue resources across the county.
- Informal work
on this Review has already been commenced to scope out the project by
the Fire Service Emergency Cover section within the service.
- The work to date
has evaluated the contribution that each fire station makes in relation
to the reduction of fatality rates due to fires and special services
and to building losses due to fires. Establishment costs and the reduction
of the financial impact on society due to an individual fire station’s
intervention activities also forms part of this initial work.
- Other work yet
to be completed includes a full evaluation relating to the county’s
demographics, potential impact of Community Safety activities, the road
network for Fire & Rescue Service attendance times, response options
and personnel requirements.
- The following
issues will also inform the overall strategic direction of the Service:
- local response
standards agreed by Cabinet on 22 June 2005. The Fire & Rescue
Service’s performance will be measured against these standards. Service
improvement in terms of targeted Community Fire Safety, technical
fire safety or the redeployment of Fire & Rescue operational resources
can be determined.
- the number and
location of wholetime firefighters will need to be assessed against
the analysis of local response standards and activity level predictions
across the county.
- retained firefighters
provide a cost efficient and effective service across the county.
The decline of employment opportunities in rural areas, combined with
more social mobility and family expectations have made the retention
of retained firefighters more difficult. The sustainability of some
retained fire stations over the medium to long term will included
in the assessment.
- The scope of this
review means that a considerable amount of further work will have to
be undertaken and it is anticipated that it could take up to a year
to complete.
- The Cabinet Member
for Community Safety will be kept informed of the progress of the Review.
Once the strategy has been developed and the longer term implications
determined a further paper will be brought to Cabinet.
- Any opportunities
identified in the short term that would improve service delivery to
the communities without impacting on the budget will be discussed with
the Cabinet Member. Any proposals will then be implemented subject to
due consultation with all parties.
Financial
Implications
- Additional Community
Fire Safety activities within Carterton have been managed within budget
to date. Any major redistribution of resources following the strategic
review will inevitably have both capital and revenue implications which
would be subject to cost/benefit analysis.
RECOMMENDATIONS
- The Cabinet
is RECOMMENDED to:
- note
the outcomes of the West Oxfordshire Fire Cover Review and agree
the retention of Burford and Bampton Fire Stations;
- agree
not to provide a fire station in Carterton in the medium term
subject to:
- the
continued viability of Burford and Bampton Fire Stations;
- the
outcomes of future Fire Cover Reviews;
- endorse
the proposals set out in the report for a county wide review
of fire cover.
JOHN
PARRY
Director for
Community Safety & Chief Fire Officer
Background Papers:
Local Response Standards – 22 June 2005
IRMP 2004/5; IRMO 2005/6
Contact
Officer: Deputy Chief Fire Officer Mike Smyth, (Tel: 01865 855205)
25
October 2005
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