Issue - meetings

Cabinet Member: Policy Co-ordination

Forward Plan Ref: 2013/109

Contact: Mat Carlile, Business & Improvement Manager Tel: (01865) 855211

Report by Chief Fire Officer (CA8).

The Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004 requires the Secretary of State to prepare a Fire and Rescue National Framework to which Fire Authorities must have regard when discharging their functions. The 2012 Framework requires each Fire and Rescue Authority to produce a publicly available Integrated Risk Management Plan (IRMP). Within Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service (OFRS) we have called this our Community Risk Management Plan (CRMP) to make it more meaningful to the public. This report proposes a number of projects to be included within the Fire Authority’s CRMP for the fiscal year 2014-15.

The proposals in this report were agreed in their entirety by the Delegated Cabinet Member for Policy Coordination, Councillor Louise Chapman, on 9th September 2013.

The proposals were also presented to the Performance Scrutiny Committee on 26^th September 2013.

The agreed proposals within this Action Plan 2014-15 have been subjected to full internal and external consultation for a period of 12 weeks. Cabinet is therefore invited to comment on the proposed Action Plan, consultation responses and management responses to the consultation responses.

The proposals for the 2014 - 2015 Action Plan are as follows:

Project 1:  Implement the Training Collaboration Review carried out in 2013

Project 2:  Review our aerial appliance capability and implement changes to staffing supported by that review

Project 3:  Review of Light Response Vehicle Capability and implement changes to staffing supported by that review

Project 4:  Review of Prevention, Protection and Response Resources to meet the expansion and changing risk profile of Banbury, Bicester, Carterton, Wantage and the South of the County

Our medium term financial plan and supporting business strategy underpin the proposals within our CRMP action plan.

The Cabinet is recommended to accept all the project proposals within this report for adoption in the final version of the CRMP Action Plan 2014-15.

Recommendations agreed.

The Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004 requires the Secretary of State to prepare a Fire and Rescue National Framework to which Fire Authorities must have regard when discharging their functions. The 2012 Framework requires each Fire and Rescue Authority to produce a publicly available Integrated Risk Management Plan (IRMP). Within Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service (OFRS) we have called this our Community Risk Management Plan (CRMP) to make it more meaningful to the public. Cabinet considered a report that proposed a number of projects to be included within the Fire Authority’s CRMP for the fiscal year 2014-15.

The proposals for the 2014 - 2015 Action Plan were as follows:

Project 1:  Implement the Training Collaboration Review carried out in 2013

Project 2:  Review our aerial appliance capability and implement changes to staffing supported by that review

Project 3:  Review of Light Response Vehicle Capability and implement changes to staffing supported by that review

Project 4:  Review of Prevention, Protection and Response Resources to meet the expansion and changing risk profile of Banbury, Bicester, Carterton, Wantage and the South of the County

Councillor Chapman introduced the contents of the report highlighting the four projects and noting that the budget set at full Council included funding for the proposals if approved for implementation.

During discussion Cabinet thanked OFRS for their work during the flooding. They along with others had done a brilliant job. It was an example of how OFRS worked best as a part of the County Council.

Responding to a comment from Councillor Hudspeth, Cabinet was assured that the Thames Valley approach to training would be taken forward. The Chief Fire Officer added that the benefits of the joint approach was seen in the response to the flooding.

Councillor Chapman, responding to a comment from Councillor Hibbert Biles not to forget the rural community, stated that Project 3 would benefit rural areas.

RESOLVED:             to accept all the project proposals within this report for adoption in the final version of the CRMP Action Plan 2014-15.