Members of the Board Are Asked To

Recommendations

1. Members of the Board are asked to:
2. Note the contents of this report.
3. Approve the approach outlined in paragraphs 9 and 10.

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BACKGROUND

1. The IRMP process requires that the Authority consider the following:
2. What are the existing and potential risks in Essex?
3. How effective are our current community risk management measures?
4. What standards should be set for the Fire and Rescue Service’s activities?
5. What resources are necessary to meet those standards?
6. The Integrated Risk Management Plan (IRMP) 2016-2020 was approved by the Essex Fire Authority in June 2016 following two periods of public consultation.
7. The IRMP 2016-2020 is published on the Service website and attached as appendix A.
8. The Strategic Assessment of Risk (SAOR) is the Service’s comprehensive analysis of community risk and is the key supporting document for the IRMP process.
9. The IRMP 2016-2020 sets out the Service’s response standards:
10. To get our first attendance to an incident which is potentially life-threatening within an average of 10 minutes from the time we receive a call.
11. To get our first attendance to an incident within 15 minutes on 90% of occasions from the time we receive a call.
12. The IRMP also set out 5 commitments which were subsequently included in the Service Strategy 2016-2010;

1. To deliver safety messages to every school child in Essex.
2. To ensure there is a working smoke alarm in 100% of households.
3. To work with partner agencies in meeting other social needs of the vulnerable members of our communities.
4. To support the installation of systems such a sprinklers for the protection of buildings and occupants.
5. To work with drivers and riders to reduce the number of people killed or injured on our road.

1. A combination of change (projects) and other actvities have been aligned to each commitment and progress has also been highlighted as part of other reports to the Board (Change Board progess report and Performance report). It is not intended to replicate that commentary here.

Options and Analysis

1. IRMPs should be regularly reviewed and updated. The current intention is to undertake this work in early 2018/19 with the IRMP process forming a critical input into any future Strategy for the Service.

1. Review of the IRMP will include an update of the SAOR and an assessment of the Service’s performance against its response standards.

Benefits and Risk Implications

1. The Integrated Risk Management Plan is of itself a way of managing community risks. These are identified in the Strategic Assessment of Risk across Essex, Thurrock and Southend.

Financial Implications

1. There are no direct financial implications from this paper. Proposals for change as part of, or in response to an IRMP may impact upon the Efficiency Plan and Medium Term Financial Strategy.

Equality and Diversity Implications

1. The SAOR considers the equality and diversity implications during the risk analysis phase. Changes to the IRMP or resulting proposals would be subject to equality impact assessment assessments. .

Workforce Engagement

1. IRMPs have been used, in Essex and in other FRSs, as the instigators of reductions in the number of fire engines, fire fighters or fire stations. The launch of activity badged as IRMP has the potential to create uncertainty and discomfort amongst staff.
2. IRMP has also been a point of disagreement with representative bodies, in Essex and in other FRS’s. There is the potential for a lack of agreement about both the process for IRMP and the outcomes/contents of the plan.
3. The work to review and update the IRMP needs to be mindful of these and be clear about the process from the start.

Legal Implications

1. The requirements for an IRMP have not changed with the transfer of Fire and Rescue to the Home Office. Whilst updated gudance is anticapated the followlng points describe the position as of June 2016 when the IRMP was published.

1. Under section 21 of the Fire and Rescue Services Act (the “Act”) the Secretary of state promulgates a Fire and Rescue National Framework. Its overall purpose is to assist in providing strategic direction to Fire and Rescue Authorities in the discharge of respective statutory obligations under relevant legislation.

1. Further, section 21(7) of the Act states…’Fire and rescue authorities must have regard to the Framework in carrying out their functions….’

1. Accordingly to the Framework is a statute based guidance document and the Authority must do all it reasonably can and take all reasonable steps whilst carrying out its associated functions to have regard to its content in seeking to realise the ambitions and aspirations ofthe Government. Such aspirations are calculated to promote: ...’public safety; the economy, efficiency and effectiveness of fire and rescue authorities, and economy, efficiency and effectiveness in connection with the matters in relation to which fire and rescue authorities have functions…’.

1. Similar terminology is used in the Authority’s Constitution:…‘Powers of the Commissioner …The Commisioneris a corporate body and will exercise all its powers and duties in accordance with the law, in particular the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004, the Civil Contingencies Act 2004, and this Constitution. The Authority will also have regard to all relevant guidance, such as the Fire and Rescue National Framework…’.

1. The Authority therefore, has a duty to have regard to the Framework (in particular when creating and maintaining its Integrated Risk Management Plan) and such regard that is appropriate in all the particular.

1. The Essex Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Fire and Rescue Authority Constirtution includes the same references under section 3.1, Powers of the Comissioner:

1. The Commissioner is a corporate body and will exercise all its powers and duties in accordance with the law, in particular the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004, the Civil Contingencies Act 2004, Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, and all other relevant primary and secondary legislation and this constitution.

1. The Commissioner will also have regard to all relevant guidance from the Secretary of State, such as the Fire and Rescue National Framework.

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