Agenda item

Acting Assistant Chief Fire Officer Norman advised that the Blue Light Collaboration programme had now had a full time resource attached to it for 6 months. Within these 6 months, out of the original 32 ideas, 17 of them had been closed after initial scoping from both organisations. They had been closed on the basis that there were no tangible benefits for either organisation or the people of Lancashire. Some had been placed on hold with a future review date; where it was not the right time for the two organisations to invest time and resource to the specific work stream. There were however, 15 opportunities still being looked into and advanced within this programme which included 5 main projects:

1.    Missing persons and real time demand management;

2.    Public Order training site;

3.    Occupational health services;

4.    Fire crime scene investigation accreditation;

5.    Neighbourhood level collaborative activity.

And 10 were categorised as ‘business as usual’:

1.    Integrated youth volunteer partnership; 

2.    Fuel business continuity planning;

3.    Vehicle maintenance for LFRS flexi duty officer cars;

4.    Command unit incorporating JESIP principles;

5.    Duty officer communication;

6.    Shared data, risk and analytical reporting;

7.    Joint communications activity;

8.    Shared asset management;

9.    First aid provision; 

10. Second event drone.

The leadership for the collaboration had changed since the last Executive Collaboration Board as Superintendent Karen Edwards has now moved role and Superintendent Damien Darcy had taken over at Lancashire Constabulary HQ.  As well as this, Group Manager Phil Jones had taken over from ACFO Ben Norman as Programme Manager for LFRS.

The Blue Light Collaboration Programme Board meetings co- chaired by Group Manager Phil Jones, LFRS and Superintendent Damian Darcy, Lancashire Constabulary continued to deliver project management related control to the Programme. The first meeting under the new Chair’s was held on 10 May 2019, where updates were provided from work-stream leads.  These meetings continued to take place on a quarterly basis.

Scrutiny of the Collaboration Board was in the form of a Quarterly Executive Collaboration Board, chaired by ACFO Norman and DCC Gamblin.  Also in attendance were the collaboration leads GM Jones and Supt Darcy.

The early Blue Light Collaboration Programme Board work had been further shaped and defined into 3 key project management related documents according to status; these were Project Initiation Documents, Health Reports and Scoping Closure Reports.  A change from the previous paper was the removal of the Highlight report and replacement with a Health Report.  This was a joint decision, which would make updates easier, less demanding on resources and easier to track progress.

LFRS Site Sharing Collaborations

Currently the partner with the largest scale of site sharing collaborations and subsequent revenue cost related benefits was North West Ambulance Service (NWAS). Operational crews shared the station facilities at N11 Lancaster, C50 Preston and E76 Darwen fire stations. In addition to the above formal lease arrangements, there were licence arrangements at both N13 Bolton-Le-Sands and P94 Nelson fire stations whereby NWAS crews could make use of the welfare facilities on an ad-hoc basis.

Site sharing arrangements with Lancashire Constabulary followed a similar format in that there were sites with formal lease arrangements, these being N33 Preesall, W36 St Annes and S56 Skelmersdale. At these locations police staff had hot desk office accommodation for circa 3-4 officers and made use of the welfare facilities. At both W35 Lytham and E72 Great Harwood the welfare facilities and on-site parking facilities were utilised by Lancashire Constabulary staff on a drop in ad-hoc basis.

Discussions remained ongoing with regards to potential site sharing with NWAS at P74 Rawtenstall and also with Lancashire Constabulary with regards to W37 South Shore.

Telecommunication masts were installed at W37 South Shore, P93 Barnoldswick, S56 Skelmersdale and Service Training Centre sites with lease arrangements in place. 

Licence arrangements were also in place for a number of site sharing practices with other organisations or charities. This included the use of station facilities for community engagement events, vehicle storage and multi-agency office facilities.

The arrangements with health related partners was the most significant with blood bikes currently being stored by LFRS at N12 Morecambe, W30 Blackpool, P90 Burnley, E70 Hyndburn (x2) and S57 Penwortham (x2). In addition to this LFRS supported the Blood Transfusion Service through the sharing of E70 Hyndburn and S54 Chorley sites for their public blood donation sessions. 

Multi-agency meeting rooms and office accommodation was provided at both S54 Chorley and P94 Nelson, these partnerships supported the Local Authority (Chorley) Early Action project and also the Lancashire County Council Early Help provision (Nelson).

Partnerships that enhanced LFRS’ operational response arrangements were supported in the format of vehicle and equipment stowage. This included the Salvation Army and Red Cross at Service HQ, Bay Search and Rescue at Bolton-Le-Sands and also support for Operation Florian in the format of storage at Service Training Centre. 

LFRS had a long standing relationship with the Prince’s Trust charity and delivery of their Team Programme was hosted at the following fire station locations: N12 Morecambe, N32 Fleetwood, W37 South Shore, P75 Haslingden or E70 Hyndburn, P90 Burnley, P94 Nelson, E71 Blackburn and C50 Preston.  One of the 9 teams was not located at an LFRS’ fire station, this was the second team in Preston and they were based at Oakham Court in premises leased from Preston City Council.

In response to a question raised by Councillor Jackson, Acting Assistant Chief Fire Officer Norman confirmed that the Service and Lancashire Constabulary had discussed the possibility for police staff to ‘drop in’ and work from South Shore fire station using their own computers which would be based at the station.  This would prove more effective and improve their response standards as staff could respond from South Shore rather than the main Blackpool Police station.

RESOLVED: - That the report be noted and endorsed.