Agenda item

Report of the Director of Service Improvement (CSCPC/19/2) attached.

The Committee considered a report of the Director of Service Improvement (CSCPC/19/2) on options for a new Service Delivery Operating Model (SDOM).  The Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue Service (“the Service”) had undertaken a comprehensive strategic risk analysis of the fire and rescue related risks faced by its communities through the Integrated Risk Management Planning (IRMP) process.  This had been supported by an organisational risk analysis detailed in the Fire & Rescue Plan.  The two analyses had identified that changes to the current Service Delivery Operating Model were required to deliver against the Service objectives of:

·         prioritising and increasing its capacity to deliver prevention and protection activities, targeted and focused to secure a reduction in known risks in each area;

·         securing the best response possible in meeting statutory duties and by effectively matching existing resources to known risks; and

·         utilising resources efficiently to ensure the right response is made at the right time.

The Integrated Risk Management Plan approved by the Authority in 2018 identified the following community risks:

·         an increasingly ageing population;

·         common health and well-being risks;

·         the unavailability of on-call appliances;

·         the historical distribution of service delivery resources;

·         an increasing demand for emergency medical responses; and

·         an increase in the number of serious fires affecting commercial premises.

The development of the Service Delivery Operating Model was aimed at reshaping service delivery provision to provide an efficient response to risk, meeting statutory dwelling fire and road traffic collision duties, addressing over and under capacity, updating duty systems to better match both response requirements and staff needs and releasing resources to support further investment in prevention and protection activities to reduce future risk.  Consequently, the proposals encompassed stations, appliances, operational duty systems and staffing levels.

The detailed risk modelling process had identified an over-provision of resource to the extent that 17 appliances could be removed from the existing fleet of 121 and 8 stations closed without any significant impact on the risks faced by the community.  Three stations could change status from having whole-time staff on duty both day and night to crewing with whole-time staff during the day and on-call staff at night.  Another 14 appliances could have availability varied to more effectively align to risk, again all without significant impact.  Additionally, analysis of the changing risk across Devon and Somerset highlighted a need for a more flexible response to changes to risk that could occur daily and seasonally.  To address this, it was proposed to introduce day-duty “roving” appliances that could be deployed dynamically and targeted at known risk “hot spots”.

The Committee sought and received clarification on a range of issues including the assessment of potential savings/reinvestment flowing from the options, the risk modelling undertaken to inform development of the options and flexibility in terms of responding to the options.  The Committee acknowledged that the ultimately some difficult decisions may need to be taken in terms of modernisation of the Service and that commencing consultation on the options marked a start in this process.

In debating the issue, Members asked about flexibility with the options.  In response, it was clarified that while there were certain inter-dependencies with the options (e.g. the introduction of roving appliances would require resources that would flow from implementation of other options), flexibility was a feature of the options and that the Service would also take account of any alternative options that might be advanced during the consultation process (subject to the alternatives being consistent with the original options proposed for consultation).

Having debated the matter at some length, Councillor Colthorpe MOVED, with Councillor Trail seconding, that the recommendations as set out in report CSCPC/19/2 be approved.  This was put to the vote and declared CARRIED by four votes to three, whereupon it was

RESOLVED that the Authority be recommended to approve the options identified below for the purposes of public consultation:

Option 1 – Station closures

Option 2 – Station closures and removal of all third engines

Option 3 – Station closures, removal of all third and some second engines

Option 4 – Station closures, removal of all third and some second engines and change of status to day crewing

Option 5 – Station closures, removal of all third and some second engines, change of status to day crewing with a change of status to on-call at night

Option 6 – Station closures, removal of all third and some second engines, change of status to day crewing with a change of status to on-call at night, change of status to some additional second engines to become on-call at night only and the introduction of day crewed wholetime roving engines.

(SEE ALSO MINUTE *CSCPC/4 BELOW)