fire brigade strategy
DESCRIPTION
Strategy DocumentTRANSCRIPT
County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Authority
CommunitySafety Strategy2011/12 – 2014/15
Safest People, Safest Places
(Incorporating Corporate and IRMP plans)
ContentsPart 1 – Background and Information Page 1
Part 2 – Understanding and Managing the Risks in County Durham and Darlington Page 5
Part 3 – Challenges Facing County Durham and Darlington Fire Authority Page 14
Part 4 – Aligning Resources to Risk Page 16
Part 5 – Our Four Year Plans Page 19
Part 6 – Combined Fire Authority Members Page 28
Part 7 – Organisational Structure Page 30
Part 8 – Consultation on our Plans Page 31
2011/12 Improvement Plan Page 32
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Part 1 - Background and InformationWelcome to County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Authority’s Community Safety Strategy which incorporates the Integrated Risk Management Plan (IRMP).
Councillor Gordon Tennant
Chairman County Durham and
Darlington Fire and Rescue
Authority
Susan Johnson Chief Executive
County Durham and Darlington
Fire and Rescue Service
This strategy sets out how the Authority will work towards its vision of Safest People, Safest Places.
County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Authority has been very successful in reducing the risks that face local people and local businesses.
The Authority has worked with local people, partners and stakeholders to improve it’s prevention services whilst ensuring it responds to emergencies efficiently and effectively.
The next four years are likely to be the most challenging the Fire Authority has faced in recent history. Resources from Government are being reduced significantly whilst risks continue to change. This strategy sets out how County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service will respond to these challenges and how it will change the way services are delivered with the aim of ensuring that reduced financial resources do not result in increases in risk to local communities.
The Fire Authority has produced this strategy to enable local people to see how their fire and rescue service will work with them, and with partners, to ensure that local communities are safe. The strategy includes information on the Authority’s vision, aims and objectives, where it needs to improve and the resources that it has available to deliver its services.
Delivering on our vision of Safest People, Safest Places is the focus of this strategy. For the next four years the Authority has committed to this vision and will work with local people in County Durham and Darlington to make sure that they are safe.
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County Durham and Darlington Fire Authority’s vision is
Safest People, Safest Places
The Authority is focused on managing risks and ensuring that resources are allocated efficiently and effectively to reduce the number of emergency incidents and the associated risk of injury or death in the local area. This Community Safety Strategy also includes the Authority’s Integrated Risk Management Plan (IRMP), which sets out details of the operational risks facing local communities and how the Authority proposes to reduce the risk of injury or harm.
What is the Community Safety Strategy?The Community Safety Strategy is the Authority’s key strategic document that sets out how it will provide its services over the next four years. This Strategy sets out where we want to be and
also includes our Integrated Risk Management Plan proposals for the operational elements of the Service. The Strategy is aligned to achieving our vision of Safest People, Safest Places and includes the following information:
▪ The aims and objectives that will help to deliver the Authority’s vision.
▪ An analysis of risks, including those in local areas and how these are being managed.
▪ How the Authority intends to reduce risks.
▪ Howresourceswillbeprioritised.
▪ Howperformancewill bemeasured,monitored and reported.
Introduction
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Vision, Aims And Objectives Our Strategy on One Page
VISION
AIMS
OBJECTIVES
SAFEST PEOPLE, SAFEST PLACES
PROTECTING AND PREVENTING
DEVELOPING MOTIVATEDPEOPLE TO DELIVER
EFFECTIVELY
VALUE THROUGH SUSTAINABLEIMPROVEMENT
Identify and
Reduce Risks
Respond Effectively
and Competently
DefineandDeliver our Role in the Community
Invest in the skills and
potential of our People
Optimise the
Contribution of our People
Develop an Organisation that is Fit for
Purpose
Deliver Value for Money
All of the work that we undertake as a Fire Authority is targeted at ensuring that our aims and objectives are achieved. Our performance is also measured against our three aims, so that we can see at a glance how well we are doing and where we need to make improvements in specific areas.
The diagram clearly demonstrates how our vision, aims and objectives link together.
Throughout the remainder of this strategy we have identified how our work links to our strategic aims by use of the three symbols. This makes it easier to see how our work is targeted at our aims and where our improvement plans are focused.
To help us pursue our vision, we have three aims which are underpinned by seven objectives.
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The Planning and Performance Framework
We have a number of supporting strategies that provide details of how we will work towards meeting our aims and objectives and ultimately our vision. These strategies focus on ensuring that we have the appropriate people, skills and physical resources in the right place at the right time.
Our annual improvement plans (which are either Station plans or Section plans) provide detailed improvement actions which show exactly what we are doing to improve services on an annual basis.
Our strategies and plans can be accessed from our website at www.ddfire.gov.uk
SAFEST PEOPLE, SAFEST PLACES
COMMUNITY SAFETY STRATEGY
DIRECTORATE STRATEGIES
STATION AND SECTION PLANS
IMP
RO
VEM
EN
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RIS
K A
ND
PER
FOR
MA
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E
MA
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The Planning and Performance Framework
Identifying the risks in our local communitiesThere are a number of factors that need to be considered in assessing risks in local areas. We try to gain as broad an understanding of risk as possible by considering those issues that are likely to have an impact on the safety and wellbeing of residents. The following diagram sets out how we build up a picture of risks in our local communities.
Part 2 - Understandingand Managing the Risks in County Durham and DarlingtonThis section of the Community Safety Strategy provides information on our approach to gathering information on risk. By understanding the risks in our local communities and understanding why they exist, we can allocate our resources as effectively and efficiently as possible and reduce these risks through our prevention and protection work.
UNDERSTANDING THE LOCAL AREA
BEING AWARE OF DEMOGRAPHICS IN
LOCAL AREAS
IDENTIFYING GENERIC RISKS IN OUR COMMUNITIES
WORKING WITH PARTNERS TO UNDERSTAND WIDER
RISKS
IDENTIFYING MORE SPECIFIC RISKS IN OUR
COMMUNITIES
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Understanding the local area
County Durham and Darlington is in the North East of England and covers an area of almost 2,460 square kilometres. Durham City and the larger industrial and commercial towns are in the east of the area; in contrast the west is predominantly rural consisting of open moor land and wooded river valleys and is sparsely populated. Darlington, our largest town, lies in the South and is undergoing significant regeneration.
With good transport networks, the area is accessible by rail via the East-Coast mainline, by road via the A1 (M) and A19 and by air via Newcastle and Durham Tees Valley International Airports.
Over the last twenty-five years the traditional industries, such as coal mining and steel manufacturing, have disappeared and have been replaced by high-tech factories and modern business parks in towns such as Peterlee and Sedgefield.
Further regeneration is taking place in other local areas such as Spennymoor, Bishop Auckland and more recentlywith theHitachi project inNewtonAycliffe.
Tourism plays an important part in the local economy. Key attractions such as the World Heritage site of Durham Cathedral, BeamishMuseum, the North Pennines and the Durham County Cricket Ground at Chester-le-Street attract thousands of visitors each year.
The growing number of business and industrial developments such as NETPark contribute to the local economy and provide new areas of work for local people.
Durham has a world class University, and the students and graduates make a significant contribution to the local area.
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Today, 606,800* people live in County Durham and Darlington, with just under half of these being in work. These population figures, whilst remaining fairly static in recent years, have decreased since the 1970’s in line with the national trend.
The population comprises approximately 51% females and 2.2% ethnic minorities; 21.8% are under 18 and 16.6% are over 65. **
Many parts of the area have housing stock that is sub-standard, falling below accepted decency levels. The area also has poor health statistics and low life expectancies. Economic activity in the area is low – almost 10% lower than the national average and, despite real improvements in recent years, educational attainment is also below the national average. Clearly these factors contribute significantly to the alarming and unacceptable levels of social deprivation observed in our area.
According to national statistics County Durham and Darlington has 12.8% of its areas in the top 10% most deprived; 29.8% in the top 20% most deprived; and 46.5% in the top 30% most deprived.
These factors impact on the risk profile for County Durham and Darlington and, therefore, help us to determine where we need to allocate resources in order to mitigate these risks.
* ONS mid 2009 population estimates** Government Census 2001
Demographics and the Effects of Deprivation
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The Generic Risks in County Durham & Darlington There are a number of risks that face all of our communities. Through our previous experience and our consideration of possible future events, we can build up a picture of these generic risks.
Risk of death, injury or loss from fireA risk that faces all of our communities is that related to fire. One of our main reasons for providing services to our local communities is to mitigate this risk through our prevention and protection services. The degree of risk varies depending on the local area and on the individual people and lifestyles within the local area.
Risk of death or injury from road traffic collisionsWe have a number of major road networks in our local area that present a risk of road traffic collisions, as well as many rural roads which also present a risk. We need to ensure that we mitigate these risks through our protection and prevention services. We have joint protocols in place with partners to deal with any major transport related incidents.
Risk of extreme weatherAn increasing risk relates to extreme weather. This includes risk of death, injury or loss in particular
from flooding. In recent years this risk has increasednationally. Locally we have a number of areas within County Durham and Darlington that have been subject to localised flooding. We have used our national resilience assets (see Resources section of the strategy) to deal with localised flooding in the Derwentside and Durham areas.
Risk of Terrorist ActivityEvents over the last few years both at home and abroad have raised the risk of terrorist activity impacting on our society. The Fire and Rescue Service plays a major role in protecting the community in the event of such an incident.
Pandemic FluOutbreaks of pandemic flu represent a national risk that will impact locally in County Durham and Darlington.Highnumbersofcasesrepresentariskto local people, businesses and the economy.
Industrial IncidentsIndustrial accidents pose a specific risk at individual premises and a wider risk to local communities depending on the type of accident. We provide fire safety advice to local businesses as part of our prevention and protection services and we are equipped to respond to incidents that occur.
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Specific Risks in County Durham & Darlington We are aware that there are different risks that are specific to certain parts of our area. We manage these risks through our District structure which enables us to target our resources based on local knowledge.
Wear and Tees District (Bishop Auckland, Stanhope and Middleton in Teesdale Fire Stations)The Wear and Tees District area is located in the heart of the area covered by County Durham and Darlington. There is a mix of industrial, commercial, residential and rural areas that represent a varied range of risks that need to be managed effectively. This includes a number of large industrial estates, large scale industry, water risks relating specifically to Stanhope and Middleton, a number of important roads and a number of large social housing estates that do not meet modern standards.
Derwentside District (Consett and High Handenhold Fire Stations)The specific risks identified within the Derwentside District area relate to a significant level of low quality housing and a large number of older terraced properties. The area also includes three large hotels and sites of specific interest. Local industry consists of traditional light engineering and more modern service industry sites.
Darlington District (Darlington and Barnard Castle Fire Stations)Darlington is a large market town with a large population. The Darlington area comprises large scale industrial, commercial and residential areas resulting in a broad mix of risks. There are a large number of Houses inMultiple Occupation (HiMO)
and several large housing estates. The A1M motorway passes the outskirts of Darlington and the East-Coast mainline passes through the town and serves a major rail station. Barnard Castle is predominantly rural with small scale residential areas, a hospital, a young offenders prison as well as Bowes Museum, a major heritage site housing many important works of art. The town is also home to a large scale chemical production site.
Easington District (Peterlee, Seaham and Wheatley Hill Fire Stations)The Easington District includes concentrated areas of population and industrial estates in Peterlee and Seaham. A number of industrial sites are located within the District area with their own specific risks and the busy Newcastle to Middlesbrough railway line runs through the area. The A19 road network and a number of rural roads further contribute to the diverse risks within the Easington District area.
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Sedgefield District (Newton Aycliffe, Spennymoor, Sedgefield Fire Stations)The area is comprised of significant industrial risks, particularly in Newton Aycliffe and includes a number of concentrated areas of population. The industrial estate located in Newton Aycliffe area incorporates a number of large industrial, engineering and commercial sites. Communities are served by some of the County’s busiest roads including the A1M and the East-Coast railway line runs through the District area.
Durham and Chester-le-Street District (Durham and Crook Fire Stations)The significant risks managed within this District include the Cathedral heritage site, the University
of Durham as well as three hospitals. There are also three prisons within the area. New local industrial estates have been established consisting of modern retail and manufacturing facilities interspersed with more traditional industries. The River Wear runs through the District area and the busy Durham railway station is an important link on the east coast mainline. The city is also served by the main A1M motorway which runs by the outskirts of Durham.
Further details of the specificrisks in local areas are available from our District plans which are available from our website.
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Within our local communities there are specific groups of people that we know represent a higher than average risk. These higher risk groups are outlined in this part of the strategy.
Specific Fire RisksWe have analysed the people that are most at risk from fire in our local communities.
We work closely with our partners to identify the most vulnerable people and we take action together to reduce these risks.
Specific Road Traffic Collision RisksWe know that young drivers are more likely to be involved in a road traffic collision and suffer harm. People that ride motorbikes and the elderly are also more at risk from a road traffic collision. We work closely with partners on prevention and education activities to attempt to ensure that these drivers are made aware of the risks that they face when they are on the roads in County Durham and Darlington.
Emergency Response StandardsOur published response standards are set out below.
We will attend 70% of all domestic and non domestic building fires within 8 minutes, and 90% within 11 minutes.
We will attend 75% of all road traffic collisions within 11 minutes, and 90% within 15 minutes. We review these standards on a regular basis to ensure that we take account of any changes to risk in local communities. Over the life of the strategy we will need to consider our response standards in light of changing risks and reduced resources. We will consult on any proposed changes to our response standards.
Specific Risk Groups
Targeted Action to Reduce
Risk
Alcohol Dependent
Peoplewho
Smoke
People with No Family
Peoplewho Live
Alone
People with Mental
Health Issues
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Working in Partnership to Understand Risks
We cannot protect our local communities on our own. We have increasing evidence to show that most people who are vulnerable are usually vulnerable across a range of different risks. With this in mind all local authorities have a duty to work with key partners to produce a Sustainable Community Strategy (SCS) to show how they will work together to improve the economic, social and environmental wellbeing of the area. The SCS sets out the shared long-term vision and ambitions for that area and contributes to the priorities that partners and communities believe are important. The strategy does not provide a comprehensive list of everything that is happening to improve the area, rather it sets out key priorities for change for
the long term and how partner agencies will work to deliver those priorities. This is an important document as it shapes the work of all partners in the area and influences how they will use their resources to make improvements for local people. The strategy also shows central government that partners have a clear shared vision for the future of the area and have set clear priorities for action. It encourages businesses to invest in the area and the government to provide additional targeted support.
The Fire and Rescue Service is a trusted partner. We work closely with other public services in County Durham and Darlington to understand the wider risks facing local communities.
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The Combined Fire Authority’s integrated planning process takes account of the SCS’s for both Durham and Darlington local authority areas. Whilst each strategy is different in style, the key themes are broadly similar across both areas. The Fire and Rescue Service comes into contact with many people living in local communities on a day to day basis and has a unique ability and capacity to effect positive and sustainable change across all of the themes, which are:-
Economic prosperityThe focus is on creating a vibrant economy that puts regeneration, economic development and quality of life at the heart of sustainable communities.
Improved aspirations especially for the youngEnabling children and young people to develop and achieve their aspirations, and to maximise their potential in line with the governments Every Child Matters agenda.
Improved healthImproving health and wellbeing for everybody irrespective of social, economic and environmental constraints.
Safer societyCreating of a safer county and borough.
Environmental improvementsEnsuring an attractive and ‘liveable’ local environment, and contributing to tackling global environmental challenges.
These priority themes give a unifying structure as to what partners are seeking to deliver, making it simpler for the people charged with delivery to understand. As an example, we recognise that those people who are vulnerable and most at risk from being killed or seriously injured in a house fire are also those suffering from poor health, living alone or in sub-standard housing and/or are at risk from lifestyle issues such as smoking or alcohol misuse. These complex and often inter-related risk factors cannot be reduced or eliminated by one agency acting alone. The Service has in place a toolkit that has helped us to understand in a high level of detail where, how and when we can make the most meaningful contribution across this broad agenda and is constantly striving to understand and deliver against our broader societal role.
Community Services Department
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Part 3 - Challenges Facing County Durham and
Darlington Fire Authority
Reduced Funding The Fire Authority has received one of the highest levels of grant reduction for financial years 2011/12 and 2012/13. No details of grant settlement have been received for the final two years of this strategy, however we are anticipating significant further reductions in central government grant funding. We have established an approach to reducing our costs through our Service Transformation project, which is focused on implementing savings options that do not impact on service provision at the point of delivery.
The Changing Public Sector LandscapeA number of changes are being made to public service provision across the Country. These changes will impact on the way we interact with our partner agencies. In particular, changes to the structure of the health service including the abolition of primary care trusts will require us to identify new ways of working with our partners.
We have identified the operational risks that direct our protection and prevention work in part 2 of this strategy. The Fire Authority also faces a number of other challenges over the medium to longer term that can impact on how services are delivered. We need to ensure that we have plans in place to meet these challenges to ensure that we can continue to provide effective and efficient services to our local communities.
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Asset Management – Estate ImprovementOur assets are vital to ensuring that we can provide effective and efficient services to local communities. A number of our fire stations need to be modernised to ensure that they are fit for purpose, provide appropriate community facilities in accordance with our protection and prevention work and are places where people want to work from, in order to attract and retain the right staff. We also need to improve our training and development facilities to ensure that we continue to provide our staff with the very best opportunities to hone their skills and ensure they can respond competently.
The EnvironmentWe are aware of our own impact on the environment and of the environmental impact of fire on local communities. During times of reduced funding, we recognise that we will need to be innovative to ensure that our own operations take account of the environment. We work closely with the Environment Agency to ensure the environmental impact from incidents is minimised. Furthermore, by continuing to improve our performance and reduce the number of fires we can positively impact on the environmental consequences of fires.
Organisational DevelopmentThe significant changes to public services and the reduction in available funding means that we need to be an organisation that is lean and efficient. To do this, we need to continually review how we do things and develop improved ways of working. Developing the organisation will be extremely challenging when resources are reducing and will require effective management if we are to ensure the performance improvements we have made in recent years are to be sustained.
PeopleOur people are our greatest asset. Over the life of this strategy we need to ensure that our people are appropriately trained, properly equipped and developed effectively to undertake their roles. We recognise that to deliver effective services to local communities we need to continue to invest in our staff and recognise their potential.
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Part 4 - Aligning Resources to Risk
PeopleOur frontline services are delivered via six District areas; Darlington, Derwentside, Durham, Easington, Sedgefield and Wear and Tees. Placing our operational, community and fire safety staff in local areas enables us to provide a more integrated, cohesive and focused approach to addressing local risks. In addition this improves access to services and advice for local residents and members of our business community. The Authority employs 646 people in total.
Revenue budgetsThe Authority has a revenue budget for 2011/12 of £29.863M. This takes account of a government grant reduction of 9.5%. We have been informed that our grant will also be reduced by a further 2.26% in 2012/13. Beyond this there is no certainty of the grant we will receive, however we are planning for a 25% grant reduction over the four year period covered by this strategy.
The anticipated reduction in resources over the life of this strategy represents a real risk to the continuing provision of services to the standard that local people expect. In order to mitigate this the Authority put in place a Service Transformation project that has identified new ways of working to reduce costs whilst maintaining the same level of service at the point of delivery.
This section of the strategy provides information on our resources, how they are allocated and how we make best use of our resources to ensure that we can effectively manage the risks to our communities.
Staff Numbers
2011/12 2010/11Whole-time Fire- fighters 375 390
Part-time Fire-fighters 168 168
Control Room Staff 26 26
Support Staff 77 100
Medium Term Financial Plan Extract
2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15Budget before savings 31.021 31.525 32.120 32.922
Efficiencysavings -0.281 -0.281 -0.281 -0.281
Service Transformation Savings -0.877 -1.552 -2.555 -2.555Phase 2 Service Transformation Savings 0 0 -1.033 -2.011
Budget Requirement 29.863 29.692 28.251 28.075
Grant Income 13.149 12.852 11.243 10.897
Council Tax 16.714 16.840 17.008 17.178
Total Funding 29.863 29.692 28.251 28.075
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AssetsThe Authority’s main operational assets are its fire stations, appliances and associated equipment. Our assets are located across the Service area to mitigate the risks that our local communities face.
Fire StationsWe have invested in many of our stations to ensure that community facilities are available to the public and our estate improvement programme includes provision to further modernise a number of our stations to include community facilities that can be used to expand our prevention work.
Appliances and Specialist EquipmentWe have a number of specialist vehicles and equipment including two Aerial Ladder Platforms that are used to respond where we need specialist high level rescue capability. We also have a number of special appliances that we use for specific elements of our work including a swift water rescue team located at Bishop Auckland. Tactical response vehicles are located at Durham and Darlington to respond more effectively and efficiently to smaller incidents. These specialist appliances are targeted at helping us to reduce risk and provide us with the capability to provide our response services efficiently and effectively.
We also have a number of national resilience assets including an Incident Response Unit and Mass Decontamination Unit which are an integral part of the Service’s operational response to major chemicalincidents.WehaveaHighVolumePumpwhich is used to respond to incidents of severe flooding locally and nationally and which is also
used to provide large volumes of water to assistwith fire fighting at major incidents. These national resources enhance the Service’s ability to respond and protect local communities in the event of major incidents.
Capital budgetsThe Authority has a capital budget of £3.402M for 2011/12. The Authority’s capital budgets are set to invest in the ongoing replacement of assets such as vehicles and equipment, and, where required, investment in new premises and facilities. The Authority is currently progressing significant estate improvements including new community fire stations, new learning and development facilities and a proposed headquarters facility.
Further information on our assets is available at
www.ddfire.gov.uk
County Durham and Darlington Fire Authority Asset Distribution as at 1 April 2011
Wear and Tees
Derwentside Darlington Sedgefield EasingtonDurham and Chester-le-
Street
TOTAL
Fire Stations 3 2 2 3 3 2 15Appliances 4 4 4 5 5 5 27Arial Ladder Platforms - - 1 - - 1 2Special Appliances 3 2 1 2 2 10Targeted Response - - 1 - - 1 2
Capital Budgets
2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15Estates 1.266 8.841 2.709 1.114Vehicles 1.195 0.473 0.438 0.469Equipment 0.145 0.185 0.093 0.230Information Technology 0.796 0.281 0.105 0.106
TOTAL CAPITAL 3.402 9.780 3.345 1.919
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Measuring our Success
Performance Management and Measurement
Audit, Inspection and Review
Risk Performance Information
Policy & Performance Review Committee
Audit and Finance Committee
HumanResources Committee
Internal Scrutiny of
Performance
Fire Authority Performance Monitoring
Operational Performance Information
Financial Performance Information
Project Management Information
We measure our success through a range of performance information. Our performance is monitored internally through our own processes and we use risk management to divert resources to any areas that we feel are under performing.
We review our performance to ensure that we can fully understand what is working well and where we need to make improvements. Further details of our performance are available from the website at www.ddfire.gov.uk
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Part 5 - Our Four Year Plans
This section of the strategy sets out how we will work towards our aims and objectives to achieve our vision of Safest People, Safest Places. For each individual year of the four year strategy we will publish an annual improvement plan for consultation that includes our IRMP and corporate proposals.
Protection and PreventionOur IRMP protection and prevention plans will focus on ensuring that we keep our communities safe. Our plans will identify and reduce the risks in local communities, ensure that we continue to respond to incidents effectively and competently and work with local people to ensure our contribution to local communities makes a real difference.
Developing Motivated People To Deliver Effectively Our people are our greatest asset and our improvement plans will focus on ensuring that we invest in the skills and potential of all our people. We will consider new ways of helping our people to contribute to the success of our Fire and Rescue Service.
Value Through Sustainable Improvement We face a significant financial challenge over the life of this strategy and our improvement plans will focus on ensuring the Service continues to develop and is fit for purpose. To do this we will identify improvement plans that ensure we provide value for money services to local taxpayers.
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Protection and Prevention
Protecting people and local communities is at the heart of what we do. We work within our local communities to provide local people with community safety advice and information to help them to stay safe. We also enforce legislation which helps to prevent incidents from occurring in the first place.
We need to ensure that we get the balance of our protection and prevention services right. Havingthe right balance helps us to place our resources in the right place at the right time. This can make the difference between life and death.
To get the balance of protection and prevention right we need to ensure that our response services are as effective as possible whilst putting in place tailored community safety education packages that are targeted at our most vulnerable people. We will also enforce fire safety legislation to ensure that the places where people live, work and spend their leisure time are as safe as possible.
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Protection and Prevention
Objective 1 – Identify and Reduce Risks County Durham and Darlington Fire Authority is committed to providing first class services to its local communities and to ensuring that the highest standards of service provision are maintained. To do this we need to ensure that we identify our risks and put resources in place to reduce them.
In the next 4 years we will:▪ Further develop our computer based modeling software to predict future risks ▪ ReviewtheeffectivenessofourCommunityFire Stations
▪ Work with partners to further develop our approach to targeting vulnerable people
▪ Develop protocols for sharing risk information with partners
▪ Review our processes for evaluating our prevention activities
We know we wi l l have beensuccessful if:▪ We improve our knowledge on the risks in local areas
▪ We can demonstrate our Community Fire Stations are helping to reduce risks
▪ Our approach to targeting vulnerable people and specific risk groups results in a reduction in risk to these people
▪ We can demonstrate that the resources we commit to prevention activities are making a difference
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Protection and Prevention
Objective 2 – Respond Effectively and Competently Whilst we are committed to preventing incidents occurring in the first instance, we recognise that we need to be ready to respond when things go wrong. We have a first class response service that is tailored to the risks in our local communities and our staff are trained to the highest standards to ensure that we can get the right people to the right places at the right time.
In the next 4 years we will:▪ Review thewayweprovide response services to ensure they remain efficient and effective
▪ Review our response standards to ensure response resources are allocated to risk
▪ Reviewourapproachtorespondingtosmaller incident types
▪ Develop and implement a new command and control system to mobilise our resources ▪ Review staffing arrangements to ensure they continue to meet the needs of the community
We know we will have been successful if:▪ We can demonstrate that our response services are as efficient and effective as possible taking account of the resources that we have available
▪ Ourresponsestandardscontinuetoreflectthe risks that our local communities face
▪ We can demonstrate that our targeted response vehicle arrangements are effective and efficient
▪ We have a new command, control and mobilising system in place that improves on our existing provision and enables us to respond to incidents efficiently and effectively
▪ We continue to reduce the number of fires and injuries in the community
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Protection and Prevention
Objective 3 – Define and Deliver our Role in the CommunityTo fully realise our role in the community we need local people to understand the services that we can offer, and be in a position to ensure that we can deliver the prevention and protection services that people need. To do this we need to define our role clearly, communicate our role clearly and ensure that our resources are targeted where required.
In the next 4 years we will:▪ Developoursocialmarketingworktotargetour services where they are most needed
▪ Workwith partners and other stakeholders to assist in embedding the Fire Authority’s role in local communities
▪ Establish closer links with community groups to help to improve engagement with local communities
▪ Putinplacestrategiesforworkinginpartnership with the voluntary sector
We know we will have been successful if:▪ Wecandemonstratehowwehavetargetedour services in local communities
▪ Ourroleinlocalcommunitiesisunderstoodand valued
▪ We have a closer working relationship with groups that work within local communities and these relationships are used to help keep local communities safe
▪ Weworkmorecloselywiththevoluntarysector where this adds value to our work
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Developing
Motivated People
Objective 4 – Invest in the skills and potential of our people To ensure that we provide our services effectively, we need to ensure that our staff are appropriately trained and have the right skills to do their jobs to the standards that the public expect. Our people are our greatest assets and we will ensure that we invest in their skills to realise their true potential.
In the next 4 years we will:▪ Ensurewehaveanefficientandeffectiveapproach to staff development
▪ Introduceariskbasedapproachtotrainingand development
▪ Invest in the training facilities available to all our staff
▪ Introduceasuccessionplanningstrategywhich identifies the potential of our staff
▪ Ensuremoretrainingisdeliveredbystation based personnel
We know we will have been successful if:▪ Wehavesimplified,yetrobustsystemsinplace to assess and record competence for all staff
▪ Allofourstaffhavetheskills,knowledgeand understanding to operate successfully ▪ We have provided high quality training facilities for all our staff
▪ Wearedevelopingandpromotingourhighest achievers
▪ Wehavereducedthecostofthecentraltraining provision without reducing the quality of training delivery to our staff
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Developing
Motivated People
Objective 5 – Optimise the Contribution of Our People By maximising the contribution of every member of staff we can build teams to work together to achieve our vision. To do this we need to ensure that we recognise the contributions of our people and put systems and processes in place to help them to work to the best of their ability.
In the next 4 years we will:▪ Introducebusinessprocessimprovementswhich will reduce bureaucracy and increase efficiency and effectiveness
▪ Increase the flexibility of our workforce
▪ Develop a reward and recognition scheme ▪ Provideimprovedworkingenvironmentsforour staff
▪ Develop the health andwellbeing of our staff
▪ Developanorganisationthatempowersstaffto take responsibility and decisions commensurate with their role
We know we will have been successful if:▪ Weimprovedeliveryofservicewithareduced number of staff
▪ Ourstaffunderstandthevaluetheybringtothe organisation and are rewarded for their success
▪ We have working locations which are conducive to modern working practices
▪ We continue to improve the successwe have achieved in reducing absence rates
▪ We have improved staff satisfaction and performance
▪ Weseeanincreaseinstaffretentionrates
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Value Through Sustainable ImprovementObjective 6 – Develop an Organisation that is fit for purposeTo deliver on our vision we need the organisation to be fit for purpose in terms of its governance arrangements and in providing effective and efficient services. Our fire and rescue service needs to be ready for the challenges that lie ahead and the organisation needs to fully understand its financial position and performance to be able to make informed changes to benefit the public.
In the next 4 years we will:▪ Improve the financial reporting and financial management at District level
▪ Develop our asset management and asset tracking capability
▪ Refine our performance monitoring and measuring systems ▪ Implement effective informationmanagement systems to enable staff to work more effectively
▪ Develop our risk management arrangements
▪ Developourevaluationprocedures
We know we wi l l have been successful if:▪ Financial decisions are made at the point of service delivery in each District
▪ The organisation uses all of its assets efficiently and effectively and fully understands how investing in the right assets can assist in delivering better services for the public
▪ Thecostandvalueofassetsisfullyunderstood and considered when making key decisions
▪ Organisational performancemanagement and risk management is used to direct how resources are allocated
▪ Staff are enabled to make decisions and information technology solutions drive more effective working practices and increase efficiency
▪ We can demonstrate that our strategies and plans are effective and making a difference to our performance
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Value Through Sustainable ImprovementObjective 7 – Deliver Value for MoneyOver the next four years we will ensure that everything we do provides value for money to local taxpayers.
In the next 4 years we will:▪ Reviewourcostbasetoidentifywhereweare not competitive with other services
▪ Identify how services are provided and determine where alternative provision offers better value for money
▪ Improve how we share our information with the public
▪ Ensureourprocurementprocessesdriveva lue
▪ Continuewiththeimplementationofourcarbon management reduction programme
We know we wi l l have been successful if:▪ We can demonstrate that our cost base is competitive based on comparisons with other services and taking account of local needs
▪ Ourserviceprovisionrepresentvalueformoney and we have demonstrated this
▪ Informationwe hold is freely available to the public
▪ We procure goods and services that are low cost and meet our needs
▪ We reduce our carbon footprint and demonstrate good practice in carbon management
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Part 6 - Combined Fire Authority Members
Combined Fire Authority Durham County Councillors
Councillor Gordon TennantChair
Labour
Tel: 0191 5864902
CouncillorMicheleHodgsonVice Chair
Labour
Tel: 0191 3725802
Councillor Allan BainbridgeConservative
Tel: 0191 388 2515 or 0191 372 5828
Councillor Alan BellIndependent
Tel: 0191 389 1831 or 07827307818
Councillor Jane BrownLabour
Tel: 0191 3725850
Councillor Colin CarrLabour
Tel: 0191 3725883
Councillor Jean ChaplowLabour
Tel: 0191 3730028
Councillor David FreemanLiberal Democrat
Tel: 0191 373 7485 or 0191 372 5857
Councillor Barbara GrahamLabour
01388 817 873 or 0191 372 5916
Councillor Sarah IvesonLabour
Tel: 01325 319759
Councillor Ossie JohnsonLabour
Tel: 0191 3725871
Councillor Ralph LiddleLiberal Democrat
Tel: 0191 3725889 or 0191 5860665
Councillor George RichardsonConservative
Tel: 0191 3725811
Councillor John RobinsonLabour
Tel: 0191 3725896
Councillor Alan ShieldIndependent
Tel: 0191 3725873
Councillor John ShuttleworthIndependent
Tel: 01388 517298 or 07714324442
Councillor Mamie SimmonsLiberal Democrat
Tel: 0191 3869006
Councillor Les ThomsonLiberal Democrat
Tel: 0191 3861052 or 0191 3725868
Councillor John TurnbullLabour
Tel: 0191 3725822
Councillor Richie YoungIndependent
Tel: 0191 3725872
Councillor Anne WrightLabour
Tel: 0191 3710585
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Combined Fire Authority Durham County Councillors Combined Fire Authority Darlington Borough Councillors
Key Advisors to the Authority
Susan Johnson OBE
Chief ExecutiveFire and Rescue Service
Tel: 0191 3324390
Jeff Garfoot
Treasurer
Tel: 0191 3833675
Colette Longbottom
ClerkandMonitoringOfficer
Tel: 0191 3835699
Councillor Bryan ThistlethwaiteLabour
Tel: 01325 485466
Councillor Ron LewisConservative
Tel: 01325 350259
Councillor Jackie MaddisonLabour
Tel: 01325 253686
Councillor Nick WallisLabour
Tel: 01325 488797
The Combined Fire Authority meets on a regular basis and welcomes attendance from members of the public. For further information visit our website www.ddfire.gov.uk or, alternatively contact the Corporate Planning and Performance Team at FireandRescueServiceHeadquarters(01913324297)
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Part 7 - Organisational Structure
Local District Teams
Organisation StructureCounty Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service is led by a Chief Executive supported by three directors each responsible for a particular function.
District ManagerAdam Hall Telephone: 01325 469128Mobile: 07786027239Email:[email protected]
District ManagerFraser McGuffogTelephone:01207 502912Mobile: 07776226289Email:[email protected]
District ManagerGavin Pallister Telephone: 0191 3324208Mobile: 07786027228Email:[email protected]
District ManagerPaul Knox Telephone: 0191 5863133Mobile: 07796610219Email:[email protected]
District ManagerRobin TurnbullTelephone: 01388 811742Mobile: 07545207195Email:[email protected]
District ManagerAndy Whitehead Telephone: 01388 602643Mobile: 07887635767Email:[email protected]
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Service Leadership TeamThe Service Leadership Team (SLT) comprising of theChiefExecutive,DirectorsandHeadsofServiceprovide the Senior Officer function within the Service. The Combined Fire Authority delegates the effective management of the organisation and its resources to the SLT.
Service Management TeamThe Service Management Team (SMT) comprises HeadsofServiceandSectionHeads.
The SMT has two specific roles:▪ Making policy and strategy recommendations to SLT
▪ Scrutinising performance and holding managers to account for section and station performance
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Part 8 - Consultation on Our Plans
Our Approach to Consultation Our aim is to consult with members of our local communities, businesses, partners and our employees to ensure we continue to meet their changing needs and expectations. It is vitally important to us that we gather and acknowledge views in order for us to further develop and focus our services. We consult on our strategies and annual plans through a series of forums. The consultation process includes ▪ Publicfocusgroups
▪ Employeerepresentatives
▪ Localandregionalbusinessandorganisations
▪ Partnershipagenciesandlocalauthorities
▪ RegionalFire&RescueServices
▪ ElectedMembers
▪ Staffmeetings
▪ Questionnairesfromthisplan
▪ Stakeholdermeetings
Details of the results of our consultation and how to get involved are available onour website at www.ddfire.gov.uk.
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County Durham and Darlington Fire Authority Community Safety Strategy 2011/12 Improvement PlanThis annual improvement plan sets out our proposals for 2011/12. The improvement plan contains details of our priorities for 2011/12 which will help us to achieve our vision of Safest People, Safest Places.
Project 1: Review of Special Appliances We will undertake a review of the way we staff special appliances including examining the opportunities for using retained duty system personnel. We will undertake a feasibility study into this work in 2011/12 to understand the advantages and risks of this approach.
Project 2: Alternative Crewing We will assess the options for introducing alternative crewing arrangements for some of our lower use fire stations. We will undertake a feasibility study into this work in 2011/12 to fully understand the advantages of risks of this approach.
Project 3: Review Response Standards We will undertake a review of the response standards across our area. This will involve reviewing our current performance against our standards and reviewing whether they remain appropriate.
Project 4: Improving Resilience To improve our resilience arrangements, we will take action to ensure that effective business continuity arrangements are in place throughout the organisation.
Project 5: Premises Risk Information Gathering We will change the way we record and manage the collection and management of high risk premises information. We will devolve the work to locally based staff to improve local knowledge and release efficiency savings.
Project 6: Health and Safety Training DeliveryWe will change our approach to delivering health andsafetytraining.Healthandsafetytrainingwillbe mainstreamed into the workloads of the risk team to release efficiencies without impacting on delivery.
Project 7: Embed Equality and Diversity DeliveryAs part of our approach to introducing new ways of working we will mainstream equality and diversity into the workloads of all managers to release efficiencies without impacting on delivery.
Project 8: Restructure Back Office Support We will restructure the provision of administrative and back office services to provide a more integrated service and release efficiencies.
Project 9: Review Shared Service Opportunities We will review our existing shared service provision to ensure that arrangements provide value for money. We will consider the wider opportunities for providing our support services including further collaborative opportunities where these drive efficiency.
Project 10: Review Non Risk Critical Fleet The provision of fleet vehicles will be reviewed to ensure that they are utilised in the most cost effective manner. We will also ensure that the number of vehicles in the fleet is aligned to our new ways of working and revised organisational structure.
Project 11: Review the Estate Improvement Programme We will review our estate improvement programme to consider where we can make efficiencies. This review will include identifying how we can ensure our estate is fit for purpose and meets the needs of local communities and staff.
Project 12: New Ways of Working for Operational Staff As part of the approach to implementing new ways of working we will review and revise the shift patterns and work routines for our operational staff. This will allow us to maximise capacity with no detrimental impact on our response arrangements.
Project 13: Improved Systems for Evaluating and Developing our StaffWe will reduce bureaucracy and increase flexibility in relation to how we train, develop and evaluate our staff. This will release efficiency savings and ensure an effective approach to staff development is implemented.
Project 14: New Systems for Command and ControlAs a result of the cancellation of the national FiReControl project we will undertake a feasibility study into the development and implementation of a new command and control system to ensure we can mobilise our resources effectively and efficiently.
Project 15: Revise the Service Structure We will implement a new service structure which will reduce management costs and focus our resources on delivering on our vision and aims. The new structure will be aligned to the new ways of working which we have identified as part of our Service Transformation project.
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If you would like this information in another format or language, please telephone 0191 3324297
Safest People, Safest Places