The Home Office published the Government
response to the Fire Reform White Paper consultation on 12 December
2023. The Ministerial Statement set out the Government’s
priorities which include:
•
Introducing a professional College of Fire & Rescue to raise
standards and strengthen leadership.
•
Developing provision for fire chiefs to have operational
independence.
•
Tasking the National Joint Council to review the pay negotiation
mechanism.
•
Taking action to improve integrity and culture in fire and rescue
services through improved training, more open recruitment practices
and working towards a statutory code of ethics for fire and rescue
employees.
Wars, conflicts and political
unrest
Wars, conflicts and political unrest (such as
in Ukraine and Israel) have the potential for further adverse
effects such as:
•
Threat of public disorder both in other countries and the UK
•
Terrorist activity in countries outside of the region involved
which could include the UK
•
Disruption to energy supplies
•
Volatility in gas and oil market prices
•
Disruption to global trade and supplies of commodities such as
fertilisers, wheat etc. leading to shortages and price
inflation
•
Higher demand for some commodities (such as Body Worn Armour) and
price inflation
•
Displacement of populations and potential for refugee flows.
•
Diversion of public resources / funding to enhance national
security, potentially reducing those available for other public
services.
Deprivation is measured across England through
the combined index of multiple deprivation 2019 (IMD 2019) which is
the official measure of relative deprivation for small areas known
as lower-level super output areas (LSOAs) in England.
Since 2015, all of the Lancashire-14
authorities have become relatively more deprived on the IMD rank of
average rank measure, apart from Chorley, West Lancashire and
Ribble Valley. Preston has the greatest percentile change, -6%.
Burnley and Hyndburn are both in the most deprived 10% of the
lower-tier local authorities within England on the IMD rank of
average rank measure, Pendle and Preston are both in the most
deprived 20%. In contrast, Ribble Valley is in the least deprived
20% in England. Blackpool unitary authority is ranked as the most
deprived lower-tier local authority in England on the IMD rank of
average rank measure, plus seven other measures, including income,
health, local concentration and the percentage of people employment
deprived. Blackburn with Darwen is also in the most deprived 10% in
England.
Lancaster joins Burnley, Hyndburn, Pendle and
Preston in the 20% most deprived areas in England for the health
deprivation and disability rank of average rank measure and the
living environment rank of average rank measure.
Increases to mortgage and rental costs, due to
rising interest rates, can lead to higher rates of homelessness and
people living in less safe types of accommodation such as
‘houses in multiple occupation’ (HMOs), with potential
for higher risk to life in the event of fire.
There is also a potential for higher rates of
business failure due to supply chain issues, unsustainable rises in
supply costs, and / or reduced demand due to ‘cost of
living’ pressures on consumers leading to increases in
numbers of empty and derelict premises, with associated fire
risks.
LFRS could also face longer lead times and
higher prices for fire and rescue service vehicles, equipment and
consumables leading to shortages of parts and budgetary
pressures.
A new fuel poverty metric Low Income Low
Energy Efficiency (LILEE) indicator considers a household to be
fuel poor if:
•
it is living in a property with an energy efficiency rating of band
D, E, F or G as determined by the most up-to-date Fuel Poverty
Energy Efficiency Rating (FPEER) Methodology; and
• its disposable income (income after
housing costs (AHC) and energy needs) would be below the poverty
line.
The 2021 fuel poverty statistics indicate that
15.2% of households were fuel poor in the Lancashire-14 area
compared to the national average of 13.1% (an increase from 12.6%
of households in 2018).
Pendle (19.8%), Burnley (19.6%), Hyndburn
(18.6%), Blackburn with Darwen (18.3%) and Blackpool (20.2%) had
the highest proportion of fuel poverty in the Lancashire-14
area. South Ribble (10.0%) and Chorley (11.1%) had the lowest
proportion of fuel poor households.
The latest
population projections, covering the period from 2018 to 2043, for
the Lancashire 14 authority areas show that growth rates across the
county are expected to have distinct differences.
For the
Lancashire-14 area, a 7.2% increase is projected over the 25-year
period, resulting in an expected population total of 1.606 million
by 2043. These increases have been revised up from the previous
projections. Chorley (17.8%), Fylde (16%), Ribble Valley (13.3%)
and Rossendale (12.6%) are predicted increases above the England
average. Blackburn with Darwen (1%), Blackpool (1.6%) and
West Lancashire (3.8%) are predicted the lowest
increases.
When carrying
out further comparisons with predicted population levels by age
group analysis shows that the number of children aged 0 to 15 will
peak in 2022 and then decline. The working age population is
predicted to peak in 2032 and the older population are predicted to
continue to increase. Statistics show that there are significant
increases in predicted population groups over the age of 65 that
become greater still as the age range increases, with more in the
85 and over bracket each year as life expectancy increases over the
period. The old age dependency ratio (number of people on state
pension per 1,000 people of working age), is predicted to increase
in every district over the period of the projection, with Wyre
seeing the largest increase from 489 in 2018 to 630 in
2043.
The growing
number of people aged over 65 and above presents significant
challenges not only for LFRS, but also for our partners as demand
increases for services. To address this LFRS works collaboratively
with partners to identify and support the most vulnerable
individuals within our communities.
The 2021 census
recorded:
•
That across the 14 Lancashire
Districts there were 90,590 (17.2%) of households with an adult
living alone aged 65 or over.
•
17.42% of all households in Fylde
and 17.40% of all households in Wyre had one person in this
age-group, which are amongst the highest rates in England and
Wales.
•
An average life expectancy for males
is 78.5 and for females 82.2 years old.
Living alone
may not necessarily affect an individual’s fire risk;
however, living alone combined with specific demographic
characteristics can do so. Age, mental health, physical wellbeing
and living environments can all play a part in contributing to an
individual’s circumstances for them to be considered at a
higher risk of death or injury caused by fire.
One person
households in the Lancashire-12 area are projected to rise by 17.9%
to 205,038 households, or 34.9% of all households, by 2043,
slightly higher than the England projected average of 33%. Fylde
(39.9%), Preston (38.7%), Hyndburn (37.2%), Burnley (37.7%) and
Pendle (36.7%) are projected to have some of the largest
percentages of one person households in England in 2043. Blackpool
(41.2%), in the Lancashire-14 area, is projected to have the
seventh highest percentage of one person households in England (out
of 326 local authority areas).
In 2016 it was
predicted that between 2016 – 2041 Lancashire’s
dwellings would increase by 7.3% to 674,107. In 2021, the whole
Lancashire-14 area had a total dwelling stock of 692,404 of which
87.3% was owner occupied or privately rented. Lancashire’s
rise in dwellings has already surpassed the 2041 prediction just 6
years after it was made. This poses a risk to Lancashire, not only
by increasing the number of dwellings we attend but this also
impacts planning as the county continues to grow faster than
estimated.
From the 2021 Census, the largest ethnic group
was white (86.6%, a decrease from 90.4% (1.32 million) in the 2011
Census). The black and minority ethnic (BME) group formed 13.5% of
the population (‘Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh’
accounting for 10.4%). Numerically, there were almost 136,756
black and minority ethnic people living in
Lancashire.
In the
Lancashire-14 area in 2021, the ‘White’ ethnic group
had increased by 5,503 people (0.4%) since the 2011 Census, and the
‘Other than white’ ethnicities had risen by 64,754
persons (46.0%).
The number of
usual residents within the ‘Other than white’
ethnicities rose in all of the Lancashire-14 local authority areas
since the 2011 Census. Blackburn with Darwen rose by 15,873 people
(34.9%).and was the greatest increase in the Lancashire-14 area
since the 2011 Census, Preston (up 12,710 people, 45.7%) saw the
next greatest increase, followed by Pendle (up 10,199 people,
56.6%), Burnley (up 5,545 people 50.4%), Hyndburn (up 4,299 people,
43.2%), Lancaster (up 3,833 people, 61.5%) and Blackpool rose by
2,776 people (58.7%). Wyre saw the smallest numerical increase (932
people, 49.1%).
Ribble Valley
(up 88.8%, 1,091 people) and West Lancashire (up 75.6%, 1,574
people) saw the largest percentage increases in the area.
Rossendale (up 27.5%, 1,158 people) recorded the lowest percentage
increase in the area.
In the Lancashire-14 area, the 2021 Census
results show that Blackburn with Darwen, Pendle, and Preston have
the highest proportions of ethnicities ‘Other than
white’ (39.7%, 29.6%, 27.6% respectively), and are above the
proportions for England and Wales (18.5%) and England (19.0%). The
remaining eleven Lancashire-14 local authority areas, including
Blackpool unitary authority, have lower proportions than England
and Wales, with the bottom 3 being Wyre (2.6%), West Lancashire
(3.2%) and Ribble Valley (3.8%).
The health and wellbeing of the people of
Lancashire can be linked to lifestyle and behavioural factors but
can also be linked to a wide variety of social, economic, and
environmental factors such as poverty, deprivation, housing,
environment, or ethnicity. All these factors can heighten the
risk of individuals being more susceptible to requiring assistance
from the emergency services.
The health of
people in Lancashire varies when compared to England. Within the
county there are wide differences between the most and least
deprived areas. Blackpool (53.5 years) has the lowest male Healthy
Life Expectancy (HLE)
in England; Blackburn with Darwen (58.8
years) is also one of the lowest. Both are significantly
worse than England (63.1 years). Blackpool (54.3 years) and
Blackburn with Darwen (59.3 years) also have amongst the lowest HLE
expectancy for females, with Blackpool having the lowest in
England.
When looking at
life expectancy at birth for men, at
a district level, only Ribble Valley (81.0 years) has a
significantly better male Life Expectancy when compared to England
(79.4). Burnley (75.7), Hyndburn (76.6), Preston (76.7), Wyre
(77.8), Rossendale (77.9), Pendle (78.0) and Lancaster (78.5) are
all significantly worse. At district level, the Life
Expectancy for females are significantly worse than England (83.1)
for Burnley (80.3), Preston (80.5), Hyndburn (80.8), Rossendale
(81.2), Pendle (81.5), Chorley (81.9), Lancaster (82.2) and Wyre
(82.3).
The Active Lives Survey (202/22)
estimates that 65.7% of the adult population (18+ years) in
Lancashire-12, 68.4% in Blackburn with Darwen and 72.3% in
Blackpool are classed as overweight or obese, significantly above
the England estimate of 63.5%. Again, national trends indicate an increase overall
in the numbers who are obese or overweight and it is expected the
rates in Lancashire will also rise. Physical activity levels for
adults are also low, although similar to England, and increasing
these can be beneficial for health.
There are issues
across the county around falls, unintentional injuries and hospital
admissions. The highest risk of falls is in those aged 65 and
above, and it is estimated that about 30% of people aged 65 and
above living at home and about 50% of people aged 80 and above
living at home or in residential care will experience an episode of
fall at least once a year. Falls that result in injury can be very
serious - approximately 1 in 20 older people living in the
community experience a fracture or need hospitalisation after a
fall. In the Lancashire-12 area the percentage of the 65+
population predicted to have a fall is projected to increase by 33%
by 2035 and the percentage of these predicted to be admitted to
hospital as a result is projected to increase by 40% by 2035 (from
2020).
The health of
adults in the county is mixed; prevalence and incidence rates for
many long-term conditions varies (although this may be indicative
of effective screening in some districts) and residents in the more
deprived areas of Lancashire
tend to have higher levels of premature and overall mortality from
these conditions.
The national average for people with limiting
long-term illness from the 2011 Census is 8.5%, however Lancashire
is above the national average with 10.3%.
There are issues
around mental health and wellbeing, with residents in the most
deprived areas of Lancashire nearly twice as likely to have mental
health problems compared to those in the least deprived areas. This
includes common mental health issues such as depression and
anxiety, and more severe disorders such as
schizophrenia.
Figures from the Primary Care Dementia Data
show that on 31 March 2023 there were 11,031 known cases of
dementia in the 65+ registered population across the Lancashire-12
area. For Blackburn with Darwen this was 1,077, and Blackpool was
1,453.
Adult social care is an important function of
the county council, particularly with the expected rise in the
older population. There are many factors which can influence
whether an individual accesses social care including living
arrangements and health status. In Lancashire, more people aged
over-65 live alone compared to England and are more likely to have
a limiting long-term illness or disability, requiring adult care
services, a figure which is likely to increase.
The percentage of people aged 16 years and
over and classed as long-term sick or disabled in the 2021 Census
was 4.64% in Lancashire compared to 4.07% as an average in
England.
The most up to date estimates (2016/17)
indicate that there are 9.1 opiate and/or crack cocaine users (per
1,000 of the population aged 15-64) in the Lancashire-12 area, in
line with the England estimate (8.9). Blackburn with Darwen (18.8)
and Blackpool (23.5) both have significantly higher estimated rates
of opiate and/or crack cocaine users.
In the Lancashire-12 area, an estimated 13.4%
of adults (18+) smoke, which is in line with the England estimate
of 12.7% (Annual Population Survey, 2022). Blackburn with Darwen
(19.4%) and Blackpool (18.8%) have a significantly higher estimated
proportion of adult smokers, compared to England.
At a district level, Fylde is significantly
better than England (6.4%) whilst all remaining districts in
Lancashire-12 all are statistically similar to England (the Ribble
Valley value is not published and therefore not comparable).
|
Common factors present during Accidental
Dwelling Fires.
|
The 7 determinants covered during Safe and Well
visits.
|
|
Physical and
mental health
|
Falls
prevention
|
|
Hoarding and
significant clutter
|
Social
isolation
|
|
Substance
misuse and/or alcohol
|
Living with
dementia
|
|
Smoking
|
Diabetes
|
|
Elderly
|
Healthy homes/
winter pressures
|
|
Lone
person
|
Home security/
arson vulnerability
|
|
-
|
Mental
health
|
Modelling shows that there will be a need for
around 6,600 charge points throughout Lancashire by 2030, with an
estimate that there will be over 240,000 EVs in Lancashire by then,
representing 36% of all cars and vans.
Following the growth in the use of lithium-Ion
batteries in vehicles, commercial settings and in domestic
environments, FRSs across the UK have subsequently seen an increase
in attendance at incidents involving this ever-growing list of
applications. Lithium-Ion batteries are, in most cases, a safe and
stable means of providing energy, with charging and discharge
controlled by a battery management system (BMS), which prevents
over charging and associated overheating of the battery.
If the battery overheats because of failure of
the BMS, there is a risk that the temperature will reach a level
where the structure of the battery breaks down and this leads to
thermal runaway, the production of a range of toxic gases, which is
potentially flammable and explosive in nature. Lithium-ion
batteries power many products such as mobile phones and laptops,
but over recent years larger more powerful batteries have evolved
and are now the power source in electric cars.
In the renewable energy environment, energy
generated by solar, wind, biogas and other sources is increasingly
being stored in lithium-ion battery solutions. In the commercial
environment this can be in the form of a battery energy storage
system (BESS) and are a fundamental part of the UK’s move
toward a sustainable energy system.
The installation of BESS systems both in the
UK and around the globe is increasing at an exponential rate. The
county has seen a significant increase in planning applications
submitted to build these sites in both rural and populated areas,
which in turn is requiring significantly more resource within LFRS
to deal with this emerging risk. These sites consist of several
shipping container size battery units which contain a significant
number of lithium batteries within them, the number of these units
on a site in the county range from ten units, to six hundred and
forty-eight at a site in Heysham. A fire at one of these sites in
Merseyside proved to be very challenging with no staff on site, and
extinguishing the fire took several days.
Due to the speed and scale of the introduction
of this technology formalised UK guidance has been scarce on what
fire precautions need to be installed to reduce the fire risk, and
what firefighting facilities are required to enable FRSs to both
extinguish fires and mitigate environmental impacts. In 2023 the
National Fire Chiefs Council produced a guidance document to aid
FRSs in dealing with these sites and the government has changed
planning guidance to advise developers that they should consult
with the FRSs prior to applying for planning permission. However,
this is still a developing technology and guidance will need to
keep a pace with the new technology. Further information on Battery
Energy Storage Systems can be found our
website.
An increasing number of bus fleets within the
county will be changing a large volume of their fleet to being
battery powered vehicles in the coming years, in line with the
government’s green energy agenda. LFRS engaged with Blackpool
Council in 2023 to provide advice on the risks that this type of
vehicle presents to them as an operator and LFRS’ response to
incidents involving them.
In the domestic world, modern solar panels are
increasingly linked to a domestic battery, Domestic Energy Storage
System’s (DESS). DESS systems store energy from domestic
Photo voltaic (Solar) panels for use in the home rather than
feeding back into the National grid. They are becoming increasingly
popular with both new builds and refurbishments. Due to the
cost-of-living crisis, there are increasing cases of
“homemade” DESS systems using second hand Electric
Vehicle Lithium-ion battery packs. These will also be problematic
in the same way as BESS sites and FRS’s will not have any
prior information on the presence of these in houses.
As the proliferation of alternative energy
sources and energy storage increase, we are likely to attend more
incidents involving Lithium-Ion batteries.
The county has recently started to see the
emergence of Hydrogen as an alternative fuel source. In Samlesbury
there are plans for a Hydrogen storage facility to provide fuel for
HGVS and a paper mill in the southern area of the county is
trialling the use of Hydrogen as opposed to Natural gas in its
papermaking process. LFRS are updating the planning guidance letter
and will adapt our guidance and response according to the likely
increase of Hydrogen as a fuel source.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming
increasingly capable of gathering, analysing and making decisions
from real world data, without the need for direct human involvement
in the process. It has a wide range of applications in many
different sectors of the economy and society including various
forms of transportation used on land, water and the air). There is
a potential use in firefighting operations - human controlled
robotic firefighting devices
There is a wide range of infrastructure risk
within Lancashire in addition to the expansive range of transport
networks including reservoirs, dams, and wind turbines.
The Lancashire economy relies strongly on the
motorway network. The M6 runs from north to south, past Lancaster
and Preston. The M55 connects Preston to Blackpool and is 11.5
miles (18.3 km) long. The M65 motorway from Colne, connects
Burnley, Accrington, Blackburn and Preston. The M61 from Preston
via Chorley and the M66 starting 500 metres (0.3 mi) inside the
county boundary near Edenfield, provide links between Lancashire
and Manchester, and the trans-Pennine M62. The M58 crosses the
southernmost part of the county from the M6 near Wigan to Liverpool
via Skelmersdale.
Other major roads include the east–west
A59 between Liverpool in Merseyside and Skipton in North Yorkshire
via Ormskirk, Preston and Clitheroe, and the connecting A565 to
Southport; the A56 from Ramsbottom to Padiham via Haslingden and
from Colne to Skipton; the A585 from Kirkham to Fleetwood; the A666
from the A59 north of Blackburn to Bolton via Darwen; and the A683
from Heysham to Kirkby Lonsdale via Lancaster.
Lancashire is home to 62 railway stations
operating over 200 miles of track. These range from busy commuter
stations such as Preston and Lancaster situated on the West Coast
Mainline, to smaller stations (some unmanned) located in rural
areas. Lancashire is also part host to a heritage rail line, the
East Lancashire Railway, which runs from Rawtenstall on a 12-mile
stretch to Heywood in Greater Manchester.
In addition to the rail network, Lancashire
has an 11-mile tram system that operates from Starr Gate in
Blackpool to Fleetwood in the Wyre district. Part of this network
is a ‘shared space zone’; this is an urban design
approach reducing demarcation between trams, vehicles, and
pedestrians, with some kerbs and traffic signs removed to produce a
more open space.
Lancashire also has three ports, situated in
Heysham, Fleetwood and Glasson Dock. There are also several
other maritime related sites which service leisure craft such as
Preston Docks. The largest port is Heysham which is a deep berth
port capable of handling some of the world’s largest vessels.
It is served by a railway station and the M6 Bay Gateway link road.
The port is a key gateway for Irish Sea trade and is attracting
significant investment including a £10m improvement programme.
Its proximity to gas fields and the world’s largest offshore
wind farm (Walney Extension) has also influenced the type of goods
being handled & services offered.
Lancashire mainly lies within the North West
river basin district (England is covered by 10 'River Basin
Districts') with a very small part near Earby in Pendle district is
in the Humber river basin district. Most water bodies in Lancashire
eventually flow out into the Irish Sea through the estuaries of the
Ribble, Wyre and Lune rivers. Some in the south of the county flow
southwards and join up with tributaries of the Mersey. Only the
water bodies in the Humber river basin district flow eastwards into
Yorkshire and finally merge with the North Sea. The term 'water
body' may refer to a river, lake, reservoir, canal, aquifer, or
inter-tidal part of an estuary. As part of its industrial past,
Lancashire gave rise to an extensive network of canals, which
extend into neighbouring counties. These include the Leeds and
Liverpool Canal, Lancaster Canal, Sankey Canal, Bridgewater Canal,
Rochdale Canal, Ashton Canal and Manchester Ship Canal.
The County is served by a handful of airports
some of which are within the county boundary. Blackpool Airport are
no longer operating domestic or international flights, but it is
still the home of flying schools, private operators and North West
Air Ambulance. There is an operational airfield at Warton near
Preston where there is a major assembly and test facility for BAE
Systems. Manchester Airport is the main airport in the North West
region, with Liverpool John Lennon Airport and Leeds Bradford both
nearby.
There are over 100 registered dams and
reservoirs in Lancashire owned by United Utilities and private
owners. The Civil Contingencies Act 2004 requires category 1
responders such as LFRS to have plans in place to respond to all
emergencies including flooding. Due to the vast amount of water
reservoirs can hold, they have been identified as high risk and so
a multi-agency reservoir plan has been developed.
Additionally, Lancashire currently has 16
onshore windfarms in operation hosting a total of 80 wind turbines.
Wind turbines present an assortment of risks; the remote locations
of many of the turbines can mean that travel time to the areas can
increase the likelihood of fire spread. The height, location and
construction of the turbines can make them prone to lighting
strikes, and as the turbine-supporting tower structure may be over
100m high, if people are trapped rescue operations may prove to be
very difficult.
The impact of climate change is having a
detrimental impact on the frequency and severity of wildfires, this
includes changes in the timing of when wildfires occur and
subsequently the materials that burn. In addition to the late
spring season wildfires, we are starting to see the wildfire season
extend into the summer months, which is having a significant impact
on the ability of LFRS to extinguish wildfires using conventional
methods. Early season wildfires generally involve surface fuels
(e.g., Molinia grasses and heathers) as these are dryer than the
cold, damp materials below the surface, which are generally managed
by conventional wildfire equipment. As wildfires are becoming more
frequent in the summer months these create more challenging
conditions as it is not only the surface fuels that burn but the
sub-surface fuels too.
LFRS continues to invest in the technological
development of our wildfire response capability, and we are working
more closely with private and public sector organisations on
wildfire prevention and response. Our Climate Change Operational
Response Plan (CCORP) aims to reduce the threat to the communities
in Lancashire, improve firefighter safety and reduce the costs and
impact upon LFRS, partners and our communities.
Over the last few years, flooding caused by
extreme rainfall has become a bigger issue in Lancashire and across
the country. Heavy rain has had a devastating impact, this has led
to people needing to leave their homes and seen valuables destroyed
by flood water.
When it rains heavily and for a long period of
time, the drains become overwhelmed by the amount of water –
they overflow and the water on the surface has nowhere to go. Large
puddles can become more of a flood, stretching across whole
streets, pavements and sometimes further beyond that – this
is known as surface water flooding.
Flash floods can occur anywhere and without
warning during and after heavy rainfall, making them much more
difficult to predict. It's inconvenient and likely to cause
disruption on the roads, but when it's more serious it can also
cause damage to homes and businesses.
In the past few years, Lancashire has seen the
emergence of newer forms of construction, using more modern
construction materials. Timber framed buildings is just one form of
construction method that is growing in popularity due to the ease
and speed of construction along with the lower build costs, and
although once completed they adhere to stringent building and fire
safety regulations, they pose several significant risks when in the
construction phase in addition to the economic cost as a result of
fire.
New building materials are being developed
that present better value for money and reliability in terms of
lower maintenance or replacement costs, however some of these poses
significant risk. One such risk that Lancashire has experienced is
the emergence of composite fencing and decking materials (made from
recycled materials including plastic). Although some of these
materials have suitable fire suppression characteristics, some do
not, and it is these that have seen incidents escalate rapidly.
Developments in both building materials and process is against a
backdrop of developing technologies and reducing demand on fossil
fuels. The development of both commercial battery energy storage
systems and domestic energy storage systems are examples of this.
Ongoing work is taking place to identify ways of mitigating the
risk to prevent such significant fires occurring again.
Work continues in relation to high-rise and
high-risk residential premises in the wake of the Grenfell Tower
fire in 2017 along with focus on mid-rise (11-18mtr) premises and
other work to ensure the safety of all commercial properties within
Lancashire. More detailed information about the built environment
risk can be found within our protection and business safety
strategy.
The Act applies to new and existing buildings
above 18m with at least two residents (including care homes and
hospitals above this height). It creates:
•
a universal change in responsibility and culture within the
building industry;
•
puts residents at the heart of safety in buildings;
•
Clarifies who is responsible for Fire and Building Safety
throughout the life cycle of such buildings.
There will also be an additional approvals
process for higher-risk buildings. Changes to liability in relation
to construction of new buildings such that there will be a general
and direct right of action brought into force.
The new regulations require that for all
multi-occupied residential buildings, the following is provided:
Fire Safety instructions, Fire Door Information.
For all residential buildings above 11 metres
in height: The above, plus Fire Doors
For high-rise residential buildings above 18
metres or 7 storeys: All of the above, plus Building Plans,
External Wall Systems, Lifts and other key Fire-fighting Equipment,
Secure Information Boxes, Wayfinding Signage
The Act specifies additional areas which the
responsible person / duty-holder for multi-occupied residential
buildings must consider when managing and reducing risk of fire
within their premises. These are:
•
The structure and external walls of the building including anything
attached to it (e.g. cladding, balconies, windows etc)
•
Entrance doors from the common areas of the building into
individual flats.
We take a risk-based approach to inspecting
businesses to make sure they are complying with fire safety laws.
Targeting the highest risk premises where occupants are at
significant risk of harm if a fire occurs, ensures an effective and
efficient approach. The continuous development of our protection
workforce towards the required levels of competence will strengthen
delivery of our risk-based inspection programme in line with fire
safety changes.
Last year the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels)
Act 2023 was introduced to ensure that the public can continue to
access services that they rely on, during strike action, this
included Fire and Rescue Services. However, the Minimum Service
Levels will be repealed through the Employment Rights Bill.
LFRS will continue to monitor these
developments alongside maintaining robust business continuity
arrangements for staff absence.
By law, fire and rescue services must set a
balanced budget. The only aspect of its funding that the Service
can directly control is the level of council tax that it sets,
sometimes also referred to as the precept.
There are a range of risks and issues that can
affect the resilience, effectiveness and availability of the
Service including: staff inability or reduced ability to work due
to disruption caused by factors such as pandemics, fuel supply
issues, industrial action etc.; impact of employment market
conditions on attraction of new staff, retention of existing staff,
and overall workforce stability (specifically the ratio of
experienced / competent staff to inexperienced staff / staff in
development.)
Building safety related legislation and
regulations have been comprehensively updated in light of the
findings from the Grenfell inquiry. In particular, the roles of
persons responsible for tall and multi-occupancy buildings have
been clarified and extended. In addition, draft legislation known
as ‘Martyn’s Law’ in currently being enacted by
Parliament. This seeks to improve safety and security at publicly
accessible venues with a capacity of 100 or more people. Phase 1 of
the Grenfell Inquiry made 46 recommendations directed at London
Fire Brigade, other fire and rescue services, the emergency
services, Government and owners and managers of residential
buildings. Phase 2 of the Inquiry will possibly also have
additional recommendations for fire and rescue services
The Manchester Arena Inquiry (MAI) led to 50
recommendations directly applicable to fire and rescue services and
a further 24 to multiple agencies including fire and rescue.
The national incident recording system (IRS)
was introduced by the Department for Communities and Local
Government in 2009, with the requirement that all FRSs record
operational data using a standardised data collection mechanism.
This has allowed unprecedented insight and analysis to be carried
out at a national level, as well as presenting FRSs with the
ability to greatly enhance data-led decision making.
During the fifteen years in which IRS has been
in operation, incident levels within LFRS have reduced by 12%,
which equates to approximately 2,453 incidents. This reduction in
activity is evident across most incident types, with false alarms
reducing by 19%, secondary fires by 42% and primary fires, which
are the most significant type of fire, have reduced by 42% within
the same timeframe. However, special service incidents have
doubled, mainly due to the adoption of undertaking gaining entry
incidents on behalf of the ambulance service.
Figure 1: Chart
showing incident types attended in Lancashire since
2014/15
The introduction of IRS has allowed FRSs to
record additional granularity and data on victims at operational
incidents. Within the last fifteen years, injuries at fires have
reduced by 30%, with the number of people receiving first aid and
precautionary checks reducing by 15%. Last year, there were 309
injuries resulting from fire, with 12% requiring a hospital visit.
Unfortunately, last year saw seven fatalities in fires.
A large rise in the recording of victims from
special service incidents has been witnessed over the previous
fifteen years. Recordings of injuries have risen by 63%, with
fatalities rising by 125%. In the past many of these have occurred
in RTCs, now small increases are as a result of providing support
or assistance to other agencies, mainly in affecting entry to
domestic premises on behalf of North West Ambulance Service.
The additional granularity and data recorded
on victims as a result of the introduction of IRS has enabled
greater analysis and insight to be obtained. This has led to the
introduction of more tailored and targeted campaigns and
initiatives through data-led decision making. Of all the accidental
dwelling fires, 53% started in the kitchen last year. Of these
incidents, the most common correlation was the negligent use of a
cooking appliance. Due to this, home fire safety checks and safe
and well visits place an added emphasis on kitchen or cooking
safety.
Figure 2: Chart
showing fatalities and injuries at incidents attended by the Fire
Service over the last ten years.
The below assessment of risk was applied to 32
different incident types which cover the main incident types that
we respond to as a Fire and Rescue Service and covered by National
Operational Guidance (NOG). The purpose of the methodology is to
develop and utilise a reliable model that can be applied equally
across all incident types whilst considering the likelihood,
consequence, and emerging and declining risk. The model uses single
source reliable data (IRS), coupled with sector competent
professional judgement.
Likelihood (risk)
Our likelihood calculation is based upon
incidents historically attended over the previous three calendar
years and the categorisation can be seen below:
Table 1: Likelihood score calculation.
|
Likelihood class
|
Likelihood Score
|
Frequency
|
Frequency definition
|
|
High
|
5
|
365 or
more
|
At least once
per day
|
|
Medium
high
|
4
|
52-364
|
At least once a
week but less than once a day
|
|
Medium
|
3
|
12-51
|
At least once a
month but less than once a week
|
|
Medium
low
|
2
|
1-11
|
At least once a
year but less than once a month
|
|
Low
|
1
|
Less than
1
|
Less than once
a year
|
After the frequency has been calculated a
directional multiplier is applied as to whether the incident type
is emerging or declining and an overall likelihood –
direction score is generated.
The consequence score is derived as the
average score from our seven consequence categories. These scores
have had professional judgement applied from sector competent
persons and each category individually scored from1-5.
Table 2:
Consequence categories
|
Category
|
Definition
|
|
Loss of
life
|
this reflects the loss of life
consequences of an event occurring.
|
|
Injury
|
this reflects the potential
casualties of an event.
|
|
Economic
|
this reflects the economic impact of
an event.
|
|
Environmental
|
the
reflects the environmental damage caused by an event.
|
|
Societal
|
this reflects the impact on societal
function caused by an event.
|
|
Political
|
this reflects the impact of an event
on the image of the service.
|
|
Personnel
|
this reflects the impact of an event
on staff within the service.
|
The total risk score is then calculated as can
be seen below:
Figure 4:
Mapping diagram of the risk assessment methodology detailing the
factors that contribute to calculating an overall risk score for a
given incident type. Some of the factors include: the incident
type; the consequence of the incident occurring; a likelihood
rating; all of which lead to a total risk score for each incident
type.
To support our findings and to deliver our
services effectively we also utilise many other data sources and
tools:
·
National Risk Register (NRR) - The NRR is an assessment of the key
risks that have the potential to cause disruption in the UK.
·
Census - The census in the UK is a count of all people and
households. The latest census in the UK was held on 21 March 2021.
Top level results are now available.
·
Mosaic - Geodemographic segmentation data from Experian that
classifies UK households into different geodemographic groups.
·
Incident Recording System (IRS) - The IRS is an electronic system
for recording data at incidents. The system is operated by the Home
Office and all fire services have a requirement to gather incident
data.
·
Partner agencies - Consultation and working practices are shared
between partner agencies that are linked in some way to our local
risks.
·
Cadcorp SIS and Web Map Layers - Cadcorp SIS is a desktop
geographic information system (GIS) used for spatial data analysis.
Cadcorp Web Map Layers is a web-based GIS used to display spatial
data.
·
Corvu - Corvus is the Service’s primary data extraction,
combination and presentation tool.
·
Community Fire Risk Management Information System (CFRMIS) - CFRMIS
is an electronic information system used to store and manage
business fire safety and community safety data.
·
Local Resilience Forum (LRF) Community Risk Register (CRR) - The
CRR provides information on emergencies that could occur and
provides an assessment of how likely they are to happen and the
impacts if they do.
·
Lancashire Insight - Lancashire specific data portal providing key
statistical data regarding demographics, populous and health
data.
·
District Intelligence Profiles and Plans - These identify risks
that are perceived at a local level and help drive prevention,
protection and response arrangements in localities.
·
Site Specific/ Operational Risk Information - This relates to
information we gain during visits to high-risk premises, and which
is then made available to crews when dealing with incidents.
Due to the extensive and detailed
documentation that underpins the SAoR not all information has been
placed within this document. Should more detailed information be
required it can be made available upon request through Planning,
Performance and Assurance (internal)
or via our
website.
Based on our risk assessment methodology, all
incident categories have been scored. The highest risk incident
types can be seen below. The highest risk incident types have been
recorded within the Community Risk Management Plan (2022-2027)
which highlights our proactive and reactive measure in response to
the risk.
|
Risk Number
|
Incident Type
|
Overall Rating
|
Rank
|
Trend
|
Rank 2023
|
|
1
|
Commercial Property Fires
|
14.10
|
Very High
|
¬
|
1
|
|
2
|
Wildfire
|
13.65
|
Very High
|
¬
|
2
|
|
3
|
Deliberate Building Fires
|
12.70
|
Very High
|
Ÿ
|
5
|
|
4
|
Flooding
|
12.00
|
Very High
|
|
3
|
|
5
|
Accidental Dwelling Fires
|
11.47
|
Very High
|
|
3
|
|
6
|
Road Traffic Collisions
(RTC’s)
|
10.24
|
Very High
|
Ÿ
|
7
|
|
7
|
Rescue from Collapsed Structure/Confined
Space/Other
|
9.97
|
Very High
|
|
5
|
|
8
|
Road Vehicle Fires
|
9.60
|
Very High
|
¬
|
8
|
|
9
|
Hazmat Incident (Major)
|
9.38
|
Very High
|
Ÿ
|
15
|
|
10
|
Assist Other Agencies
|
9.13
|
Very High
|
|
9
|
|
11
|
Industrial Fires
|
9.07
|
Very High
|
|
10
|
|
12
|
Waste Disposal Site Fires
|
8.76
|
Very High
|
|
11
|
|
13
|
High Rise Fires
|
8.70
|
Very High
|
|
12
|
|
14
|
Rescue from Height
|
8.62
|
Very High
|
|
13
|
|
15
|
Hazmat Incident (Minor)
|
8.25
|
High
|
|
14
|
|
16
|
Building Under Construction
Fires
|
7.76
|
High
|
¬
|
16
|
|
17
|
Other Outdoor Fires (Primary)
|
7.75
|
High
|
¬
|
17
|
|
18
|
Removal of Objects from People
|
7.67
|
High
|
¬
|
18
|
|
19
|
Removal of People from Objects
|
7.17
|
High
|
¬
|
19
|
|
20
|
Animal Rescue
|
7.17
|
High
|
¬
|
20
|
|
21
|
Other Transport Fires (Air, Boat,
Train)
|
7.11
|
High
|
¬
|
21
|
|
22
|
Secondary Fires (ASB)
|
7.06
|
High
|
¬
|
22
|
|
23
|
Secondary Fires (Accidental)
|
6.98
|
High
|
¬
|
23
|
|
24
|
Suicide/Attempts
|
6.68
|
High
|
Ÿ
|
25
|
|
25
|
Heritage Fires
|
6.57
|
High
|
Ÿ
|
26
|
|
26
|
Effecting Entry/Exit
|
6.03
|
High
|
|
24
|
|
27
|
Other Transport or Making Safe (Not
Fire)
|
5.78
|
High
|
Ÿ
|
28
|
|
28
|
Lift Release
|
5.71
|
High
|
Ÿ
|
29
|
|
29
|
Rescue from water
|
4.98
|
High
|
|
27
|
|
30
|
Malicious Attacks/Terrorist Incidents
|
4.79
|
Medium
|
¬
|
30
|
|
= 31
|
Rescue from Depth
|
3.84
|
Low
|
¬
|
31
|
|
= 31
|
Rescue from Mud BBBB
|
3.84
|
Low
|
¬
|
32
|
Items within the risk assessment have been
linked in the CRMP outcomes due to similarities in response *1 have
been merged, *2 have been merged, and *3 have been merged.
Overall risk rating percentiles
|
Rating
|
Score
|
Percentile
|
|
Very High
|
> 8.46
|
> 60%
|
|
High
|
8.45 to 5.64
|
40% - 59%
|
|
Medium
|
5.63 to 4.23
|
30% - 39%
|
|
Low
|
< 4.23
|
< 30%
|
Commercial property accounts for roughly 13%
of the value of all buildings across the UK and is worth almost
£900bn, according to the British
Property Federation. Commercial property comprises a
diverse range of property types including office space and retail
establishments, from high street shops to large out-of-town
complexes. It also refers to leisure establishments, such as
restaurants, pubs, hotels, and gyms, and even car parking.
As with most counties throughout England,
Lancashire boasts thousands of commercial premises, all of which
must comply with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order
2005. Fire and rescue services are responsible for enforcing
this legislation and LFRS has a robust inspection programme in
place for those premises deemed to be high risk. Fire inspection
forms the basis of our protection programme designed to reduce the
risk and impact of fire upon communities, businesses, and our
environment, and safeguard firefighters who respond to incidents
involving them.
Over the past five years, we have attended an
average of 242 incidents a year which have involved commercial
premises where the cause has been recorded as accidental or
unknown. This equates to a five-year total of 1,212 incidents.
Non-residential properties accounted for 86%
of the incidents, of which food and drink
establishments accounted for 18%, with retail outlets also with
18%, and industrial manufacturing 15%.
Other residential properties accounted for the
other 14% of the total number of incidents, of which residential
homes accounted for 32%, hotel/motel 30%, and student hall of
residence 15%.
Fires at commercial property types resulted in
2 fatalities, 4 serious injuries and 13 minor injuries over the
previous five years.
|
Risk – Commercial building
fires
|
Rating
|
|
Likelihood
|
Medium
High
|
|
Consequence
|
Low
|
|
Risk score
|
14.10
|
|
Overall assessment
|
Very High
|
The
wildfire season, severity and size of wildfires is increasing in
duration, this could be attributed to climate change and other
factors that have sustained or increased the fuel layer on the
moors such as changes in land management, reduced animal grazing
and competing priorities for moorland management.
Wildfires
have historically occurred in spring and summer months. The spring
fires usually involve surface fine fuel fires such as Molina
grass/heather that have been dried out by the wind, sun, and frost.
The fires that occur are also supported by a blanket of dead
vegetation on the moors from the previous year. These types of
fires can spread rapidly over large geographic areas.
The summer
fires are caused by prolonged periods of drought conditions due to
low rainfall and high temperatures. Ground fuel fires that occur in
large and remote geographic areas where water sources are not
readily available can be extremely resource intensive, require
support from partner agencies and be difficult to extinguish due to
being deep seated below ground. These types of incidents require
vast quantities of water far in excess of what conventional
fire-fighting appliances can deliver.
We know that wildfires can start for many
reasons, such as mishandled campfires or barbecues, malicious
activity such as deliberate fire setting, infrastructure incidents
such as sparks from electricity lines or rail transport, and
natural phenomena such as lightning (although this is rare). Hot,
dry and windy weather are ideal conditions for wildfires to start
and spread.
Over the previous five years, we attended 592
wildfire incidents which is an average of 118 incidents a year. 80%
of the incidents only involved 1 pump. 44% of all the wildfire
incidents were deliberate, including some large-scale, multi-pump
incidents attended by LFRS.
|
Risk - Wildfire
|
Rating
|
|
Likelihood
|
Medium
High
|
|
Consequence
|
Moderate
|
|
Risk score
|
13.65
|
|
Overall assessment
|
Very High
|
Inevitably, when thinking of deliberate fires,
the term arson is often used. This is the act of using fire to
destroy or damage any property belonging to another. However, there
are many different reasons why individuals or groups display
fire-setting behaviour, from curiosity to anti-social behaviour, to
mental health issues. The term ‘deliberate fire
setting’ covers a wider proportion of scenarios.
Regardless of the reason, a deliberate fire
can cause significant damage to property, communities, the economy
and in the worst-case scenarios cause injury or death. Using our
IRS and Geographical Information Systems (GIS) LFRS can scan for
trends in anti–social and deliberate fire setting. By doing
this, areas can be quickly identified through emerging trends,
meaning prevention activities can be planned and undertaken, often
with our partners. Activities can include anything from removal of
rubbish to increased youth engagement activities, all with an aim
to reduce the incidence of deliberate fires and help our partners
build stronger more sustainable communities.
Over the previous five years, we have attended
an average of 225 deliberate building fires a year. Non-residential
buildings accounted for 50% of the fires with public admin,
security and safety properties being targeted the most (26% of the
non-residential fires). Deliberate dwelling fires accounted for 44%
of the total incidents with houses of single occupancy taking a 52%
share of these incidents.
Deliberate building fires have been
responsible for 8 fatalities, 12 serious injuries and 21 minor
injuries over the last five years.
|
Risk – Deliberate building
fires
|
Rating
|
|
Likelihood
|
Medium
High
|
|
Consequence
|
Moderate
|
|
Risk score
|
12.70
|
|
Overall assessment
|
Very High
|
Whilst LFRS has no statutory duty to provide
emergency response to water or flooding events, as a category 1
responder the Service is bound by the Civil Contingencies Act 2004
to have plans in place to respond to all emergencies. Through close
consultation and collaboration with our partners and the LRF, a
Multi-Agency Flood Plan has been developed which outlines the
agreed coordinated multi agency response should a flooding event
occur in the Lancashire area. This plan has been identified as an
essential requirement as it has been recognised through the LRF
Community Risk Register that there are approximately 65,000
properties at high or very high risk from flooding within
Lancashire. The average cost of flooding to a home is around
£30,000 and to a business £82,000. The effects on mental
health can last for months and even years. Environmental impacts
include pollution, harm to livestock and wildlife, and destruction
of habitats. Disruption to power supplies and transport
networks is a risk and in the most severe cases, floods can cause
injury and death.
Due to the diverse nature of the Lancashire
landscape, our communities can be at risk from coastal / tidal
flooding, river flooding (fluvial), surface water (pluvial) and
reservoir flooding, albeit the likelihood of these events occurring
varies from 1 in 5 years to 1 in 1000 years.
In the last five years, LFRS has responded to
212 flooding related incidents relating to high tides, rising river
levels or surface water. This equates to 42 incidents of this type
a year. Domestic dwellings were affected at 71% of these
incidents. Rossendale has been the most affected (14% of the
incidents), mainly due to the surface water and rising river
levels.
|
Risk - Flooding
|
Rating
|
|
Likelihood
|
Medium
|
|
Consequence
|
Significant
|
|
Risk score
|
12.00
|
|
Overall assessment
|
Very High
|
Dwelling fires are those occurring in
buildings that are normally occupied, typically houses, flats and
bungalows. Fires of this nature can also result in both physical
and mental harm and the injuries sustained could be fatal. As well
as the human cost associated with dwelling fires, there is a
significant economic burden associated with property damage.
LFRS continues to provide a community fire safety service to the
residents of Lancashire, where smoke alarms can be fitted, and home
fire safety advice tailored to individual households as part of a
Safe and Well visit. Reduction activity is carried out by community
fire safety staff alongside operational personnel in conjunction
with local and national campaigns.
Over the previous five years, we have attended
an average of 799 incidents a year of this type. Single
occupancy houses accounted for 63% of all accidental dwelling
fires. Followed by purpose built flats with 12% and
self-contained sheltered housing 8%.
Blackpool district experienced the highest
number of ADF’s followed by Lancaster then Preston. Ribble
Valley has seen the lowest number of ADF’s over the last five
years. 35% of the total number of ADF’s were caused by 18-64
year olds with 22% caused by the elderly (65+). The biggest cause
of ADF’s are cooking appliance related, followed by
spread from a secondary
fire and smoking related.
|
Risk – Accidental dwelling
fires
|
Rating
|
|
Likelihood
|
High
|
|
Consequence
|
High
|
|
Risk score
|
11.47
|
|
Overall assessment
|
Very High
|
Nationally, RTC’s are the most
frequently attended non-fire incident by Fire and Rescue
Services. LFRS has a statutory duty to provide an emergency
response to RTC’s. Whilst we are not the lead agency for road
safety prevention work (this falls to Lancashire County Council and
Unitary Authorities), we do recognise the importance of road safety
prevention work in mitigating collisions and the devastating
effects that road traffic collisions can have on individuals and
communities. We are part of the Lancashire Road Safety
Partnership.
The area covered by LFRS is large and includes
5 motorways, over 700 km’s of 'A' roads and a significantly
high number of rural roads. Statistics have shown that car
occupants are the most likely to be killed in an RTC, followed by
pedestrians, motorcyclists and cyclists. Children aged under
15 are most likely to be involved in RTC’s as
pedestrians.
Over the previous five years, LFRS have
attended an average of 634 incidents of this type a year, which
accounts for 15% of all Special Service calls. There has been 57
fatalities and 420 serious injuries from RTC’s attended by
LFRS over the last five years, that involved either the extrication
of trapped individuals or making the vehicle(s) safe. Other types
of work undertaken by operational crews at RTC’s have
included making the scene safe, offering medical assistance only
and the release of individuals where there was no requirement for
an extrication to take place.
|
Risk – Road traffic collisions
|
Rating
|
|
Likelihood
|
High
|
|
Consequence
|
Minor
|
|
Risk score
|
10.24
|
|
Overall assessment
|
Very High
|
Incidents
occurring in confined spaces and within/around collapsed or
unstable structures are some of the most complex areas that fire
and rescue services work in and include both geological and manmade
structures.
Fire and rescue
services frequently attend incidents that involve a combination of
these contexts, where danger to operational crews and the public is
significant. LFRS aims to promote and develop good practice and
support the development of safe systems of work to minimise
the dangers faced in these
environments.
Over the previous five years, we have attended
an average of 86 incidents a year of this type, attending 432
incidents in total. LFRS attended 59 incidents involving somebody
trapped in or under machinery or another object e.g., hopper,
conveyor, crusher. Thirteen incidents from a collapsed structure,
and 9 incidents involved a rescue from a confined space. Due to the
nature of this incident type, there have been 10 fatalities, 36
serious injuries and 36 minor injuries.
|
Risk – Rescue collapsed structure/confined
space
|
Rating
|
|
Likelihood
|
Medium
High
|
|
Consequence
|
Minor
|
|
Risk score
|
9.97
|
|
Overall assessment
|
Very High
|
The road vehicle fires dataset covers primary
fires attended by LFRS that involved any vehicle designed for road
use. Fires in derelict road vehicles are only included if they are
considered to be a primary fire (i.e., the fire involved a
fatality, casualty or rescue, or the fire was attended by five or
more pumping appliances).
Every year in the UK, thousands of road
vehicles are involved in fire and unfortunately people die as a
result. Around half of these fires are started deliberately to
cover criminal activity, to make a fraudulent insurance claim or as
an act of vandalism. One in 12 reported stolen vehicles will be
burnt out. Many other vehicle fires break out because of a fault or
simply due to a lack of basic maintenance. The financial loss of
having a car fire is bad enough and although insurance may
compensate for this, nothing can help with the shock and
inconvenience that follow even a small fire.
Over the previous five years we have attended
an average of 478 incidents a year involving road vehicle fires.
This equates to 2392 in total, with 59% involving cars, 12% vans
and 10% motorcycles, with 41% of the fires being
deliberate.
The district of Preston experienced the most
road vehicle fires, and 44% are deliberate. There were
casualties from this incident type with 6 fatalities, 8 people
sustaining serious injuries over the last five years, and 9 people
with minor injuries.
|
Risk – Road vehicle fires
|
Rating
|
|
Likelihood
|
High
|
|
Consequence
|
Limited
|
|
Risk score
|
9.60
|
|
Overall assessment
|
Very High
|
There are several pieces of
legislation that place a duty on LFRS to protect lives, property
and the environment from the damaging effects of hazardous
materials. We work very closely with partner organisations,
particularly the Environment Agency, to try to reduce the impact
caused by hazardous materials. Dangerous hazardous materials are
regularly transported through the Service area via rail or road.
There are several other associated risks from hazardous materials,
with some examples being COMAH sites and a multitude of other
industrial sites, farms (especially in some of the more rural
locations), waste sites and water treatment plants. There are also
several high-pressure natural gas transmission pipelines crossing
the region. This hazard arises from the high pressure and the
possibility of fire and explosion from a release if one of the pipelines failed or
sustained damage.
LFRS have categorised a hazmat
incident to be major if four or more pumping appliances
attended. Over the previous five years, we have attended a total of
21 incidents of this type resulting in four people
sustaining slight
injuries.
|
Risk – Hazmat incident (Major)
|
Rating
|
|
Likelihood
|
Medium
Low
|
|
Consequence
|
Significant
|
|
Risk score
|
9.38
|
|
Overall assessment
|
High
|
LFRS, Lancashire Constabulary and North West
Ambulance Service (NWAS) have entered a Memorandum of Understanding
(MOU) which provides the agreement for LFRS to replace Lancashire
Constabulary as the supporting agency for NWAS. This refers to
instances where it is necessary to assist NWAS to gain entry to a
property to provide patient care. This incident type primarily
relates to calls where there is concern for the welfare of a
patient inside premises and NWAS cannot gain access. NWAS staff on
scene will request assistance to gain entry.
Over the previous five years we have
attended an average of 1,317 incidents a year where we have
assisted other agencies. Of the 6,583 incidents attended, 80% were
assistance to the Police/Ambulance-. LFRS also attended 581
incidents to assist NWAS with a bariatric patient. Unfortunately,
to the nature of this incident type, there were 296 fatalities, 890
serious injuries and 1,053 minor injuries dealt with by both LFRS
and NWAS.
|
Risk – Assist other agencies
|
Rating
|
|
Likelihood
|
High
|
|
Consequence
|
Limited
|
|
Risk score
|
9.13
|
|
Overall assessment
|
Very High
|
Industrial incidents can take a wide variety
of forms, and their potential impact on our communities varies
considerably in both scale and nature. In some cases, these
incidents will have very limited impacts beyond the immediate area
and can be dealt with locally, although others can have cascading
effects that may impact the wider community. Within our Service
area, there are 8 Top tier COMAH (Control of Major Accident Hazards
Regulations 1999) sites and several Lower tier sites covered by the
Dangerous Substances (Notification and Marking of Sites)
Regulations 1990 (NAMOS). These businesses are required to take all
necessary measures to prevent major accidents involving dangerous
substances to limit the consequences to people and the environment
of any major accidents that do occur.
There are several industrial estates in our
area that pose risks because of the diverse range of manufacturing
and/or processes undertaken by the businesses that occupy the
premises at these sites. The experienced level of demand remains
relatively low at these premises due to many sites being
well-protected from the risk of fire and other incidents. The
significant level of prevention activity that we undertake as an
FRS helps to ensure this level of protection remains high.
Over the previous five years, we attended an
average of 43 industrial based incidents a year. Of the 217
incidents attended, manufacturing accounted for 77% and processing
23%, with fires within engineering premises and factories
accounting for 50% of the overall total.
|
Risk – Industrial fires
|
Rating
|
|
Likelihood
|
Medium
|
|
Consequence
|
Moderate
|
|
Risk score
|
9.07
|
|
Overall assessment
|
Very High
|
Waste disposal sites nationally are recognised
as being susceptible to fires, whether accidental or through
negligence. Such fires are an increasingly growing risk and have
the potential to impact upon resources and local communities for a
significant period.
As well as the health risk to the residents of
Lancashire, and firefighters dealing with this type of incident,
waste disposal site fires also place a strain on partner agencies
such as the Police, Environment Agency, public health, local
authorities and the site owners.
There are several waste disposal and recycling
centres across the Service area, including a mix of local
authority-owned and privately-owned sites. The local
authority-owned sites are often regulated by regulatory bodies such
as the Environment Agency, while the private sites are regularly
managed through unclear management structures.
For this document, ‘waste disposal site
fires’ are defined as primary fires where a recycling or
refuse structure has been affected.
Over the previous five years, we attended an
average of 18 waste disposal site fires a year, equating to a total
of 90, of which 70% (63) involved a refuse/rubbish tip with the
remaining 30% (27) involving industrial processing.
|
Risk – Waste disposal site
fires
|
Rating
|
|
Likelihood
|
Medium
|
|
Consequence
|
Minor
|
|
Risk score
|
8.76
|
|
Overall assessment
|
Very High
|
LFRS regard any building that has six floors
(ground + 5 floors above) as a high-rise building. Buildings of
this size present many challenges to FRSs in the event of a fire.
To successfully deal with an incident in a high-rise building,
realistic training is essential along with gathering and storing
risk information, educating the occupants and enforcing any
breaches of legislation. We have identified high rise properties
that have cladding that could promote external fire spread and put
measures in place to ensure an appropriate, risk-based attendance
is sent upon receipt of information that there is a confirmed fire
in one of these buildings. There are 46 high rise buildings in
Lancashire, ranging from domestic accommodation to hospitals, car
parks to entertainment venues, hotels to education.
Over the previous five years, we attended an
average of 2 fires a year involving high rise buildings. Of the 11
incidents attended in total, 8 were accidental fires. Domestic
dwellings accounted for 73% of the incidents and Student Halls of
residence 18%. Car Parks accounted for 9% of the non-residential
high-rise fires.
Despite the fears of rapid fire growth
following the Grenfell tragedy, none of these incidents resulted in
the fire spreading beyond the floor of origin.
|
Risk – High Rise fires
|
Rating
|
|
Likelihood
|
Medium
Low
|
|
Consequence
|
Significant
|
|
Risk score
|
8.70
|
|
Overall assessment
|
Very High
|
Nationally, FRS respond to a wide range of
incidents at height involving a variety of environments, such as
industry, buildings/dwellings (including buildings under
construction) and natural environments (such as steep ground, rock
faces). Locally, LFRS covers a wide geographical area, including
coastlines to the west, and fells and dales to the north. We
respond to incidents where people are stranded in inaccessible
locations without specially trained rope rescue equipment, and
where there is a high level of risk. Every wholetime firefighter in
LFRS is trained to carry out a rescue using a rope pack and
associated equipment, backed up by specialist teams from Chorley,
or Bamber Bridge.
Over the previous five years, we attended an
average of 63 rescues from height incidents a year. This equates to
313 incidents in total. Of these, 35% involved non-residential
buildings, 27% involved domestic dwellings and 31% involved the
outdoors, including rescues from trees and equipment in parks. This
incident type saw 12 serious injuries and 28 minor injuries.
|
Risk – Rescue from height
|
Rating
|
|
Likelihood
|
Medium
High
|
|
Consequence
|
Limited
|
|
Risk score
|
8.62
|
|
Overall assessment
|
Very High
|
LFRS have categorised a
hazmat incident to be minor if less than four pumping
appliances attended. Over the previous five years, we have attended
an average of 87 incidents of this type a year. Of the 433
incidents attended, eight resulted in fatalities and there were
fourteen serious injuries sustained. 66% of the incidents occurred
in a domestic dwelling environment, whilst others included outdoors
and road vehicles. 63% of the incidents involved a gas release.
|
Risk – Hazmat incident (Minor)
|
Rating
|
|
Likelihood
|
Medium
High
|
|
Consequence
|
Limited
|
|
Risk score
|
8.25
|
|
Overall assessment
|
High
|
When dealing
with any fire in buildings under construction or demolition,
whatever its size or complexity, they pose risks to FRS personnel.
There is often a presumption that construction, demolition or
building work complies with relevant regulations. This may not
always be the case and if work is unregulated or in direct
contravention of regulations, this could have a significant impact
on the incident and firefighter safety.
Some small
construction sites or buildings undergoing building work may be
unknown to fire and rescue services, making pre-planning difficult.
Sites known to fire and rescue services may alter significantly
throughout the life of the project such as changes to access and
egress, hazardous material storage, layout and fire protection
features. Information obtained from site visits and inspections
should be regularly reviewed, updated and communicated to relevant
fire and rescue service personnel.
Existing
buildings may contain hazardous substances that are associated with
either the previous use of the building or building materials. This
could include substances such as asbestos, which may not have been
highlighted in a survey. If disturbed during building work or
firefighting, asbestos presents a significant risk to health.
Although sites should be well-secured, using high fencing,
hoardings, or other security measures, these may be compromised
allowing the public to gain unauthorised access.
LFRS has
invested time and money in identifying risks associated with
buildings under construction by assembling a built environment
assessment team.
Over the previous five years, we attended 76
incidents involving buildings under construction. This averages out
at 15 incidents of this type a year. Single occupancy dwellings
accounted for 41% of the incidents.
|
Risk – Building under construction
fires
|
Rating
|
|
Likelihood
|
Medium
|
|
Consequence
|
Minor
|
|
Risk score
|
7.76
|
|
Overall assessment
|
High
|
Other outdoor fires are fires in either
primary outdoor locations, or fires in non-primary outdoor
locations that have casualties, or five or more pumping appliances
attending. Outdoor primary locations include outdoor
structures such as post or telephone boxes, bridges, tunnels
etc.
Over the previous five years, we have attended
353 incidents of this type, with an average of 71 incidents a year.
58% of these incidents were recorded as accidental. 230 incidents
(65%) involved outdoor structures and 69 incidents (20%) involved
outdoor equipment and machinery. Unfortunately, there were two
fatalities over the last five years, along with 9 serious injuries
and 11 slight injuries.
|
Risk – Other outdoor fires
(primary)
|
Rating
|
|
Likelihood
|
Medium
High
|
|
Consequence
|
Limited
|
|
Risk score
|
7.75
|
|
Overall assessment
|
High
|
People often get stuck, some very seriously
and sometimes through no fault of their own. Fire and rescue
services log call-outs in a number of categories, including
‘removal of people from objects’ and the rather more
wince-inducing ‘removal of objects from people’.
Quite often, these incidents are as simple as removing a ring from
a finger, however sometimes over-confidence is to blame, having
been spurred on by other people and showing off, resulting in
people getting stuck in objects that take FRS’s a little more
time and resources to successfully deal with.
Removal of people from objects
Over the previous five years, we have attended
an average of 71 incidents a year involving the removal of people
from objects. Of the 353 incidents attended, 67% involved a trapped
limb, with the other 33% being recorded as ‘other’. 42%
of these incidents occurred in the domestic dwelling
environment.
Removal of objects from people
Over the previous five years, we have attended
404 incidents of this type. This equates to an average of 81
incidents a year. Ring removal accounted for 74% of these incidents
with other incidents attended including impalements, handcuff
removal and removal of other objects such as railings.
|
Risk – Removal of objects from
people
|
Rating
|
|
Likelihood
|
Medium
High
|
|
Consequence
|
Limited
|
|
Risk score
|
7.67
|
|
Overall assessment
|
High
|
|
Risk – Removal of people from
objects
|
Rating
|
|
Likelihood
|
Medium
High
|
|
Consequence
|
Limited
|
|
Risk score
|
7.17
|
|
Overall assessment
|
High
|
For many years, firefighters have responded to
a variety of incidents involving pets, livestock, and wild animals.
Animals in distress can pose a potentially serious risk to the
public, staff from other agencies and firefighters. There is also
an element of risk of members of the public suffering serious
injury should they decide to attempt an animal rescue themselves.
As Lancashire has large rural areas as well as densely populated
areas, LFRS inevitably responds to incidents where a range of
animals are in distress. We therefore have a range of resources
available to deal with this risk, including six specialist animal
rescue trained stations based at strategic locations across the
county.
Over the previous five years, we attended an
average of 181 animal rescues per year, equating to 905 incidents
in total. Incidents involving trapped animals accounted for 44% of
the total, with the majority involving domestic animals. 26% of
animal rescues involved a rescue from height with the majority
involving domestic animals. We attended 153 incidents (17%)
involving rescues of animals from water or mud with over half of
these involving livestock.
|
Risk – Animal rescue
|
Rating
|
|
Likelihood
|
Medium
High
|
|
Consequence
|
Limited
|
|
Risk score
|
7.17
|
|
Overall assessment
|
High
|
Although air is one of the safest modes of
transport, incidents relating to air travel are still present
across the UK, with many occurrences related to smaller aircraft
such as microlights and gliders. Within Lancashire, to the far west
of the county, sits Blackpool airport, where the risk of an air
transport fire is high due to the amount of traffic utilising the
airport.
Lancashire has over 120 km’s of
coastline, several rivers, lakes, reservoirs, canals and other
water bodies that have the potential to have boats of varying sizes
being used for business and pleasure purposes.
Incidents on the railways can also pose
significant risks and potential danger to the community. The west
coast main line dissects Lancashire, with trains running between
Edinburgh and London stopping at Preston. There are also a few
other local lines in operation, all of which pose their own unique
levels of hazards and risks.
Over the previous five years, we have attended
an average of 4 incidents a year involving vehicles other than
those that are road based. Of the 20 incidents that occurred over
the five year period, 10 were accidental and 10 were deliberate.
One incident involved a military aircraft, 2 incidents involved
trains/trams, with the remainder (17) involving boats.
|
Risk – Other transport fires (Air, Boat,
Train)
|
Rating
|
|
Likelihood
|
Medium
Low
|
|
Consequence
|
Moderate
|
|
Risk score
|
7.11
|
|
Overall assessment
|
High
|
This type of incident incorporates fires with
no casualties, rescues or valuable property loss. These
include outdoor fires, derelict property and derelict vehicle
fires. Outdoor fires may involve grass, refuse, wheelie bins and
straw.
Although there may be less damage incurred by
secondary fires than primary fires, and these incident types
generally occur outdoors, not involving people or property, the
impact of deliberate secondary fires on LFRS is substantial.
Secondary fires are one of the biggest burdens placed on our
resources.
Over the previous five years, we have attended
an average of 1,561deliberate secondary fires a year, equating to
7,803 in total. Of these, 68% involved rubbish, in the form of
either loose refuse, a skip, a small refuse container or a wheelie
bin. Over 50% of the total number of incidents occurred in the
districts of Preston, Burnley, Blackpool or Blackburn with
Darwen.
Over the same five-year period, we have
attended an average of 1,616accidental secondary fires a year,
equating to 8,082 in total. Over half of these incidents occurred
in the five districts of Blackburn with Darwen, Preston, Blackpool,
Burnley and Lancaster. As with deliberate secondary fires these
mainly involved refuse.
|
Risk – Secondary fires (ASB)
|
Rating
|
|
Likelihood
|
High
|
|
Consequence
|
Limited
|
|
Risk score
|
7.06
|
|
Overall assessment
|
High
|
|
|
|
|
Risk – Secondary fires
(accidental)
|
Rating
|
|
Likelihood
|
High
|
|
Consequence
|
Limited
|
|
Risk score
|
6.98
|
|
Overall assessment
|
High
|
Across England,
fire and rescue services responded to a record number of suicides
or suicide attempts – the ninth successive yearly increase
nationwide. Suicide and suicide attempts can have lasting effects
on individuals, their social networks and communities and the
emergency responders attending.
Over the previous five years, we have attended
211 suicides or suicide attempts. This is an average of 42
incidents of this type a year. The districts of Preston (18%) and
Blackpool (15%) had the highest number of incidents. Incident
recording shows that we attended 164 incidents where there was a
threat of/attempted suicide and 47 incidents of suicide. 44%
of the total number of incidents occurred within a domestic
residence.
|
Risk – Suicide or suicide
attempts
|
Rating
|
|
Likelihood
|
Medium
|
|
Consequence
|
Limited
|
|
Risk score
|
6.68
|
|
Overall assessment
|
High
|
Heritage
buildings or their contents may be of economic or cultural
importance. These buildings present unique hazards, having been
built in a period with no fire safety regulations, using
traditional materials and construction methods. Utilities and
associated protection measures are unlikely to meet current
standards. Wiring may have deteriorated, and circuits can have no
isolation point, or isolation may not control all
circuits.
Heritage
buildings that are open to the public or have had recent
alterations may have been modified to meet current regulations.
During a building’s lifetime, it may have been altered or
extended, using different materials and methods which can cause the
structure to behave in unexpected ways. In older properties,
internal studded walls may support part of the weight of the
property. It is common for heritage buildings to have mezzanine
floors, basements, tunnels, and attics.
The materials
and design of heritage buildings can increase the expected rate of
fire growth and spread. Fire spread may travel in hidden voids,
behind facades and in cavities to unexpected sections of the
building. Vaults and ducts can cause unchecked fire spread
underfoot. Lack of compartmentation can cause fires to spread to
additional rooms. Fire spread may also occur between properties
where shared roof spaces or voids exist.
Over the previous five years, we have attended
41incidents where there has been a fire within a 50-metre radius of
a heritage property. This is an average of 8 incidents of this type
a year.
|
Risk – Heritage fires
|
Rating
|
|
Likelihood
|
Medium
Low
|
|
Consequence
|
Moderate
|
|
Risk score
|
6.57
|
|
Overall assessment
|
High
|
The fire service is the ‘go to’
service when people need to get in to, or out of a building or
vehicle in an emergency. Incident types range from getting access
to a house because somebody is in distress, children locked in
their bedroom along with animals locked in cars.
Over the previous five years, we have attended
an average of 281 incidents a year of this type, totalling 1,406.
Of these incidents, 53% involved LFRS effecting entry/exit to a
dwelling due to somebody being in distress, being a child or, a
medical case. Children in vehicles accounted for 14% of the
incidents. Over this five-year period, this incident type has
resulted in 16 fatalities, 63 serious injuries and 80 slight
injuries to members of the public.
Risk – Effecting entry/exit
|
Rating
|
|
Likelihood
|
Medium
High
|
|
Consequence
|
Limited
|
|
Risk score
|
6.03
|
|
Overall assessment
|
High
|
This incident type is split in to two
categories, ‘making safe (not RTC)’ and ‘other
transport incident’. Attendance at these incidents could be
following a request from other emergency services or through the
999 call route. Incidents in these categories include cordoning
off, body retrieval and stabilising an unsafe structure as well as
making the scene safe, releasing a person and making a vehicle
safe.
Over the previous five years, we have attended
an average of 190 incidents a year of this type, totalling
949. Of the 949 incidents attended, 86% have resulted in LFRS
making the scene safe, with 47% of these incidents requiring us to
stabilise, or otherwise make safe an unsafe structure. The majority
of these have been in a domestic environment however, numerous
incidents involved retail, food and drink establishments and
outdoor structures. This incident type has resulted in 15
fatalities, 7 serious injuries and 27 minor injuries.
|
Risk – Other transport or making safe (not
fire)
|
Rating
|
|
Likelihood
|
Medium
High
|
|
Consequence
|
Limited
|
|
Risk score
|
5.78
|
|
Overall assessment
|
High
|
Fire and rescue services are not required to
attend incidents where a person is shut in a lift, and not in any
immediate physical or medical danger. They should only be called in
an emergency. Maintenance and non-emergency lift releases are the
responsibility of the building or lift owner, who should ensure
there is a 24/7 lift release service provided, as well as
communications facilities inside the elevator so a person can raise
the alarm.
Over the previous five years, we have attended 680 incidents
involving a lift release, equating to an average of 136 incidents a
year. 76% of these incidents involved a rescue of someone that was
not in distress. 67% of the total number of incidents involved a
residential building.
|
Risk – Lift release
|
Rating
|
|
Likelihood
|
Medium
High
|
|
Consequence
|
Limited
|
|
Risk score
|
5.71
|
|
Overall assessment
|
High
|
There are a number of water-related risks
across Lancashire, with the Rivers Ribble, Lune, Wyre, Irwell and
Calder, each posing their own risks. The risk of members of the
public entering the water and getting into difficulty appears to be
on the increase. The combination of the River Lune and River Ribble
running directly through the cities of Preston and Lancaster
respectively, and the growing student population in those cities
brings an increased risk of water-related incidents occurring.
Lancashire has over 120 km’s of coastline, and there are
several lakes, reservoirs and other water bodies across the Service
area that pose risks to the community. The west of the county also
has three ports, Heysham, Fleetwood and Glasson.
Our crews carry out training in these areas to
ensure their knowledge of the hazards posed and ability to respond
are first class. LFRS continues to prepare for water rescue
incidents daily and provides an emergency response 24 hours a
day.
Over the previous five years, we attended an
average of 46 water rescue related incidents a year. Overall,
this equates to 231 water rescue incidents in total. These
incidents have seen 27 fatalities,16 serious and 42 minor injuries.
The main type of incident we attended involved rescues from
rivers/canals (49%) and rescues from lakes/ponds/reservoirs
(8%).
|
Risk – Rescues from water
|
Rating
|
|
Likelihood
|
Medium
|
|
Consequence
|
Limited
|
|
Risk score
|
4.98
|
|
Overall assessment
|
High
|
The UK faces a serious and sustained threat
from terrorism, including from international groups, domestic
extremists and Northern Ireland related groups. The current UK
threat level for terrorism is ‘substantial’, which
means an attack is likely. While most incidents have occurred in
and around major cities in the UK, it is vital that all emergency
services are prepared to deal with an incident in their area. For
the purposes of this document, ‘terrorist’ refers to
any individual or group seeking to use threats or violence as a
means of inflicting terror for the purpose of advancing political,
religious, racial or ideological causes. This includes a wide
variety of individuals and groups of varying ideologies and
backgrounds. Incident types may include Marauding Terrorist Attack
(MTA), Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear and explosives
(CBRNe), vehicles as a weapon of choice, or smaller-scale
attacks.
We prepare for such incidents by taking advice
from the relevant authorities on the potential risks posed and
assessing the impact that such an attack/incident may cause through
working with key partners as part of the LRF.
We have not attended
any incidents of this type over the previous five years.
|
Risk – Malicious attacks/terrorist
incidents
|
Rating
|
|
Likelihood
|
Low
|
|
Consequence
|
Significant
|
|
Risk score
|
4.79
|
|
Overall assessment
|
Medium
|
Special service incidents involving rescues
from below ground could involve shafts, caves, tunnels, sewers or
wells. Rescues of this type are often protracted in nature with
access difficult for fire appliances. They may require the use of
technical rope skills, and/or additional appliances such as an
aerial ladder platform.
Over the previous five years, we have attended
23 incidents, with 15 involving outdoor rescues, 7 rescues from
buildings and 1 from a vehicle. There was one fatality, nine people
sustained serious injuries and seven sustained minor injuries.
Risk – Rescues from depth
|
Rating
|
|
Likelihood
|
Medium
Low
|
|
Consequence
|
Limited
|
|
Risk score
|
4.42
|
|
Overall assessment
|
Medium
|
Mud
rescues involve the use of specialist equipment to recover people
and animals from the mud or sinking sand that lies along coasts,
river embankments, and lakes. A typical rescue involves using an
inflatable raft to support the sinking casualty whilst the crew
then use either water or air to soften the mud, allowing the
casualty to be pulled to safety. Incidents where people get
stuck in deep mud are particularly hazardous. If not rescued
quickly enough, a victim may sink further down, which can be
hastened by panicking and moving. In addition, trapped victims
could be swept away by the water in areas of large tidal variation
or by strong currents.
Teams of
rescuers require special expertise that is different, but related
to water rescue and as such, LFRS have a range of resources
available to deal with this type of incident, including six
specialist trained stations based at strategic locations across the
county along with close working relationships with Bay Search and
Rescue Teams and the Coastguard.
Over the previous five years, we have attended
34 incidents, which equates to 7 incidents a year on average. The
districts of West Lancashire, Lancaster and Fylde accounted for 50%
of the incidents.
|
Risk – Rescues from mud
|
Rating
|
|
Likelihood
|
Medium
Low
|
|
Consequence
|
Limited
|
|
Risk score
|
3.84
|
|
Overall assessment
|
Low
|
LFRS aims to allocate resources to risk,
providing the most effective and efficient service and value for
money to the people of Lancashire. Our offering is based around
prevention, protection and response arrangements which are all
tailored to current and emerging risks and applied proportionately
to maintain risk at levels that are as low as reasonably
practicable.
We aim to primarily prevent fires and other
emergencies from happening. We allocate resources through our
prevention and protection teams, supported by operational crews and
partner agencies to educate inform and advise our diverse
communities.
When incidents occur, we operate a range of
operational crewing systems both wholetime and on-call. This allows
us to allocate resources effectively based on the risk associated
with geographical areas within Lancashire. To maintain a highly
trained operational provision we are supported by our service
training centre, which incorporates specialist training facilities
and highly skilled and accredited instructors.
The heat map below shows the location of our
fire stations mapped against overall incident activity levels. The
areas of lowest demand are represented by the light green shading
and moves through darker green, to amber to red to display the
areas of our highest demand. Many of our stations are in
areas of high activity, but we also have stations where incident
levels are comparatively lower, but the impact of fires and other
emergencies could be significant.
Figure 3: Heat map showing centres
of high incident activity (Lancaster, Morecambe, Blackpool and
Fylde coast, Preston, Chorley, Blackburn, Hyndburn, Burnley and
Nelson) across Lancashire and location of Fire Stations.
Lancashire is divided into 6 Areas. Within
these areas are the Lancashire-14 districts:
·
Northern –Lancaster
·
Southern – Chorley, South Ribble and West Lancashire
·
Eastern – Blackburn with Darwen, Hyndburn and Ribble
Valley
·
Western – Wyre, Fylde and Blackpool
·
Pennine – Pendle, Burnley and Rossendale
·
Central - Preston
Each district faces its own unique risks and
to effectively assess the risk, district plans are developed based
on local intelligence and supported by a district intelligence
profile that is produced annually.
The purpose of the profiles is to highlight
activity and risk across each district both in terms of incident,
geographical and people risk. This evidence-based document is
designed to support the district plans by highlighting the most
significant issues, the highest risk groups to target and the most
significant areas to target.
Using previous incident activity, prevention
and protection data, known demographic data and Mosaic estimate
lifestyle data this report aims to inform who and where are those
most vulnerable from fire, the location of risk and the resource
demand against availability (applicable to on-call stations
only).
Incident data is based upon an average over
the preceding three years.
Additional lifestyle data analysis is based on
the Mosaic data, supplied by Experian Ltd.
