Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from Councillor Tony Williams.

Members are asked to consider any pecuniary and non-pecuniary interests they may have to disclose to the meeting in relation to matters under consideration on the agenda.

None received.

RESOLVED: - That the Minutes of the last meeting held on 18 July 2022 be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

The Assistant Chief Fire Officer presented the report.

At the last meeting Members authorised the Service to begin consultation on proposed changes to response arrangements within Lancashire as part of an Emergency Cover Review (ECR) which would span 2023 to 2026. The key proposals for consultation had a clear link to, and underpinned the values set out the in the Community Risk Management Plan.  These proposals included:

a)    The introduction (subject to relevant negotiations with Trade Unions) of a new duty system, Flexible Whole-Time (FWT), to replace the Day Crewing Plus (DCP) duty system at several fire stations, whilst introducing Flexible Day Crewing (FDC) at two stations;

b)    The introduction of a Dynamic Cover Software package to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of how we position our resources across Lancashire during periods of high incident and resource demand;

c)    Introducing new and enhanced vehicles to support our response to incidents linked to climate change (i.e. Flooding and Wildfire), as well as Flood Water Incident Managers to support flooding incidents;

d)    The introduction of the Service’s very first 45m Aerial Ladder Platform (ALP), whilst investing in 2 further Water Towers to enhance our response to the expanding high rise, built environment, and increasing risk of fire in high rise buildings. This was to ensure a holistic view of emergency cover was included within the consultation, as previous decisions had been taken by the Authority to approve procurement of these three vehicles;

e)    Exploring opportunities and seeking feedback on how best to broaden the role of our On-Call Firefighters to strengthen the service offered to our communities.

The Assistant Chief Fire Officer advised that the ambition for the ECR was to maintain 39 fire stations, 58 fire appliances and deliver the ECR with minimal impact on the Service response times and likely growth in the number of firefighter roles.

The consultation period spanned 12-weeks and concluded on 14October 2022.  An independent third-party organisation, Pearson Insight, was commissioned to support a public and staff consultation on behalf of LFRS to gather views on the proposals.  Their report detailed feedback received from the public, stakeholders and LFRS staff, along with specific data around the geography and demography of respondents.

At the start of the consultation period, draft documents were published across various online and physical platforms which all linked to an online survey.  Printed copies were shared on request and a separate dedicated consultation email address was set up to offer an alternative method of providing feedback.

It was acknowledged that since the consultation commenced there had been a shift in the national and global economic position. Future Government funding statements were likely to include a reduction in public sector spending, alongside increasing inflation rates and ongoing national Firefighter pay negotiations which would now require factoring into future spending and efficiencies.

Members had received a briefing at the recent Strategy Day and now considered the report in detail.

Statistical Analysis

The consultation yielded a really positive response with a total 1,224 responses received.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 11/22

The Assistant Chief Fire Officer introduced Area Manager Neil Taylor who was the tactical lead on the Collaboration Board topresent the report.

Members noted that the Blue Light Collaboration Board was programmed to meet quarterly with the report prepared on the information from the last meeting held on 30 September 2022 where the strategic leads had received a presentation on the initial five projects. Progress for the planning of each projects was as follows:

1.    Estates and Co-Location

AM Taylor advised that there currently existed site sharing arrangements with blue light partners.  This project aimed to understand the partnership footprint in terms of what was on offer; space, capacity, what would be required as a minimum, with consideration to health and safety and legal requirements, terms and conditions and regulations.

This project would be considering the following opportunities:

·         Headquarters regeneration;

·         Review of the Lancashire Constabulary (LanCon) Estate arising from Target Operating Model and Estates Roadmap;

·         The environmental shift in fleet to electric vehicles and the Sustainability and Environmental Strategy.

The project was currently in scoping phase and Project Initiation Documents (PID) were in production.

2.    Leadership Development

AM Taylor advised this was not an area that had been specifically considered previously.  This project aimed to map out the current offer by all partners and understand what was already underway and planned to develop a joint Memorandum of Understanding and hold a roundtable discussion between partners and explore mechanisms in relation to how this could practically work (cost, booking on staff, which systems were used, evaluation, familiarisation with terminology).

This project would be considering the following opportunities:

·         ‘Outside In’ programme;

·         ‘Leading the Way’ course days 1,2 and 3;

·         Recruitment and selection training;

·         Continuous professional development days with quality speakers and the Durham University leadership programme.

It may also consider learning from other organisations such as away days for new recruits. 

3.    Command Units

The aim of this project was to establish and deliver additional collaborative uses of the command units in Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service (LFRS) in line with Joint Emergency Service Interoperability Programme principles. The key objectives were to improve operational effectiveness and in line with LFRS’ mission; ‘Making Lancashire Safer’.

4.    Missing Persons (Misper)

This project aimed to improve the existing collaborative approach to identification of the location of missing persons. The existing offer had been evaluated and learning and improvement had been made. The existing training for the ‘Missing from Home Manager Training’ for LanCon staff would continue to be supported by LFRS in terms of assets available.

Initially, two personnel across the Urban Search and Rescue Team and the Drone team to undertake the Missing From Home manager course. Additional crews in LFRS had been identified as specialist teams and would receive a bespoke training programme which was currently being mapped out. These teams would develop an increased knowledge of managing a missing person within the context of potential crime scene management. All LFRS assets would remain available regardless of the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 12/22

The next scheduled meeting of the Committee has been agreed for 10:00 hours on 6 February 2023 in the Main Conference Room, at Lancashire Fire & Rescue Service Headquarters, Fulwood.

Further meetings are:          scheduled for 17 July 2023

                                                proposed for 20 November 2023

The next meeting of the Committee would be held on Monday, 6 February 2023 at 1000 hours in the Main Conference Room at Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service Headquarters, Fulwood.

Further meeting dates were noted for 17 July 2023 and agreed for 20 November 2023.

The Committee is asked to consider whether, under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, they consider that the public should be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following items of business on the grounds that there would be a likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in the appropriate paragraph of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972, indicated under the heading to the item.

RESOLVED: - That the press and members of the public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following items of business on the grounds that there would be a likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in the appropriate paragraph of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972, indicated under the heading to the item.

An item of business may only be considered under this heading where, by reason of special circumstances to be recorded in the Minutes, the Chairman of the meeting is of the opinion that the item should be considered as a matter of urgency.  Wherever possible, the Clerk should be given advance warning of any Member’s intention to raise a matter under this heading.

(Paragraphs 3 and 4)

Further to information provided to the Authority at its October meeting the Assistant Chief Fire Officer tabled a report that provided Members with an update on the current approach to business continuity in the event of industrial action.

RESOLVED:-  That the report be noted and action outlined endorsed.