Agenda item

The report provided the Panel with an update on the delivery of the Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service Safety Plan (SP), Integrated Risk Management Plan (IRMP).

The Safety Plan was designed to underpin the Staffordshire Commissioners Fire and Rescue Plan and four priorities for the Service had been determined following consultation across Staffordshire in 2020.   It was reported that the plan had been extended to December 2024.

The four priorities outlined in the current Commissioners Fire and Rescue Plan were:

·       A flexible and responsive service

·       Protect people and places

·       Help people most at risk stay safe

·       A fire and rescue service for tomorrow

The plan had been updated and the changes were listed in paragraph 3.6 of the report.  Details on the progress to date was also contained in the report. 

The main issues discussed by the Panel were:

• The three person crewing for on-call staff.  The Commissioner felt that nationally the Fire Unions didn’t generally like the concept of three person crews.  However, locally their members supported it and no safety concerns had been raised.  It was reported by members of the panel that they had heard locally of safety concerns.  The Commissioner explained that the type of incident that the three person crews attended should not be high risk and no safety concerns had been raised locally through the Health and Safety system.  Details of the number and type of incidents was included in the report.  It was reported that the national trend was for crews of three particularly in rural/urban mixed areas such as Staffordshire.   Members felt that was too early to say that staff felt safe as it was a relatively short trail, and many staff had not been call upon to attend as a team of three.  Communication with the public on levels of safety was a message which needed to be considered.  Questions raised by the Panel which could not be answered at the meeting were:
  • How had waiting times been affected?
  • How many times had crews had to wait for back up;
  • detail on the internal focus groups and their remits and findings;
  • Information on the experiences of the local support groups. 

The Commissioner agreed to continue to share information with the Panel on this issue and to answer the questions above in their next report. 

• With regard to the Falls Response Team and the Home from Hospital (HfH) scheme, it was confirmed that full training was provided  to the Falls team and that calls were triaged by the NHS so if there was a  medical need, the call would be attended by NHS staff.  The Commissioner hoped that the HfH service would continue.  It was currently due to run to the end of April 2024 to cover winter pressures.
• Defibrillators were now in all front line fire vehicles.
• The HMICFRS reinspection was currently taking place and would report back in summer.  The Panel felt that the table in the report which tracked actions, would benefit from more detail to explain some of the actions which had not been met and what dates progress was expected by.

The HICFRS report findings and the progress made to address issues raised was noted.  The Panel was reminded that the Commissioners performance meetings with the Chief Fire Officer were public and available on his website.

Resolved: 

a)   That the report be noted.

b)  That more information on the three person crewing for on call staff be reported back to the panel, and include responses the the Panels questions/concerns as listed above.