Minutes:
The Chair welcomed Ged Basson, Senior Operations Manager, North West Fire Control (NWFC). Mr Basson provided the Committee with a presentation detailing the findings from the 2023-24 Annual Report and investment in people.
Mr Basson explained that for the previous 19 years NWFC had been set up with a business plan for what it was expected to achieve and in 2023-24 NWFC published its first three-year business plan and first annual delivery plan. The impact of control rooms throughout incidents to a successful resolution had been recognised. The control room staff had received Joint Emergency Service Interoperability Programme (JESIP) training in with regard to their role, which had been integrated with other emergency services. The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) had set out an agenda that control rooms should have standards which included Occupational Standards and Fire Control Fire Standards.
The four new organisational priorities that the plans included were:
- Priority 1: To provide an effective and efficient control room function that satisfies our partner fire and rescue services’ operational response requirements. (Impacting this priority were financial pressures, the new mobilising system, social changes & impacts, the threat of terrorism, and Grenfell tower phase 2 report).
- Priority 2: To train and develop our people to provide a skilled, motivated, and competent workforce. (Achieving this priority involved JESIP collaboration, the right people with the right skills at the right time, new initiatives by the Police Service, and the impact of the Manchester Arena Inquiry and recommendations).
- Priority 3: To provide professional business services to support the control room function and the training and development of our people. (Retention of staff in controls rooms was a national issue and to help tackle this, NWFC had established the People Development and Assurance Programme (PDAP) and would train test and exercise staff).
- Priority 4: To develop open and inclusive relationships with our people and partner fire and rescue services. (NWFC worked to strengthen collaboration, had a Board of Directors which met quarterly, had a Steering Committee, and an Operations Management Committee which oversaw the operational function of the control room).
The Annual Delivery Plan identified 37 commitments that provided the focus for the year with progress on completion of the commitments reported quarterly to the Operations Management Committee, Steering Committee, and Board. The commitments and projects for the upcoming years had been mapped out.
NWFC’s partner fire and rescue services had approved additional investment of £860k funding for 2024-25, 2025-26, and 2026-27 for key commitments and projects in the annual delivery plan. Funding had been specifically provided for:
- A new mobilising system solution project team and specialist legal and procurement advice;
- An organisational improvement team;
- A programme management team;
- A resource to undertake a review of the control room’s capacity, working patterns and associated arrangements; and
- A resource to undertake reviews of potential future operating models for fire control and the support provided by partner fire and rescue services and external bodies.
NWFC was out to tender for a new mobilising system and success of the tender process would be determined by the number of tenders received. Presently, 3 suppliers had successfully submitted tender bids with a deadline for tenders of 5 August 2024.
NWFC had set up an Organisational Improvement Team and employed an Organisational Improvement Manager as part of the PDAP to ensure staff adhere to National Operational Guidance (NOG) to provide Operational Assurance which were linked to the outcomes of the Manchester Arena Inquiry and Grenfell Tower Inquiry recommendations. A Programme Management Team would oversee the new mobilising system and Annual Delivery Plan, and delivery against the Fire Control Fire Standard.
A Capacity Review would take place to ensure NWFC had the right people with right skills in right place at the right time. A review of the staffing model was planned as it had remained unchanged for 10 years.
A key date for the future was 10 July 2033 as it was the end of the building lease and government subsidy. It would also be end of the new mobilising system contract and exit of Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) from the partnership.
NWFC had enhanced and refined its governance arrangements. The Lead Principal Officers had been reengaged as the Operations Management Committee and New Mobilising System Solution Project Board. The Terms of Reference for the Board of Directors, Steering Committee, Company Leadership Team, and Senior Leadership Team had been revised. Mobs and Comms had been renamed as the Operational Response and Mobilising Subcommittee which reported to the Operations Management Committee.
NWFC had adopted the National Fire Chief Council’s (NFCC) Core Code of Ethics as its values.
· Putting our communities first – we put the interest of the public, the community and service users first.
· Integrity – we act with integrity, including being open, honest, and consistent in everything we do.
· Dignity and respect – making decisions objectively based on evidence, without discrimination or bias.
· Leadership – we are all positive role models, always demonstrating flexibility and resilient leadership. We are all accountable for everything we do and challenge behaviour that falls short of the highest standards.
· Equality, diversion, and inclusion (EDI) – We continually recognise and promote the value of EDI both within the FRSs and wider communities in which we serve. We stand against all forms of discrimination, create equal opportunities, promote equality, foster good relations, and celebrate difference.
NWFC Key Achievements included:
- Completion of the reporting progress on the implementation of the Manchester Arena Inquiry recommended to the Chair of the inquiry – now reporting to the Home Office.
- Completion of a gap analysis of the Fire Control Standard and production of an action plan that ensures compliance with the standard’s requirements.
- Development and approval of new operational training frameworks, competencies, and product packs – part of the People Development and Assurance Programme (PDAP) – in readiness for implementation in April 2024.
- Establishment of a project board to oversee the procurement of a new mobilising system solution and the issue of a survey questionnaire to potential suppliers. Official tender documentation was submitted 04 June 2024.
- Completion of the appointment of Operations Managers as part of a new leadership and command structure for control room teams.
- Introduction of a new business planning and reporting framework.
- Development of a refined appraisal process aligned to the NFCC’s Core Code of Ethics and Leadership Framework.
- Completion of an induction programme for new board directors.
- Completion of an independent audit of our GDPR policies and associated documentation.
- Conduction of the third HSE Management Standards Indicator Tool Survey.
- Completion of an independent audit of business continuity arrangements.
- Registration of an audited copy the Statement of Accounts with Companies House.
NWFC Performance in 2023-24 included:
- 127,789 emergency calls – 350 calls a day.
- 229,542 administrative calls – 629 calls a day.
- Average of 979 calls a day.
- Call challenge reduced the number of mobilisations by 16,800 – 46 mobilisations a day.
- Average time to answer emergency calls: 6 seconds.
- 89% of emergency calls answered within 10 seconds.
- Average time to mobilise first response to fires: 82 seconds. (The Assistant Chief Fire Officer highlighted that the time to mobilise first response had reduced significantly over recent years and was now below the performance standard of 90 seconds).
- Average time to mobilise first response to all incidents: 93 seconds.
- 68% of control room operators achieved and maintained competence in role.
- 89% of team leaders achieved and maintained competence in role.
- 86% of team leaders and control room operators completed all their programmed training.
- Control room teams involved in 63 exercises.
- Maintained minimum staffing levels on 75% of occasions.
- Sickness absence: average of 10.2 days per person.
- News starters: 20.
- Leavers: 19.
The NWFC Board of Directors approved the Annual Delivery Plan for 2024-25 and associated budget at its meeting on 26 March 2024.
In response to a query from Councillor Salter as to the adequacy for safety of minimum staffing levels, Mr Basson advised that, 75% of the time, the required number of staff on shift was reached. However, it did not significantly impact the call handling time as it typically increased by 1 second. For every 7,000 calls there would be 1 call where NWFC could have improved its response and which learning could be taken from, but these were not due to staff inefficiencies. The staff model would be reviewed as it was formed many years ago and included staff welfare breaks, maternity leave, special leave, court leave, and sick leave, which could take the staffing levels below the minimum. It was recognised that the staffing levels were getting close to the minimum buffer which was the reason NWFC would be carrying out a capacity review. Retention was a national issue and the Mobilising Officers Group, which he was a member of, were investigating a recruitment initiative where they would investigate incentives for staff to remain.
Councillor Clifford asked for the reason that, if NWFC were the most cost-effective control centre in the country, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service had chosen to leave in 2033. Mr Basson explained that all fire and rescue services were encouraged to consider whether NWFC provided the right service for them, operationally and financially. GMFRS, consistent with the Manchester Arena Inquiry, had reviewed its operating model and the long-term view of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority was to exit in 2033.
The Chair thanked Mr Basson for his interesting and informative presentation. It was frustrating staff were leaving NWFC, however, it was the nature of the job as they worked shifts and rotas. He suggested organising a visit to NWFC at a future date and encouraged all Members to attend.