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OFRS Statement of Assurance 2018-19

Meeting: 08/05/2019 - Audit & Governance Committee (Item 39)

39 Oxfordshire Fire And Rescue Service Statement Of Assurance 2018/19 pdf icon PDF 69 KB

15.15

 

Report by the Chief Fire Officer

 

The Fire and Rescue National Framework for England (the Framework) sets out a  requirement for fire and rescue authorities to provide an annual statement of assurance on financial, governance and operational matters and to show how they have due regard to the requirements of the Framework and the expectations set out in authorities’ own integrated risk management plans.

 

To demonstrate this, the Framework requires that each authority must publish an annual statement of assurance.  The Statement of Assurance 2018/19 document is intended to meet the obligation to produce this statement through reference to public webpages, existing reports and documents.

 

The Committee is RECOMMENDED to approve the report.

 

Additional documents:

Decision:

Recommendation agreed.

 

Minutes:

Grahame Mitchell introduced the report.  Officers responded to Members’ questions as follows:

 

·         Personnel specially trained to operate in the ‘warm zone’ in terrorist incidents will be equipped with ballistic protection.

·         Relations with the Fire Brigades Union are very good as both organisations share the same values.  They have been particularly helpful with Health and Safety issues.

·         The service has a duty to investigate the cause of incidents but doesn’t attribute blame.  Follow-up actions are taken when necessary.

·         The service recognises that a lot of buildings are reaching the end of being fit-for-purpose.  Assets are being modelled with a view to creating a 2050 Vision which will involve a stepped approach.  The Chipping Norton building is shared and this may be the way forward in a lot of cases.

 

Members particularly noted the figures on Agenda Page 202 which show how efficient OFRS is when benchmarked against other services in the region.  The Chairman asked that greater publicity be given to this.  Grahame Mitchell noted that the report from the inspectors will be available soon and that will provide an opportunity to promote the service.

 

RESOLVED: to approve the report.