Lancashire Combined Fire Authority
Meeting to be held on 23 February 2026
Member Champion Activity Report
Contact for further information – Assistant Chief Fire Officer, Sam Pink.
Tel: 01772 866802
Executive SummaryThis paper provides a report on the work of the Member Champions for the period up to 22 February 2026.
Recommendation(s)The Authority is requested to note and endorse the report and acknowledge the work of the respective Champions.
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Information
The concept of Member Champions was introduced in December 2007 with a review of the roles in 2017.
The Authority appoints its Member Champions at its Annual Meeting in June, and the current Member Champions are:
· Community Safety – County Councillor Andy Blake
· Equality, Diversity and Inclusion - Councillor Salim Sidat
· Health and Wellbeing – County Councillor Sohail Asghar
· Road Safety - County Councillor Jordan Fox
Reports relating to the activity of the Member Champions are provided on a regular basis to the Authority. During this period, all have undertaken their respective role in accordance with the defined terms of reference. Their activity to date is as follows:
Community Safety - County Councillor Andy Blake
During December 2025 and early January 2026, our Community Fire Safety (CFS) teams delivered a comprehensive programme of prevention and engagement activity across Lancashire. This work focused on protecting vulnerable residents, strengthening community relationships, improving fire and road safety awareness, and supporting partner agencies during the winter period.
The team also attended a newly established Hoarding Peer Support Group in Blackpool and provided a fire safety presentation and practical advice on the risks associated with hoarding. This included guidance on combustible materials, blocked escape routes and electrical hazards.
In early December, Fleetwood and South Shore Fire Cadet Units jointly supported the Blackpool Fire Station Christmas Tree Service. The event gave cadets valuable community engagement experience, opportunities to work alongside operational firefighters, and helped develop communication, teamwork, and interpersonal skills, while showcasing the Fire Cadet programme to the public.
Throughout the winter months, road safety education was prioritised through the delivery of the Wasted Lives programme. This hard-hitting initiative combines educational content, real-life case studies, and emergency service perspectives to highlight the devastating consequences of dangerous driving and promote safer decision-making, particularly among young and high-risk drivers. Sessions were delivered at Parklands High School in Chorley, Lathom High School in Skelmersdale, British Aerospace (BAE) Systems, and multiple Young Farmers groups across the county.
A further road safety session was delivered at Skelmersdale Youth Zone, engaging a well-attended youth club. Many attendees were not in education, employment, or training (NEET), making this an important opportunity to provide vital road safety advice and reinforce safer choices around driving and road use.
On 11 December 2025, a joint road safety event was held at Charnock Richard Services in Chorley, in partnership with the Highway Authority and Lancashire County Council Road Safety Team. Drivers were engaged on winter driving conditions, general road safety, and the risks of drink and drug driving during the festive period.
On 6 January 2026, the team attended a Winter Wellbeing Event at South Ribble Council Offices. The event generated several referrals for Home Fire Safety Checks (HFSC) and helped further strengthen partnership working. Notably, links were established with Age UK, which resulted in a future fire safety presentation being arranged for staff involved in hospital discharge.
During the festive period, CFS staff attended a multi-agency event at Pendle Leisure Centre, organised by Cosy Homes in Lancashire, and focused on the support available to residents during the ongoing energy crisis. This engagement enabled us to promote the HFSC offer, reinforce ‘Safe and Warm’ winter safety messages, and raise awareness of seasonal risks, including electrical hazards associated with the Christmas period.
Our CFS teams also delivered a fire safety presentation to PUKAR, a group based in Preston. The session focused on key fire safety messages, particularly around staying safe at home during Electrical Safety Week and was specifically targeted at carers and individuals with disabilities to ensure inclusivity. PUKAR management expressed their appreciation for the continued support provided by the CFS team and Operational crews in delivering safety messages to disability organisations throughout the year.
Overall, Community Fire Safety activity across Lancashire during December 2025 and January 2026 demonstrated strong partnership working, targeted engagement with vulnerable and hard-to-reach groups, and a continued focus on reducing winter-related risks. These activities directly support our prevention objectives and contribute to wider community safety outcomes.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion - Councillor Salim Sidat
Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service (LFRS) has continued to deliver important community safety and wellbeing initiatives across the county.
On 16 November 2025, LFRS marked the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, with the Assistant Chief Fire Officer and a Prevention Support Officer attending a multifaith service at County Hall, Preston. This event honoured those killed or seriously injured on the roads and reaffirmed LFRS’s commitment to road safety.
The Service also strengthened its engagement through Pendle Community Radio. The Combined Fire Authority (CFA) Vice Chair appeared on the Community Hour programme to promote winter fire safety and smoke alarm checks, highlighting the CFA’s work and the importance of community connection. In a follow-up session, the Central CFS Team Leader shared electrical safety advice ahead of the festive period, raising awareness of appliance use, lithium battery risks and the importance of certified products.
In the Northern Area, LFRS continued its partnership with HMP Lancaster Farms, distributing 300 Christmas cards containing supportive messages and fire safety advice to vulnerable prisoners. This initiative supported wellbeing during a challenging time and helped reduce fire risk within the establishment.
To mark Hannukah, the CFS Team visited Shalom Lodge in Fylde to deliver fire safety guidance to elderly residents, including safe candle use, cooking practices and electrical safety. HFSCs were also completed, reinforcing the Service’s commitment to supporting Lancashire’s Jewish community.
Through these activities, LFRS continues to promote safety, strengthen community relationships and support an inclusive and informed workforce.
Health, Wellbeing & Climate Change - County Councillor Sohail Asghar
Climate Change and Environment
Following an idea brought forward by a firefighter as part of an environmental improvement initiative, the Assistant Safety, Health and Environment Advisor carried out a detailed review into the feasibility of introducing biodegradable nitrile gloves across the Service. This work involved identifying suitable manufacturers, researching product specifications, and assessing the environmental benefits compared with traditional nitrile gloves. Sample products from several suppliers were sourced and trialled to evaluate their durability, comfort, and compatibility with operational and non-operational tasks.
After this assessment was completed and it was confirmed that the biodegradable alternatives met the necessary performance and safety standards, the preferred product was selected. Working collaboratively with Procurement and Stores staff, the gloves were then added to the Service’s existing Stores system. As a result, biodegradable nitrile gloves are now fully implemented and available for use across the whole organisation, supporting our commitment to reducing environmental impact while maintaining high standards of safety and practicality.
Health and Wellbeing
Three Physical Training Instructor (PTI) standardisation days have been held to ensure that all Service PTIs are aware of the role, alongside the most up-to-date policies and procedures for undertaking and recording fitness assessments. Seventy per cent of Grey Book (operational) staff have completed their annual fitness assessment, indicating that the Service is on track to ensure all Grey Book staff had completed an annual fitness assessment by the end of the training calendar (2025/26).
LFRS recently hosted a well‑received ‘Nutrition for Menopause’ session as part of the Women and Families Employee Voice Group programme. Delivered by a specialist in menopause‑focused nutrition, the session was opened more widely to members of the Women in the Fire Service UK network, reflecting the Service’s commitment to sector collaboration and inclusive wellbeing support. Engagement levels were particularly strong, with approximately 60 requests either to join the session live or access a recording. Feedback has highlighted the value of providing accessible, specialist‑led information on menopause‑related health matters. Based on this response, the Service was actively considering the delivery of future workshops to further enhance staff support in this area.
Road Safety – County Councillor Jordan Fox
Education Sessions Delivered in the Last Quarter:
· Road Sense (Year 6): 209 sessions were delivered to 6496 Year 6 students, focusing on road safety and pedestrian awareness through interactive discussions and practical demonstrations.
· Wasted Lives (Year 10/ College): 44 sessions reached 4487 students, raising awareness of the dangers of impaired driving through real-life case studies and discussions on responsible behaviour.
· Biker Down: 3 sessions were held with 38 participants, teaching motorcyclists first aid, accident response, and road safety techniques to reduce injury severity in crashes.
This has been a particularly busy quarter, with much of our activity taking place at multi-agency events.
We partnered with Lancashire County Council (LCC) to celebrate Older Persons Day, hosting two events at garden centres in Chorley and Wrye Districts; areas identified as priorities from a senior road user. Key safety topics, such as ‘Are Your Eyes Fit to Drive’, ‘Reaction Tests’, and ‘Tyre Safety’ were covered, which marked the start of ‘Tyre Safety Month’. We also attended additional events at Oswaldtwistle Mills and Golden Days in Parbold leading up to Christmas.
This year’s Road Safety Week was our busiest yet, with a strong multi-agency approach. The Wasted Lives programme was delivered at West Lancashire College, Nelson and Colne College and Ormskirk Sixth Form. Feedback from students was overwhelmingly positive:
· 100 per cent of respondents said they found the event beneficial.
· 100 per cent said all the information was relevant to their age group.
· 93 per cent stated they would make safer decisions because of the events.
Additionally, Wasted Lives was extended to several high schools (Year 10 and 11 students), targeted apprentices at Springfields and BAE and smaller businesses. On International Men’s Day, we also delivered assemblies to male students at Blackpool Sixth Form.
Our team participated in the NEC National Motorcycle Show in Brimingham, engaging with motorcyclists from across the country and promoting additional training opportunities, including the Biker Down and Bike Safe courses. The event, which drew an impressive 80,000 spectators, provided a valuable platform to connect with the motorcycling community and raise awareness about road safety.
We launched a project targeting Young Farmers, adapting the Wasted Lives programme to focus on rural roads and the long-term consequences of driving offences. The initial success has led to the delivery of three further sessions, and the promotion of this programme will continue.
In collaboration with LCC, we delivered Fatal 5 sessions to around 100 soldiers at Halton Barracks. The soldiers were divided into small groups to discuss key topics such as drink and drug driving, the dangers of impaired vision, and the consequences of road traffic incidents. These sessions were well-received by the Commanding Officer, as military personnel were disproportionately affected by fatal and serious road traffic injuries.
We partnered with EG Garages and Blackburn Rovers to display Fatal 5 safety messages on large screens at Blackburn Rovers home games. Additionally, we conducted a Road Traffic Collision demonstration before one of their matches during Road Safety Week and again in early December.
Finally, this quarter has seen a diverse range of successful initiatives, with our multi-agency partnerships continuing to make a significant impact on raising road safety awareness across the county.
Business risk
Whilst no formal obligation is placed on the authority to have Champions, effective utilisation of such roles offers a number of benefits.
Sustainability or Environmental Impact
The Member Champion role provides leadership on environmental issues and assists in engaging authority members in strategic objectives relating to protecting the environment.
Equality and Diversity Implications
The Member Champion role provides leadership on equality and diversity issues and assists in engaging authority members in strategic objectives relating to equality and diversity.
Data Protection (GDPR)
Will the proposal(s) involve the processing of personal data? N
If the answer is yes, please contact a member of the Democratic Services Team to assist with the appropriate exemption clause for confidential consideration under part 2 of the agenda.
HR implications
Some Member and Officer time commitments.
Financial implications
Activities are within budget.
Legal implications
None identified.
Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985
List of background papers
Paper:
Date:
Contact: ACFO Sam Pink
Reason for inclusion in Part 2 if appropriate: N/A