Agenda item

The Deputy Chief Fire Officer introduced Area Manager Tom Powell and Acting Area Manager Jonny Ashton.

The Deputy Chief Fire Officer 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 recently, Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service (LFRS) had introduced a Station Manager role to support and deliver the key workstreams which were: -

i)   Missing Persons (missing from home)

Existing collaboration had continued to be a success.  While the number of requests for attendance had decreased over the past few years LFRS had supported Lancashire Constabulary (LanCon) with a number of high-profile cases; where support had been provided from the initial search on day one up to, and including, the inquest.  

The main objective of the project was now to improve even further the existing collaboration between LFRS and LanCon by providing support where it was most required. The aim was to enhance specialist teams from several ‘on-call’ and specialist crews in Lancashire where the locality was close to ‘hot spots’ where people were known to go missing from home and, where LanCon could often have limited resources thus allowing LFRS specialist search teams to search familiar ground in a reduced timeframe.

The training ensured that specialist teams developed an increased knowledge of what was required by LanCon in the management of a missing from home case and the importance of intelligence gathering, record keeping where an area had been searched, ensuring a crime scene wasn’t contaminated and enhancing the working relationships, at ground level, between the two services.

The Deputy Chief Fire Officer added that over the weekend the Service responded to a missing person incident using the very latest drone technology which featured an underwater sonar device. Thankfully the missing person was found safe and well.

ii)  Estates and Co-location

This was a longer-term work stream with interdependencies as there were several internal projects within Lancashire Constabulary to review current building stock. This included Lancashire Constabulary headquarters, and various police stations.    Property leads from all three agencies had met on 22 June 2023 with a review of existing work and future opportunities discussed. This would now become a bi-monthly meeting to ensure work was progressed. As part of this work North West Ambulance Service (NWAS), LanCon and LFRS had shared information with regards facilities and estates management linked to current and future workstreams to enable a more cohesive approach to future proofing opportunities within the estate’s portfolios. LFRS had also progressed work with the potential to re-negotiate leases and licences at Lytham and St Annes fire stations for the next three years with LanCon. In addition to this, the Service would ensure that all Blue Light partners were included in the scoping work being undertaken in relation to the Preston area review.

iii)          First Responder

A phased approached was agreed in terms of volunteers signing up to the scheme. Phase 1 was being rolled out to non-operational LFRS staff, such as Community Fire Safety and other Green Book members of staff.  Phase 2 would consider the option to broaden the scope to roll out to Grey Book operational staff including Flexi Duty Officers, all on a voluntary basis.

Progress on phase 1 had resulted in 1 non-operational member of LFRS, responding to category 1 incidents, and who had already provided lifesaving care while responding.  A further 4 members of staff had successfully passed their interviews and Enhanced DBS checks and were currently awaiting suitable training dates before being fully on board which was expected to be within the next 3 months.

A NWAS application was used to mobilise First Responders who could accept or decline the notification. The information that was then held by NWAS enabled LFRS to monitor the data provided by the reporting system to ensure suitable provisions such as welfare arrangements were in place to support staff, post incident(s). A more in-depth analysis would be completed once the next 4 members of staff were on board. The findings from that analysis would form options to progress to phase 2 of the project.

Further discussion would take place with LanCon to review if there were any suitable non-operational roles that could be added as First Responders. The Deputy Chief Fire Officer advised of an error in the report and confirmed that it was non-operational staff who attended cardiac arrests alongside NWAS therefore collaboration to that effect was already taking place. 

iv)          Leadership Development

Work was currently ongoing in Phase 1 for scoping further opportunities to collaborate. LFRS had identified 3 individuals who had been nominated to take part in the “Inside Out” leadership programme that was being led by LanCon, and this would hopefully come to fruition towards the end of 2023. This would then enable a review of the programme with a view to further expanding the offer across the organisation.

Phase 2 of the project would look to explore opportunities to offer places to external partners within LFRS delivered ILM courses and some of the “softer skill” courses that embed and reinforce effective leadership and raise self-awareness.  The ongoing work would aim to realise efficiencies and help build professional working relationships across the Blue Light Services.

v)            Command Units

The aim of this project was to establish and deliver additional collaborative uses of the command units in LFRS to support effective multi-agency working among emergency responders. The key objectives were to improve operational effectiveness and in line with LFRS’ mission; ‘Making Lancashire Safer’.

LFRS was currently rolling out a small command unit with 2 further large command units in build as part of a previously agreed capital vehicle replacement project. It was anticipated the two larger units would be in service by October 2023. It was expected that the initial benefits to be realised would be technological advances that would further develop information sharing and situational awareness aligned to improving and embedding the Joint Emergency Services Interoperability Principles. Further scoping and development will be overseen by the Blue Light Collaboration Board to ensure opportunities for joint working were effectively co-ordinated and delivered.

CC Shedwick commented that at the Preston Open Day over the weekend, alongside the Police and North West Ambulance Service he had met with Mountain Rescue.  AM Powell advised that Mountain Rescue was a voluntary organisation that had previously provided support at incidents of flooding to transport people and goods.

In response to a question from CC Hennessy, AM Ashton advised that strategically and tactically across the blue light sector there was a lot of activity which was working well.  The Deputy Chief Fire Officer added that at a strategic level the Executive Board had met with Police colleagues the previous week talking through opportunities to work together and better learn from each other. 

In response to a question from Cllr Hugo regarding the decrease of requests from LanCon in relation to missing persons, AM Ashton advised that LanCon had their own drone capability and LFRS offered resources (ie: drones / dogs) as required to assist wherever possible. 

Resolved: That the Planning Committee noted the report.