Agenda and minutes

Venue: Conference Rooms A & B, Service Headquarters, Exeter

Contact: Steve Yates 01392 872329  Email: syates@dsfire.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

DSFRA/30

Questions and Petitions from the Public

Minutes:

In accordance with Standing Orders, questions were asked by members of the public and answers given as summarised below:

Question from Gideon Amos OBE asking the Authority to take into account the strength of feeling in Taunton Deane on the proposed reduction of fire engines based at Taunton fire station.

Answer by the Chair that the consultation on the proposed new Service Delivery Operating Model had run for a twelve-week period from 3 July to 22 September 2019.  The proposal for removal of the third appliance from Taunton fire station had featured as part of the consultation.  Responses to the consultation had been subject to independent analysis and would be considered by the Authority as part of its decision making process.

Question from Councillor Paul Millar (East Devon District Council) on whether the Authority would consider delaying implementation of any recommendations arising from the recent consultation pending appointment of a government Minister for Fire Services and clarity on future funding provision.

Answer by the Chair that Kit Malthouse MP was currently the Minister of State for Crime, Policing and the Fire Service, having been appointed to that position on 25 July 2019.  The proposals subject to consultation were aimed at achieving a better alignment of Service resources to risk together with providing an increase in prevention and protection work.  Future funding provision was not a principal driver and there would be no advantage in delaying consideration of any changes.

DSFRA/31

Addresses by Representative Bodies

Minutes:

In accordance with Standing Orders, the Authority received addresses from:

the Fire & Rescue Services Association recognising the need for change but commenting that change should be based on sound rationale, implemented in the right way and should be sustainable.  The FRSA had welcomed the opportunity to work with both the Authority and the Service during the consultation period, with FRSA Members being satisfied that the consultation was clear.  The FRSA expressed its expectation that any changes introduced should result in improvements to the service.

the Fire Brigades Union welcoming the proposals before the meeting as being an improvement on the initial proposals but still expressing concerns over day-crewing at wholetime stations and in relation to what the FBU considered to be minimum numbers to crew fire engines in the interests of public and staff safety.  The FBU indicated that it was supportive of proposals for enabling more prevention and protection work and for investing some financial reserves into front-line services.

DSFRA/32

Safer Together Programme (Service Delivery Operating Model) - Outcomes of Consultation on Reallocation of Resources pdf icon PDF 457 KB

Report of the Chief Fire Officer (DSFRA/20/1) attached.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Authority considered a report of the Chief Fire Officer (DSFRA/20/1) on proposals for a new Service Delivery Operating Model stemming from the outcome the public consultation undertaken from 3 July to 22 September 2019 on seven options previously approved by the Authority for the purposes of public consultation.  The consultation had attracted 3,818 completed consultation questionnaires, 205 written submissions, 381 e-mail responses and five petitions with a total of 43,644 signatures.  All responses to the consultation had been subject to independent analysis, the outcome of which was appended to the report.

The consultation was around proposed measures to address those risks identified in the Authority’s approved Integrated Risk Management Plan (IRMP) by better aligning resources to risk and prioritising prevention and protection activity.  The proposals set out in the report had been developed in light of the consultation responses received, specifically to Option 7 which allowed a “mix and match” approach to elements in the other six options approved by the Authority for consultation purposes and which, in summary, related to station closures, removal of fire engines and the introduction of revised crewing arrangements.

Since the launch of the consultation, the Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue Service (“the Service”) had received the report of Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) following its inspection of the Service earlier in the year.  This report had identified a number of areas for improvement which the proposals, if approved, would help address.  Additionally, since launching the consultation, the Service had:

·        reached an “in principle” agreement with representative bodies on a new “pay for availability” on-call duty system;

·        assessed the impact of successful trials of aggregate crewing at two on-call stations;

·        commenced initial discussions with representative bodies on changes to the existing whole-time rota system; and

·        been advised, via the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement, of a 1.7% increase in central government grant funding and a partial funding of firefighter pension funding pressures which had improved the overall financial picture for 2020-21.

The proposals set out in report DSFRA/20/1 would, if approved, secure benefits in delivering:

·        an efficient, effective delivery model that actively reduces community and commercial risk while improving responses to emergencies;

·        increased fire engine availability;

·        increased flexibility, reward, recruitment and retention of the on-call workforce;

·        a choice of duty systems for whole-time staff;

·        the start of cultural reform;

·        increased productivity; and

·        increased public safety.

An additional recommendation to those printed in report DSFRA/20/1 was circulated at the meeting.  At the commencement of the debate, the Authority agreed to consider each of the recommendations individually.

Councillor Drean MOVED, with Councillor Trail seconding:

“deferral of the decision to implement day crewing at Barnstaple, Exmouth and Paigton, subject to a revised 24/7 crewing model, including roving appliances, being agreed with the Fire Brigades Union before the end of the 2019-20 financial year”.

The motion was put to the vote and declared CARRIED by 25 votes for, with one abstention.

Councillor Drean MOVED, with Councillor Clayton seconding:

“approval of the  ...  view the full minutes text for item DSFRA/32