Planning Committee
Meeting to be held on 20 November 2023.
Blue Light Collaboration Board Update
Contact for further information: DCFO Steve Healey
Tel: 01772 866802
Executive Summary
This is an update regarding Blue Light Collaboration Board progress since the last paper in July 2023. Recommendation
Planning Committee to note the report.
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Information
This paper provides an update on the progress against the five key workstreams being progressed under the Blue Light Collaboration Board (BLCB). The workstreams are effectively managed through the Strategic and Tactical Collaboration Boards.
Missing Persons (Missing from home)
Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service (LFRS) continues to support Lancashire Constabulary (LanCon) with this successful collaboration and a closure report is now in development for this workstream. There were over 220 police requests into North West Fire Control (NWFC) for our specialist drone team within the last 12 months. Most of these incidents were for missing persons.
The Missing Persons project is being enhanced further with the aim of training teams from several ‘on-call’ stations within Lancashire. The locations are identified from data and analysis which has shown where people are most likely to go missing from home, and where LanCon’s resources are limited. This enables LFRS’ specialist teams to search familiar ground in reduced time and improve the likelihood of a positive outcome. This training develops the knowledge of what is required by LanCon in the management of a missing from home incident including intelligence gathering, record keeping, search areas, and ensuring a crime scene isn’t contaminated.
Training is also planned for the contact centre staff in LanCon to increase their knowledge of LFRS’ search capabilities.
A Memorandum of Understanding has been developed to provide a framework to further support the collaborative use of LFRS and LanCon drones.
Estates and Co-location
This is a long-term workstream which may deliver significant efficiencies and effectiveness where co-location sites are identified.
A set of principles are being developed in relation to co-location sites and a mapping exercise of the current co-location sites and the benefits has commenced.
Blue Light partners are currently reviewing their strategic property asset plans to coordinate the future development plans over the next 5-10 years. The development plans will consider the potential for co-location, and with a view to further developing the integration of services at co-location sites to enhance the shared ethos and principles.
All Blue Light partners are included in the scoping work for the LFRS’ Preston area review.
First Responder
Members will recall that as part of our Annual Service Plan priorities this year, the Service is running a trial involving staff volunteering as community first responders, supporting NWAS. Volunteers respond to life threatening emergencies in their communities from the workplace and administer first aid in the initial vital minutes before NWAS colleagues arrive. This collaboration aims to save lives in Lancashire’s communities.
Phase 1 of the first responder scheme involved 5 non-operational LFRS’ staff from various departments across the Service volunteering to take part in the scheme. At least one life has been saved by LFRS’ volunteers.
Phase 2 has commenced which has enabled our operational staff to volunteer for the scheme. Eight of our Flexible Duty Officers have so far volunteered to be a community first responder and are currently progressing through the onboarding process with NWAS.
Leadership Development
The Learning and Development leads from each of the Blue Light partners are investigating leadership development collaboration opportunities.
An analysis of leadership development is ongoing between the three organisations with the Services currently exploring an additional mentorship programme for command and control.
Command Units
The aim of this project is to establish and deliver additional collaborative uses of the command units in LFRS to support effective multi agency working amongst emergency responders. The key objectives are to improve operational effectiveness and in line with LFRS’ mission; ‘Making Lancashire Safer’.
LFRS’ Command Support Unit (CSU) project was listed in this year’s Service Plan and aims to upgrade not only the vehicles but to take advantage in recent technological advances to support operational incidents. The first new CSU went live on 1st November and is crewed by on-call staff from Carnforth and Bolton-le-Sands fire stations. As part of the agreed capital vehicle replacement project, two larger command units will also be in service by the end of 2023.
It is expected that the initial benefits to be realised will be technological advances that will further develop information sharing and situational awareness aligned to improving and embedding the Joint Emergency Services Interoperability Principles. Further scoping and development will be overseen by the Blue Light Collaboration board to ensure opportunities for joint working are effectively co‑ordinated and delivered.
All collaboration projects within this update are included within existing agreed revenue and capital budgets.
LFRS has reviewed the policy for recharging other organisations and agencies for use of LFRS personnel and equipment at non-statutory incidents. The policy provides decision-makers guidance on how and when charging is appropriate and is aligned to the National Fire Chiefs Council published guidance on recharge costs.
N/a
Equality and Diversity Implications
N/a
Human Resource Implications
N/a
Business Risk Implications
Reputational risk if there is limited evidence regarding the duty to collaborate, as a result of the Policing and Crime Act 2017.
Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985
List of background papers
Paper:
Date:
Contact:
Reason for inclusion in Part 2 if appropriate: N/a