Humberside Fire Authority24 June 2011

HUMBERSIDE FIRE AUTHORITY

24 JUNE 2011

PRESENT:

Representing East Riding of Yorkshire Council:

Councillors Chapman MBE, Hudson, Ibson, Jefferson JP, Mole, Moore and Skow

Representing Kingston upon HullCity Council:

Councillors Gardiner, Gemmell OBE, Ross and Williams

Representing North Lincolnshire Council:

Councillors Briggs (Chairperson),Waltham and Wells

Representing North East Lincolnshire Council:

Councillors Billard, De Freitas and Hornby

Mrs Clarke (Independent Member of the Governance and Standards Committee)and Mrs Hardy (Independent Member of the Audit, Performance & Scrutiny Committee) attended as observers.

Chief Fire Officer & Chief Executive, Secretary/Director of People, Director of Finance/Section 151 Officer, Assistant Chief Officer/Director of Safety, Head of Operations and Committee Manager were also present.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Engall (1.Illness), Glew (3.Constuent Authority commitments), Shipley (3.Constuent Authority commitments), Swift (4.Holiday) and Walker (4.Holiday).

The meeting was held at the Humberside Fire and Rescue Service Headquarters, Kingston upon Hull. Meeting commenced at 10.30 a.m.

3563DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST - No declarations were made in connection with any of the items to be considered at the meeting.

3564MINUTES – Resolved – That the minutes of the meeting of the Authority held on 19 April 2011, having been printed and circulated amongst the Members, be taken as read and correctly recorded and be signed by the Chairperson.

3565 MINUTES – Resolved – That the minutes of the Annual General Meeting of the Authority held on 27 May 2011, having been printed and circulated amongst the Members, be taken as read and correctly recorded and be signed by the Chairperson.

3566PETITIONS AND DEPUTATIONS - The Secretary/Director of People stated that no petitions had been received and no requests for a deputation had been received under Rule 12, Part 4 of the Constitution.

3567COMMUNICATIONS - The Secretary/Director of People stated that no communications had been received.

3568QUESTIONS BY MEMBERS - The Secretary/Director of People stated that no questions had been received from Members in accordance with Rule 12, Part 4 of the Constitution.

MINUTES OF COMMITTEES:

3569Governance and Standards Committee -Resolved - That the minutes of the Governance and Standards Committee held on 7 June 2011 be received.

3570Policy and Executive Committee - Resolved - That the minutes of the Policy and Executive Committee held on 10 June 2011 be received.

3571Audit, Performance and Scrutiny Committee - Resolved – That the minutes of the Audit, Performance and Scrutiny Committee held on 17 June 2011 be received.

3572EXECUTIVE REPORT - The Chief Fire Officer & Chief Executive submitted a report updating Members on the following issues.

Fatal Fire – Rosedale Grove, Hull – The report outlined details of an incident on 2 June 2011. The Fire Death and Injury Panel met shortly afterwards and it was likely that the cause of the fire was smoking materials.

Local Resilience Forum - The Local Resilience Forum (LRF) met quarterly and brought together senior managers for all of the local category 1 responders. The aim of the LRF was to ensure that the duties imposed by the Civil Contingencies Act were properly discharged. The Service had always been active participants in the LRF and the Chief Fire Officer & Chief Executive believed that the Service should play a leading role in local resilience in the future. The Chief Fire Officer & Chief Executive had recently been appointed Vice Chairperson of the Forum.

Epworth Fire Station – The report outlined a fire incident on 8 June 2011. The most likely cause of the fire was an electrical fault in the appliance cab and that was subject to further investigation by the Service and the vehicle manufacturer.The Business Interruption Management Team had met on 8 June 2011 to deal with the ramifications of the incident particularly to ensure that fire cover in the Epworth area was maintained.Personnel were to be congratulated for getting the station back on the run by 1800 hours the same day.

A Member referred to reported explosion during the incident and asked what had exploded. The Chief Fire Officer & Chief Executive stated that a breathing apparatus had exploded due to the heat intensity of the fire. A Member asked how old the appliance was. The Chief Fire Officer & Chief Executive stated that the appliance was 2 years old and that the Authority had a second appliance of the same age which upon inspection showed the same evidence of an electrical fault.

Integrated Risk Management Plan (IRMP) 2011/12 - Implementation Update – The report gave a brief overview of the current status of the implementation of the proposals in the IRMP 2011/12:

•Change Crewing Arrangements for All Specialist Appliances to Unit Crewing – Implemented on 16 May 2011. Work was currently underway on a ‘Posting’ Policy which would facilitate staff redeployments as a result of those changes.

•Change Crewing Arrangements of the Command Unit – This vehicle was converted to unit crewing on 16 May 2011 as an interim measure. Further research had commenced on both the alternative crewing options and the vehicle’s normal replacement.

•Flexible Duty System Officers (FDS) Review – There was a separate detailed report regarding this proposal on the Agenda of this meeting (Item No. 15) outlining a reduction in FDS officers from 44 to 36 (Minute 3579 below refers).

•Reduce the Operational Ridership Factor – This had been completed in two Community Protection Units (CPUs) (North and North East Lincs) and the Authority will work towards implementing this in Hull and East Riding as a consequence of staff reductions over time.

•Review Crewing Arrangements for the Technical Rescue Stations – Further research and consultation had commenced on this proposal particularly around the Working Time Directive and the impact of revised pay arrangements on Pensions. It was envisaged that this proposal could take some time to implement fully.

•Introduce Small Fires Units – This proposal had recently been re-prioritised in order to, hopefully, deploy it during the late summer months or at least have it in place for the busy autumn/bonfire period.

•Strengthen the Resourcing and Management of Operational Risk Information – The human resource implications of this proposal had recently been absorbed into the review work into corporate support services which was scheduled to be reported to the Authority in September 2011.

•Review Retained Duty System (RDS) Contracts to Increase the Availability of Fire Engines – Recent procedural and availability management changes had resulted in a 15% increase in RDS appliance availability from 79.5% in the first quarter of last year to 95.05% in the first quarter of this year. It was hoped that the continuation of this project in its current form would negate the need to re-visit RDS contracts in the short to medium term. In light of the nature of the work responsibility for the progression of this proposal has been passed from the Operations to the People Directorate.

Failure of 13.5m Ladder – West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service– The report outlined action taken by the Service following notification that on 5 June 2011 a 13.5m ladder had failed during a training exercise in West Yorkshire. On receipt of guidance from the Chief Fire Officers’ Association (CFOA) and the Chief Fire and Rescue Adviser’s Unit (CFRAU) the Humberside Fire & Rescue Service had ordered an immediate inspection of all 13.5m ladders (28) and imposed limitations on the loading of the ladders.A full inspection programme was initiated and the use of the ladders was limited to emergencies only; all training being suspended until the ladders had received a clean bill of health.By 14 June 2011 all twenty one 13.5m ladders had been inspected by Ladder Workshops and 4 of those had failed to meet the manufacturer’s specification. Those ladders had been removed for repair and the restriction on training had been lifted on the remainder. Other restrictions would remain in place until the cause of the failure had been established.

A Member asked for further information as to the cause of the ladder to fail. The Chief Fire Officer & Chief Executive explained that the ladder was in use during an exercise and would have been subject to considerable load strain with 3 firefighters and 2 water jets on it. A Member referred to the subsequent testing of this Authority’s ladders which resulted in 4 ladders failing to meet the manufacturer’s specification and queried whether there was any other equipment the Authority should be testing. The Chief Fire Officer & Chief Executive stated that the first task was to have all ladders checked which had been done and that the ladder was widely used around the world and that this was the first recorded failure. The Chief Fire Officer & Chief Executive added that all ladders were visually inspected annually and he was not able to explain why the ladder had failed. The Director of Finance/Section 151 Officer stated that the age profile of equipment was being checked and that the outcome of the findings of the investigation in West Yorkshire Fire Service was awaited. The Chief Fire Officer & Chief Executive stated that the use of this type of ladder had been limited to just 1 firefighter at present. A Member asked whether there was budget provision available should it be necessary to replace the ladders. The Director of Finance/Section 151 Officer stated that he would look to use the capital equipment replacement programme if necessary and informed Members that it was the practice whenever a new appliance was bought to ensure that it had new kit on it. The Chairperson asked for a report to be submitted to the next meeting in respect to the procedures in place for checking equipment and stated that there should be strong message from the Authority that the ladders will be replaced where necessary. A Member asked that officers should check whether the specification of the ladders has changed during the twenty years they have been in operation

Humberside Local Enterprise Partnership - It had recently been announced that Ministers were about to approve a Humber-wide Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) after councils and businesses submitted plans for the new economic body to government. The LEP would comprise Hull City Council, East Riding of Yorkshire Council, North Lincolnshire Council and North East Lincolnshire Council. It is not yet clear what implications the LEP might have for this Authority though any were likely to be positive. As key partners on the four Local Strategic Partnerships HFRS personnel were likely to have a role on the LEP therefore officers would engage with the LEP in order to establish how the Service might best contribute to the local economy. Further updates would be submitted as appropriate.

National Issues: Local Government Resource Review - In March 2011 the Government published the terms of reference for phase 1 of the Local Government Resource Review (LGRR). The purpose of the review was to consider the way in which local authorities were funded, with a view to giving local authorities greater financial autonomy. Phase 1 was due to complete in July 2011 and the Government was committed to implementing reform in 2013-14. Phase 1 was focusing on the relocalisation of business rates which would inevitably lead to changes in the existing formula grant system. The review was primarily aimed at local authorities to provide incentives for promoting economic growth.The impact on Fire and Rescue Services was as yet unknown but Members would be kept informed of progress.

Pay Claim 2011 - The Employers’ side of the NJC had received a pay claim for 2011 seeking a rise in all NJC rates of pay equal to the percentage increase in inflation as identified by the Retail Price Index (RPI) for June 2011 which equated to 5.2%. The Employers’ side had stated that they were unable to offer any pay rise this year as “they want to protect the fire and rescue service and offering a national pay increase at this time would severely compromise that aim.” The Employers’ side of the NJC had however indicated a willingness to undertake joint discussion to see if it could be possible to justify a different position in 2012.A full explanation of the pay claim and Employers’ response had been communicated to all personnel. The Chief Fire Officer & Chief Executive stated that in February 2011 there had been no pay increase for staff subject to the ‘Green Book’ conditions of service.

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Awards in H M The Queen’s Birthday Honours List – The Chief Fire Officer & Chief Executive reported orally that Retained Watch Manager John Speak had been awarded an MBE for services to Local Government and that Frank Duffield, recently retired Chief Fire Officer & Chief Executive had been awarded an OBE for services to Local Government.

Future of the Maritime Incident Response Group (MIRG) – The Chief Fire Officer & Chief Executive reported orally, further to Minute 3489, that the Transport Select Committee conducting an inquiry into the Government’s proposals for modernising the Coastguard, including the decision to review arrangements for MIRG which responds to incidents at sea for which firefighting, chemical hazards/and or rescue teams might be required, had recently recommended that MIRG should continue and not be a burden on individual fire authorities. Discussions would now take place regarding the future funding of MIRG and a further report would be submitted when the outcome was known.

Resolved –(a) Thatthe content of the report be noted,

(b) that a report be submitted to the next meeting of the Authority on the procedures for checking equipment and also whether there has been any change in the specification of the ladders, and

(c) that a letter be sent to Mr F Duffield OBE and Mr J Speak MBE congratulating them on their awards in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List.

3573ANNUAL STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTS 2010/11 -The Director of Finance/ Section 151 Officer submitted a report on the annual Statement of Accounts for 2010/11. A copy of the full unaudited Statement of Accounts for 2010/11 was attached at Appendix 1 to the report. The report highlighted key aspects of revenue and capital outturn for the year. The Accounts covered by the report were subject to audit by the Audit Commission in their role as the Authority’s external auditor. The audited Statement of Accounts must be approved by the Fire Authority by 30 September 2011. At the time of writing the report, one issue that still required clarification by CIPFA and the Audit Commission was the accounting treatment for the New Dimensions assets that were transferred to the Authority from the Department for Communities and Local Government during 2010/11. There were two possible interpretations of accounting treatment: (a) as Donated Assets or (b) by Applying Merger Accounting Principles. After significant debate with the DCLG, the Audit Commission, Sector Treasury and other Fire and Rescue Authorities, a decision to adopt option (a) Donated Assets had been taken. Clarification should be given by CIPFA in due course to deliver a definitive position. This issue was also cited in the Audit Commission’s Progress Report which was considered by the Audit, Performance and Scrutiny Committee on 17 June 2011 (Minute 3545 refers).

The report indicated that, as outlined at the Member Day on 14 June 2011, the underspend on the Authority’s revenue budget for 2010/11 was £2.387m. Previous financial years had seen underspends of £1.429m in 2009/10, £1.836m in 2008/09, £498k in 2007/08 and £1.36m in 2006/07. The full list of variances was set out in more detail in the Foreword to the Statement of Accounts but included areas such as:

Underspends

  • Wholetime Firefighter costs-£1.364m

- No pay award

- No anticipated increase in Employer’s

Superannuation contributions

- Staff turnover

  • Community Fire Safety - Support Staff costs-£261k
  • Contingency-£400k
  • Support Services – Support Staff costs-£310k
  • Hydrants-£197k

Overspends

  • Agency staff to cover vacant posts-£104k
  • Trauma Care Training Course Fees-£110k

Clearly on expenditure of circa £50m there were a number of minor over and under spends but the schedule above aimed to pick out the main headline variances. The Authority’s prudent policy of freezing recruitment across the Service had contributed to the pay underspends combined with the blanket freeze on pay awards throughout the public sector.

The outturn for the Capital Programme showed a spend of £3.340m against an allocation of £4.843m. Reasons for the outturn were as follows:

  • Estates (Hornsea, Pocklington, Snaith, Waltham, Immingham West, Workshops, Service Headquarters) - These schemes will complete in 2011/12
  • Vehicles (Fire Engines/Light Vehicles) - Completion and delivery early in 2011/12 (Fire Engines now delivered early June)
  • Plant and Equipment (IT and Equipment) - Some of these schemes have slipped into 2011/12.

In line with good practice, it was proposed that the following allocations were therefore re-phased into 2011/12:

  • Hornsea Refurbishment-£247k
  • Pocklington Refurbishment-£189k
  • Snaith Refurbishment-£215k
  • Waltham Refurbishment-£132k
  • Immingham West – CFBTU-£175k
  • Service HQ improvement works-£205k
  • Heavy Vehicles - £407k
  • Light Vehicles - £55k
  • IT improvements inc Gazetteer-£285k
  • Resource Management System - £150k
  • Operational Equipment - £59k
  • Water Rescue Equipment - £56k

Table 1 below shows the overall position on Reserves at 31 March 2011 and some recommended movements in reserves to be effected from 1 April 2011.

Table 1 - Summary Reserves 31 March 2011 and 1 April 2011

£m
31 March
2011 / £m
Proposed
Movements / £m
1 April
2011 / Notes
General Reserve / 5.616 / (0.680) / 4.936
Earmarked Reserves
RDS Equal Pay Case / 0.350 / 0 / 0.350 / Costs anticipated during 2011/12
Insurance Reserve / 0.400 / 0 / 0.400 / No change
Control Reserve / 0.300 / 0.200 / 0.500 / Addition to meet potential infrastructure requirements
Property Maintenance Reserve / 0.500 / 0 / 0.500 / No change
Water Rescue Equipment Reserve / 0.200 / 0 / 0.200 / No change
Change Management / 2.500 / 0 / 2.500 / No change
BA Replacement Reserve / 0 / 0.700 / 0.700 / Created to supplement the current allocation to allow a full changeout
FRSS Costs 2010/11 / 0.120 / (0.120) / 0 / Retirements completed 31/3/2011
Peaks Lane Refurbishment 2010/11 / 0.100 / (0.100) / 0 / Scheme complete
Total Revenue Reserves / 10.086 / 0 / 10.086

Table 1 above shows overall revenue reserves of £10.086m at 31 March 2011. Revenue reserves at 31 March 2010 stood at £7.592m. The increase in reserves year-on-year was beneficial to the Fire Authority on a number of levels but in particular: