HERTFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

INTEGRATED RISK MANAGEMENT PLAN TOPIC GROUP

FINAL REPORT ON OUTCOMES OF THE IRMP CONSULTATION

Report of the Chief Fire Officer

Author: Roy Wilsher, Deputy Chief Fire Officer

Tel: 01992 507502

Executive Member: Iris Tarry

  1. Purpose of report

This report is designed to deal specifically with the outcomes of the consultation process for Hertfordshire County Council Fire Authority draft Integrated Risk Management Plan 2005/06.

The report will detail how the consultation strategy, agreed by the Community Services Scrutiny Committee topic group and endorsed by Cabinet, was employed to provide an opportunity for stakeholders to comment on the draft IRMP. Observations and comments are also detailed.

  1. Summary

The draft version of IRMP 2005/06 was released for public consultation on 15 November 2004 with a closing date of 15 February 2005. However, due to the tragic events at Harrow Court, Stevenage on 2 February the Service Executive Board decided to extend the duration of consultation to 21 March 2005.

The overall response rate has shown an improvement over last year and will be further enhanced next year with planned developments to the Service IRMP consultation strategy designed to further increase access to areas identified as both hard to reach and unlikely to respond.

  1. Conclusion

3.1 Perception of the Service

The evidence from IRMP presentations to community forums has revealed that the public still views the Fire Service, and especially fire fighters, with a great deal of respect. Comments were made praising the actions of the service and expressing sympathy and admiration for the events at Harrow Court.

Public perception of the changing role of the Fire Service is slowly improving. With a number of questions raised regarding our prevention and protection role in fitting smoke detectors and carrying out home fire safety risk assessments, as well as our intervention role in road traffic collision and for dealing with the effects of terrorist actions.

3.2 Perception of the proposals

The majority of the draft IRMP proposals have been broadly supported at public forum events; however, some response returns have shown antipathy towards some objectives.

Staff events have shown more emphasis on speculation to possible future outcomes than on current draft proposals. However, when specifically asked about the current plan objectives they are broadly supportive with very few adverse comments raised.

3.3 Amendments to proposals following consultation

Following consultation it is not proposed to amend any of the Services aims and objectives or make alteration to proposals for areas we intend to review in 2005/06.

3.4 Future consultation

As mentioned in the summary the consultation communication strategy will be further improved to enable us to build on our strengths and address our weakness, with the goal of achieving a wider consensus of opinion to our future proposals.

It is pleasing to note, however, that this year’s consultation has seen an almost 300% increase in written responses. This is coupled with a significant increase in verbal responses at community presentations.

3.5 Recommendation to Topic Group

Members are asked to formally consider the outcomes of the draft IRMP consultation period and agree to adopt the current Integrated Risk Management Plan for 2005/06 in its existing format.

  1. Background

The strategy was determined in accordance with guidance issued under Annex C of Fire Service Circular 7/2003.

Initially 148 hard copy versions of the draft plan were circulated to key stakeholders and public libraries. These included:

  • Employee Representative Bodies
  • Hertfordshire Public Libraries
  • HCC Chief Executive and Heads of Department
  • District Council Chief Executives
  • Hertfordshire Members of Parliament
  • Partner Agencies
  • HFRS Fire Stations and Departments
  • Regional and Bordering Fire Services

4.1 External consultation methodology

When the draft plan was published, press releases were circulated and the plan was featured in the winter 2004 edition of the Herts Direct newspaper.

The draft plan was also entered onto the Herts Direct website, along with electronic consultation questionnaires and the full range of IRMP project team contact details.

19 partnership and community forums received IRMP presentations. These stimulated a number of responses, particularly from the Watford area.

In addition 62 representative community and business focus forums were selected to act as gateways into as diverse a range of geographic and demographic sectors as possible, paying particular attention to identified “hard to reach” community groups.

These groups were then split into two further groupings. Group A were identified as smaller forums generally operating within a specific demographic group or within a localised area. Group B were larger regional or national forums operating within Hertfordshire.

Group A received an e-mail package consisting of a cover letter and consultation information flyer alongside directions to the Herts Direct website containing draft IRMP 2005/06.

Group B received a postal package consisting of a hard copy draft IRMP, 10 consultation questionnaires (appendix A), a pre-addressed return envelope and additional supporting information.

4.2 Internal consultation methodology

Internal staff communication and IRMP consultation were facilitated on two distinct levels.

Level one consisted of members of the IRMP planning team visiting and discussing a range of IRMP based issues at a large number of pre-planned and ad-hoc events with the objective to encourage and assist staff to:

  • Understand and comment on draft IRMP 2005/06
  • Attend DCFO Wilsher`s IRMP seminars
  • Return consultation questionnaire’s to the IRMP project team

Over the course of consultation all HFRS departments and fire stations were either directly visited or their departmental / station manager briefed to enable a cascade of information to be achieved.

Level two consolidated the process by giving all members of staff the opportunity to attend a presentation and discussion forum held by DCFO Wilsher on four dates at locations covering the County.

This dual approach has encouraged debate. A large number of documented issues were raised; however, the vast majority of these issues were not focused on the aims and objectives of the current draft IRMP but on concerns over possible future recommendations.

4.3 Written Consultation Response (Appendix B)

By the close of the extended consultation period Hertfordshire IRMP project office had received the following consultation returns:

(External responses refer to returns received from non –Fire Service sources)

4.3.1 External

  • Members of Public - total of 29 responses

12 Received from an identifiable source

17Received anonymously or from an unidentifiable source

  • Business groups or external organisations – total of 15 responses

5 Received from an identifiable source

10 Received anonymously or from an unidentifiable source

  • Other, unspecified, group – total of 3 responses

0 Received from an identifiable source

3 Received anonymously or from an unidentifiable source

4.3.2 Internal

1 Response (via Consultation Questionnaire)

1 Response (via Direct E-mail)

A large number of recorded comments and questions have been received during team briefings and in open seminar; most issues were resolved on the day or will be answered via production of a ‘frequently asked questions’ briefing note.

4.3.3 Representative Bodies

A consultation response has also been received from the Fire Brigades Union, Hertfordshire Brigade Committee.

4.4 Feedback on identified opportunities for improvement (Appendix C)

With reference to consultation questionnaire returns, comments can be grouped within the following categories aligned to specific objectives detailed within the draft IRM plan[1]:

Objective 1 - Improving our data recording and management processes

Engendered 1 response, from the Fire Brigades Union supporting the objective with reservation as to secondment of individuals to carry out task impacting on frontline services.

Objective 2 - The review of Firefighters work routines and stand down periods

Engendered 1 response, from the Fire Brigades Union supporting the principles of the objective with reservation as to reasoning for review.

Objective 3 - New performance standards for our emergency response

Engendered 3 negative responses from business groups.

These responses refer to the Service Automatic Fire Alarm Response Policy, already agreed by members and implemented in November 2004

Response from Fire Brigades Union requesting details of emergency planning processes undertaken which will be provided upon completion.

Objective 4 -Co-responder schemes –helping people who are having a heart attack

Engendered 1 positive and 4 negative responses from members of the public and 5 negative responses from business groups.

Additionally, the response received from the Fire Brigades Union was negative in content.

These responses refer to concerns about firefighter skill levels in dealing with a co-responder call and to reduction or replacement of the existing Ambulance Service.

However, these responses are insufficient to prevent the Service examining the feasibility of such a scheme.

Objective 5 - Developing risk based response arrangements

Engendered 11 negative responses from members of the public and 4 negative responses from business groups.

These responses refer to concerns that a review of intervention arrangements and standards will lead to a reduction in available intervention resources, i.e. fire engines or stations.

The response received from the Fire Brigades Union was negative in content, detailing concerns in regard to possible changes to shift patterns and crewing arrangements.

Work on this objective will continue, with a proposed Cabinet report date of July 2005.The outcomes of this objective will then require further extensive consultation.

Objective 6 - Synchronise IRMP with our financial and strategic planning cycles and integrate the process into the business.

Engendered 1 response from the Fire Brigades Union that was positive in content, welcoming the initiative.

Objective 7 - Improving our performance monitoring and management systems

Engendered 1 response from the Fire Brigades Union, acknowledging the objective with reservations as to the link between best value performance indicators and IRMP outcomes.

APPENDIX A

Consultation questionnaire

Please tick any boxes and supply us with any comments you may have in regard to the questions.

Please tick the box that most appropriately describes your role in completing this questionnaire.

A Member of the Public
An Employee of the Authority
A representative of a business/commercial or other interested party
Other
  1. Did you find the plan easy to understand?
/ Yes / No
If no, please state which parts of the plan you would like to see made clearer: …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
  1. Do you agree with our service aims and objectives? (please refer to page 17)

Yes / No
If no, what would you like to see added or removed and why: …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
  1. Do you agree with our proposals for the areas we intend to review in 2005/06 in order to identify further improvement opportunities? (please refer to pages 49 – 57)

Yes / No
If no, please state which particular proposal you disagree with and why: …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
  1. Are there any other proposals you would like to see added to the plan for next year?
…………………………………………………………………………………….…………………………………………………………………………………….…………………………………………………………………………………….…………………………………………………………………………………….…………………………………………………………………………………….
  1. Do you agree with the overall aims of the plan?

If no, please state why. / Yes / No
…………………………………………………………………………………….…………………………………………………………………………………….……………………………………………………………………………………..
  1. Any other comments you would like to make?

…………………………………………………………………………………….…………………………………………………………………………………….…………………………………………………………………………………….…………………………………………………………………………………….……………………………………………………………………………………..

Thank you for taking the time to complete this questionnaire. In order to influence the final version of this plan, please return your completed questionnaire to the following Freepost address:

Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service Information Management Unit

Freepost SG199

Hertford SG13 7BR

Alternatively, you can send us your views by E-mail:

Appendix B

Consultation Performance Comparison

Respondent type / No of responses to IRMP2 / No of responses to IRMP1
Public / 29 / 1
Staff / 2 / 3
Businesses / 15 / 8
Stakeholders / 1 / 1
Total / 50 / 13

Opportunities for improvement have been identified and will be imbedded in future IRMP consultation strategy.

Appendix C

COMMENT, QUESTIONS AND ISSUES RAISED IN CONSULTATION PROCESS

GENERIC SUBJECT AREA / RAISED BY STAFF / RAISED BY PUBLIC / RAISED
BY BUSINESS / RAISED BY OTHER / TOTAL
AFA Policy / 1 / 0 / 3 / 0 / 4
Attendance standards / 2 / 3 / 1 / 0 / 6
Audit – CPA / 1 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 1
Call Data Analysis -Usage / 4 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 4
Command & Control - Future / 2 / 0 / 1 / 0 / 3
Community Safety / 5 / 3 / 5 / 1 / 14
Co-responder Schemes / 6 / 5 / 0 / 1 / 12
Duty Systems & Arrangements / 14 / 1 / 0 / 2 / 17
Financial Savings / 8 / 6 / 2 / 1 / 17
FSEC - Usage / 2 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 2
Future Development – RSS plan / 5 / 2 / 0 / 0 / 7
IRMP 2005/06 -process / 7 / 11 / 1 / 1 / 20
IRMP Consultation Process / 3 / 2 / 0 / 0 / 5
Inter Department Co-operation / 1 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 1
LPSA / 2 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 2
Officer cover review / 9 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 9
Parnership Working / 3 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 3
Regionalisation / 2 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 2
Resources Plan –basis IRMP 3 / 22 / 2 / 0 / 0 / 24
Retained firefighters / 3 / 1 / 0 / 0 / 4
Road traffic accidents / 2 / 2 / 1 / 0 / 5
Specialist appliances / 1 / 3 / 0 / 0 / 4
Special risks –Terrorism etc. / 8 / 4 / 0 / 0 / 12
Support Staff- non uniform / 2 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 2
Timeframe for Change / 2 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 2
Firefighter Training / 8 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 8
Misc. / 9 / 9 / 0 / 0 / 18
TOTAL / 134 / 54 / 14 / 6 / 208

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050331 IRMP consultation report

[1] Upon receipt of a negative consultation response from an identifiable source a personal and detailed explanatory letter has been generated in order to explain the Service’s position on the objective or issue in question. This reply also offered the person who responded an opportunity for further clarification or correspondence as required.

No follow on correspondence has been received.