Delivering through FireFit A strategic overview

Des Prichard

CFOA Director (Human Resources)

HR (Executive) BOARD

Director: Des Director: Des PrichardPrichard

OverviewFuture Legislative Impact

Future Political ImpactJames Dalgleish

Karen Palframan

Employee Recognition and Reward

Pensions

Industrial Relations

Employment Legislation

Pay Flexibility

Locus of Decision Making (National Regional or Local)

Human Resources Practitioners Forum

Cliff Sear

Darran Gunter

Organisational development

National Leadership Programme

National Learning and Development Strategy

Vocational Standards and qualifications

Centre of Excellence

IPDS and Components

Fire Service College

Learning & Development Managers Forum

Chris Enness/Paul Fuller

External Liaison & Marketing the F&RS

National Firefighter Selection Tests

Fitness TestingRetained RecruitmentTransferabilityOccupational HealthDisability Discrimination A

Employee RelationsEmployee Development

Employee Resourcing

Role of FireFit

• Its overall mission is to contribute to the development of Fitness and Health within the Fire & Rescue Service by advancing the practitioner’s perspective.

• The steering group’s mission is to provide a forum to identify, develop, communicate and promote best practice pertaining to fitness related health issues of UK Fire and Rescue Service employees in an effort to maximise the wellbeing and efficiency of the Service.

Celebrating success

Through expertise and partnership:

– Fitness testing – Research and development of good practice

– Pre selection exercise programmes

– Sharing best practice - Occupational Health

– Identification of effective exercise equipment.

– Equality & Diversity agenda – Positive action days

The journey so far

Proposing a physical fitness standard:

– NFST’s– Holistic approach to assessment selection and recruitment – CFOA/FireFit steering group/Professor Sykes

– Communities & Local Government– Equality and Human Rights Commission– Practitioners Forum

Establishing a Strategic Medical & Occupational Health Network

Past opportunities lost through ignorance

• Past medical standards used by the Service have led to blanket prohibitions on recruitment and retention.

• Diabetes• Asthma• Muscular/skeletal injuries• Dyslexia and Dyspraxia • Loss of limbs• Mental health conditions• Visual/hearing impairments• Epilepsy

Changes & challenges

How far can we push these barriers?

– Technological advances – Innovation– Legislation (DDA)– Society– Mindset– Attracting and retaining employees

No more excuses

Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson OBE MBEEleven Olympic gold medals at the Barcelona, Atlanta, Sydney and Athens games. She has also won the London Marathon six times. Tanni successful career in the media, a presenter of the BBC Wales consumer programme X-Ray.

One of the UK's most significant sports ambassadors, being involved in the Sports Council for Wales, the Women's Sports Foundation and the Youth Sports Trust.

Cpl Stuart Hale & Sgt Stuart Pearson British Paratroopers currently serving on the front line in Afghanistan

They also happen to all have a disability

No more excuses

Paul Hayden, Chief Fire Officer HWFRS, said: ”Simon’s return to operational duties has presented a number of unique challenges for the Service, but they were challenges we were determined to meet from the outset.

“ For a service such as ours, with extensive training requirements, retaining an employee who becomes disabled can actually save money, ensuring that we hold on to valuable experience and avoiding the cost of training new people. More importantly for us, our work with Simon has prevented the unnecessary loss of an experienced and valued colleague and will, I trust, provide hope and inspiration for others.”

Simon Hawkins is the first amputee firefighter in Europe. Following a motorcycle accident in 2004, Simon Hawkins, a firefighter with over ten years' service, lost the lower part of his left leg.

Simon Hawkins, Hereford & Worcester FRS

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Drug taking: “18 sailors test positive for cocaine on Royal Navy destroyer used to catch drug smugglers” The crewmen were

caught during routine testing onboard HMS Liverpool, which is currently deployed in the South Atlantic.

HMS Liverpool is armed with guided missiles and a 4.5 inch gun.” Evening Standard 28/08/08

Broader societal issues

Health and Well-being

Obesity: “A firefighter was sacked for being overweight has been reinstated, averting a potential strike by his colleagues. Grampian Fire and Rescue Service dismissed a 46 year old firefighter in June 2008 after his weight reached more than 20st (127kg) and he failed a fitness test.” The Times July 29/08/08

Alcoholism: “A Firefighter faces drunk driving charge. A fireman in western Sweden is facing prosecution after allegedly driving a fire engine into a ditch while heavily under the influence of alcohol. The 35-year-old firefighter was not officially on stand-by when his pager began beeping one evening at the end of August. Driving along the highway with his siren blaring, he drove the vehicle into a ditch at the side of the road. The Local: 18/09/07

FireFit

•FireFit play a key role in offering expert advice and guidance on such issues to CFOA and the wider Fire

Community

•CFOA in turn will continue to influence national stakeholders and drive important debate leading to:

- Positive change and development/publishing of good practice- Effective networking and cross fertilisation- The improvement of fitness and wellbeing of staff

- The removal of artificial barriers to recruitment and retention securing a diverse workforce