Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from County Councillor D O’Toole with County Councillor B Yates attending as substitute.

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 15 July 2024 be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

The Deputy Chief Fire Officer (DCFO) advised that the report updated on the Emergency Cover Review (ECR) 2022-25 implementation, outlining the work that was ongoing and had been completed to date.

With many ECR workstreams now concluded or in the final phase of implementation, all ongoing workstreams were being managed as projects through programme boards. It was proposed that any future updates on work associated with the ECR was brought through the relevant programme board or by exception to Planning Committee. Resources committee would be updated in relation to the capital programme, which would impact on some of the projects within the ECR.

Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service (LFRS) was required to review emergency response arrangements periodically to ensure that provision remained effective and consummate with the dynamic risk profile. This process was a robust assessment of historic data and emergent risk and was delivered in the format of an Emergency Cover Review (ECR).

The changes identified in the ECR 2022-25 reflected the most effective and efficient use of resources for the whole of Lancashire. Lancashire’s Combined Fire Authority (CFA) agreed the proposed changes on 19 December 2022. The changes would result in LFRS:

• Maintaining all 39 fire stations and 58 fire appliances
• Maintaining their outstanding response standards
• Creating an increase in overall firefighter jobs by eight

An ECR implementation plan was developed with five key workstreams, updates on the workstreams were as follows:

Introduce more resilient and flexible crewing arrangements

The implementation of all the proposed change of duty systems and establishment numbers, with the exception of Penwortham, took place on the 1 March 2024. The changes in duty system at Penwortham would be worked through as part of the Preston Area review project which was ongoing.

An evaluation of the implementation was underway to ensure both positive practice and areas of learning were captured to inform any future emergency cover reviews.

Optimise emergency cover through dynamic cover software

The dynamic cover software was being used widely internally to monitor coverage and plan relief strategies during incidents and on a day-to-day basis within the Command Support Room.

The project’s current focus was on the implementation and use at North West Fire Control, empowering Control Room Operators to make coverage and relief moves based on real-time risk and demand.

Extensive modelling work had been undertaken to better understand the impact and use of the software once fully implemented. Over 200 real-time activity periods had been modelled, these had included when there had been high demand on resources such as large, protracted incidents including periods when resource availability had been reduced. Analysing the predicted coverage move results, LFRS could determine that overall standby numbers would broadly remain similar, however both the deploying appliance and the standby fire station destination would likely change. This would see LFRS move away from traditional static pre-defined key stations to dynamically determining cover moves based on risk, current demand, and live resource availability. Using the dynamic cover software as intended would provide Lancashire with better emergency  ...  view the full minutes text for item 13/24

The Deputy Chief Fire Officer (DCFO) presented a report on the Service's Strategic Assessment of Risk for 2023/24.

Risk in Lancashire would always remain dynamic: it changed over time, differed by area and demographic, and needed different interventions to reduce the likelihood of the risk occurring or to lessen its consequences. These risks were identified in the Strategic Assessment of Risk (SAoR) which was refreshed annually and was also informed by the Lancashire Resilience Forum Community Risk Register and the services Political, Economic, Socio-cultural, Technological and Infrastructure, Environmental, Legislative and Organisational (PESTELO) analysis. Through its risk management framework, the Service continually assessed changing risk and prioritised its response framework. 

The Strategic Assessment of Risk reflected the knowledge and experience of a variety of specialist departments and utilised Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service (LFRS) Incident Recording System (IRS) data to derive a data driven methodology that highlighted the incident types that posed the greatest risk to the county of Lancashire and the individuals who lived and worked within it. 

This year’s document built on previous iterations as LFRS sought to continually improve its risk management processes. Pages 36 – 52 of the agenda pack detailed a number of risks including;

• Political

o   UK Government Fire Reform White Paper

o   Wars, conflicts and political unrest

·         Economic

o   Deprivation

o   Inflation/ Cost of living

o   Fuel Poverty

·         Socio-Cultural

o   Population changes

o   Dwellings and households

o   Cultural Diversity

o   Health and Wellbeing

·         Technological (and Infrastructure)

o   Emerging Technology – Electrical vehicles (EVs) and energy storage systems

o   Emerging Technology – Hydrogen

o   Artificial Intelligence/ Robotics/ Autonomous Vehicles

o   Infrastructure

·         Environment

o   Climate change – wildfires

o   Climate change – flooding

o   Built environment

·         Legal

o   The Building Safety Act 2022

o   The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022

o   The Fire Safety Act 2021

o   Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023

·         Organisational

o   Risk that service funding over the medium term was insufficient to achieve 2022-27 CRMP objectives

o   LFRS resilience issues e.g. staff availability, recruitment, retention, loss of key staff

o   Impact of public inquiries e.g. Grenfell and Manchester Arena

Pages 57- 83 of the agenda pack detailed the risk associated against the 32 incident types which had resulted in some movement in the ranking of the highest risk incident types. 

The Chair remarked that the DCFO was the chair of the Lancashire Resilience Forum and that LFRS was the national lead in relation to drones and the service’s Digital Team worked closely with the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) lead.

In response to a question from County Councillor N Hennessy in relation to the dissemination of risk information, the DCFO confirmed that each district had a district plan which identified risks in each area, this information informed individual officer appraisals to ensure all staff knew how they were contributing to keeping Lancashire safer. In response to a further question the DCFO confirmed that each station was aware of their district plan and the service was developing its use of Power  ...  view the full minutes text for item 14/24

The Deputy Chief Fire Officer (DCFO) advised that the report updated on progress of the ongoing workstreams that were being progressed under the Blue Light Collaboration Board. The workstreams were being managed effectively through both the Strategic and Tactical Boards and were contributing towards improving outcomes, providing better value for money, reducing demand, and reducing inequalities within communities.

Leadership Development

Partners had scoped collaboration opportunities for leadership development. Each Service agreed to host a leadership development event for senior leaders from all three organisations. Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service (LFRS) hosted the first event in October, which focussed on ‘Leadership and well-being’ and explored cross-coaching. The event was a success with over 60 people attending from across all three services and the partners would meet again in November to develop cross-coaching opportunities.

The Services were planning the next session which would be hosted by North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) in early February 2025, where the focus for the event would be on ‘Media’.

The final session would be hosted by Lancashire Police in Spring 2025. The group were considering an interesting area around ‘Generational Differences’ with a view to potentially exploring this as the final topic.

Estates and Co-location

This was a long-term workstream which could deliver significant efficiencies and effectiveness where co-location sites were identified.

In October the project objectives were reviewed and affirmed, aligned to the Strategic Board objectives. The Estates and Co-location workstream focused on four key areas: Sharing knowledge and information, estates and asset integration, resilience and shared opportunities in support functions, and financial opportunities.

Blue Light partners were reviewing property asset management strategies to identify potential areas for co-ordinating future development plans over the next 5-10 years and discussions were continuing in relation to future opportunities. All current locations for each organisation had been mapped, with the focus now on understanding of longer-term plans for each service. The LFRS ‘Preston Area Review’ continued to be discussed and considered with Blue light partners regarding collaboration opportunities.

Community First Responder

This workstream involved LFRS staff volunteering as Community First Responders (CFR) to support NWAS. LFRS staff volunteers undertook an initial CFR training programme at LFRS Training Centre. Once qualified, they could shadow existing CFR practitioners to develop their clinical abilities and build confidence in their newly acquired skills.

The Service had 13 LFRS staff volunteers responding to life threatening emergencies in Lancashire from the workplace and administering life-saving interventions in the initial vital minutes before NWAS colleagues arrive. Since the workstream commenced in 2023, LFRS had responded to more than 180 CFR incidents including unresponsive/ collapsed, not breathing, cardiac arrests, seizures, strokes, and choking. This had resulted in many successful outcomes.

The Service was scoping ‘phase 3’ of the workstream which would involve on call staff volunteers becoming CFRs within more remote parts of the county, where NWAS resources and response times could be more challenging. This would further improve outcomes for medical emergencies within those communities.

In response to a question from County Councillor J Singleton  ...  view the full minutes text for item 15/24

GM Price presented the report to Members regarding His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) activity and Lancashire Fire and Rescue Services (LFRS) planning arrangements.

Round 3 Overview

HMICFRS commenced Round 3 inspections in early 2023, the three pillars; effectiveness, efficiency, and people remained the same as Round 2. Likewise, the 11 diagnostics under each pillar which inspectors made graded judgements against.

Although LFRS had not yet received confirmation of the new inspection date, it was anticipated that the Service’s inspection would take place in early 2025. Phil Innis had been appointed as LFRS’s new Service Liaison Lead, to assist with engagement prior to the inspection, an Inspecting Officer from HMICFRS, Viv Horton, would also remain as an LFRS point of contact. Viv Horton met with members of the executive board in August 2024 and was in regular contact with LFRS Service Liaison Officer, Area Manager Tom Powell as part of the engagement process.

The Organisational Assurance Team within the Service Improvement Department continued to track progress against the Service’s previous inspection, monitor national themes and prepare LFRS for it’s Round 3 inspection.

HMICFRS had published 24 Round 3 inspection reports. A summary of the gradings for all 24 Fire and Rescue Services (FRSs) inspected so far in Round 3 were included in the report.

FRS inspection programme 2025/27 public consultation 

HMICFRS public consultation on the proposals for the FRS inspection programme for 2025/27 was launched on 19^th August 2024 and closed on 15^th September 2024. LFRS provided a detailed response. HMICFRS received around 61 responses to the public consultation, including almost all FRSs, as well as some from governing bodies, trade unions and national bodies. Overall, the HMICFRS received strong support for their proposals, however, respondents also raised issues with these planned changes, provided additional areas they thought should be covered, areas they should inspect less, and ways they could improve their reports.  

HMICFRS final plans would be published in the form of an Inspection Programme and Framework document in the spring of 2025, alongside a formal response to the consultation.

Positive Practice

The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) Positive Practice Portal provided details about interventions, which had been developed by one or more Fire and Rescue Service to address a particular need, concern or organisational change recognised by the NFCC or HMICFRS as an innovative or positive practice. These practices were in different functional areas and may include operational and non-operational responses, business practices and good ideas.

LFRS actively engaged with the positive practice process and had 10 submissions published on the portal and a further 5 submissions in progress.

As requested at the previous planning committee, a summary of the first HMICFRS Fire and Rescue Positive Practice Masterclass event is detailed below. There were presentations on the following topics:

• Opening address, HMCI Andy Cooke, HMICFRS
• ‘Our findings, positives practices and improvement’, HMI Roy Wilsher, HMICFRS
• ‘Greater Manchester FRS’s improvement journey’, CFO Dave Russel, GMFRS and Deputy Mayor Kate Green
• ‘People strand  ...  view the full minutes text for item 16/24

Verbal update.

The Director of Corporate Services (DoCS) provided a verbal report in relation to the budget consultation.

The DoCS advised that the service was required to consult the public on the proposed precept. The service was expecting an update on how much the precept could be raised by in late December, the precept in 2023/24 was 2.99% and in 2022/23 it was £5 which equated to about 6%.

Consultation with the public would commence once it is known to what extent the precept could be raised. This would then be discussed with the chair of the authority and an update be brought to Planning Committee and the full CFA in February.

Resolved: That the verbal report be noted.

The Head of Safety, Health and Environment (SHE) presented the report on the service's Environmental Sustainability Plan 2024-29.

Climate change was already having an impact on the Fire and Rescue Service; the service was responding to new and evolving risks, such as wildfires, and new technologies designed to address climate change, including electric vehicles, lithium-ion batteries and highly insulated buildings. Rising temperatures would have the greatest impact on the most vulnerable, such as reducing food and water availability. Changing heating systems, insulating buildings, moving to an alternatively fuelled fleet and planting trees was essential in contributing to net zero, however, environmental sustainability was much wider.

The Climate Change Act 2008 committed the UK government to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 100% of 1990 levels (net zero) by 2050 whilst the Paris Agreement committed the UK and other countries to a global temperature rise this century of below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

Since launching LFRS’s Carbon Management Plan in 2009 the service had made good progress in terms of reducing its carbon footprint, however Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service (LFRS) recognised there was more work to do. Environmental enhancements on LFRS premises had been made as part of business-as-usual (BAU) investment, for example new build premises meeting Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methodology (BREEAM) standards, boiler replacement and LED light installs. The Service had not used dedicated funding for aspects such as photovoltaic installations, in order to make further process this approach needed to be reconsidered in conjunction with our wider Estates Strategy. A similar approach had been taken to the LFRS fleet, with BAU investment providing environmental enhancements as technology had changed.

Since 2009 LFRS had been monitoring use of gas, electricity, fleet vehicle fuel and water on the services sites. Conversion factors were applied using a toolkit to generate a carbon emissions total with the target of reducing this by 40% (initially by 2020 and then extended to 2030 following CFA approval). The conversion factors for emissions were kept constant and therefore never fully reflected any changes such as decarbonisation of the grid, however based on this toolkit, as of 31st March 2024, fuel, gas and electric emissions had reduced by 25.4%. Water emissions had reduced by 30.1%. 

A new Environmental Sustainability Plan was proposed for LFRS and this plan outlined the initial actions the service must take in order to continue to reduce the organisations environmental impact. This plan aimed to outline LFRSs commitment to minimising its impact on the environment and to provide a clear approach to the progress of actions that would contribute to the long-term achievement of becoming a Net Zero organisation. This was the first of five, 5-Year Plans in the journey to Net Zero by 2050.

The governance of the revised plan would be overseen through the Health, Safety and Environment Advisory Group (HSEAG) and annual reporting to the CFA as part of the Annual SHE Report. 

The Carbon Management Team had been renamed the Environment and Sustainability Group  ...  view the full minutes text for item 18/24

The next scheduled meeting of the Committee has been agreed for 10:00 hours on 03 February 2025 in the Main Conference Room, at Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service Headquarters, Fulwood.

Further meetings are:    scheduled for 14 July 2025 and 17 November 2025

The next meeting of the Committee would be held on Monday 3 February 2025 at 10:00 hours in the main Conference Room at Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service Headquarters, Fulwood.

Further meeting dates were noted for 14 July 2025 and 17 November 2025.