Your Fire and Rescue Services working together
The East Midlands
Regional Management Board

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Arson Control Forum (ACF)

The ACF was created in April 2001 as a Government-led national body seeking to reduce arson-related deaths, injuries and damage.

It brings together stakeholders such as the Fire and Rescue Service, local authorities, the police service, insurance companies & Government departments.
Its aims are to:

• raise public awareness of arson prevention & investigation issues
• reduce the number of deliberate fires and related deaths, injuries and damage
• maintain a strategic overview of all general arson prevention & investigation matters
• develop, monitor and support initiatives which improve arson prevention & detection
• promote partnership and co-ordinate efforts amongst stakeholders in order to develop better policy on arson prevention & investigation
• monitor and contribute to improvements in the recording and detection of arson in the UK
• monitor and contribute to arson prevention & investigation work conducted by European & International bodies

For further information please go to www.arsoncontrolforum.gov.uk (external link)

Best Value

Best Value is about achieving objectives and ensuring quality through undertaking reviews, considering new approaches to service delivery and translating these into practical plans, and managing performance targets designed to secure continuous improvement.

Best Value is a key element of the Government's programme to modernise local government and places Best Value Authorities such as our own under a duty to seek continuous improvement in the way we exercise our functions. Under the Local Government Act 1999, we are required to demonstrate that activities comply with the principles of Best Value.

Best Value Reviews are carried out by the Fire Authority on its functions to help identify areas for improvements and address weaknesses. The outcome of each review will aid the development of proposals to improve quality, efficiency, effectiveness and economy to meet the needs of the user. Each Best Value Review follows the principles of Best Value by:

• challenging why, who and by whom a service is being provided
• comparing performance with others across a range of relevant indicators, taking into account the views of both service users and potential suppliers
• consulting with local stakeholders as to their experience of local services and their aspirations for the future
• using fair and open competition wherever necessary as a means of securing efficient and effective services
• assessing how collaboration may improve the service in efficiency or effectiveness

A Best Value Performance Plan is published each June. This provides an opportunity to publish proposals for improvement for the coming year, including how weaknesses will be addressed, opportunities exploited and better services delivered for local people. It also contains targets for future performance, gives the results of reviews undertaken and looks forward to planned work to constantly improve the service provided. Additionally, the plan allows the Government to assess the Authority's performance and make recommendations for improvement.

Convergence

This is an area of work which joins together both the ‘Firelink’ project and the ‘FireControl’ project. It is carried out on behalf of the Chief Fire Officers Association. It has been identified that there are common areas of the two projects where there will need to be work carried out to ensure the compatibility of the two project outcomes. A stream leader has been appointed for each part of the project, there are then teams made up from members of various Fire Services to identify and create products designed to ensure that the projects are working to common goals.

1. Short tasks (this is things like national call signs)
2. Incident Command System - Gold & Silver command
3. Incident definition, prioritisation and management
4. Resource management
5. Fire Control work
6. National Function
7. Mobile data (VMDS)

e-Fire

e-fire is a national project, funded by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, under the Local Government Modernisation Programme. A range of interactive services and products are being produced and will be delivered over the Internet, for use by the general public and the business community.

e-fire will provide access to services, products and information on, community fire safety, business fire safety and firefighter recruitment.

Every service or product is being designed to provide a key component for Fire and Rescue Services to use in their delivery of electronic government and to meet expectations to access public services at any time.

For further information please go to www.e-fire.gov.uk (external link)

Fire Control

Currently there are forty six Fire Control Rooms in England, based at local fire and rescue services.The Fire Control project, run by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, is working to move from the existing system of control rooms into eight new amalgamated Regional Control Centres, plus one to cover London.

For further information go to www.firecontrol.odpm.gov.uk (external link)

Fire Service Emergency Cover Toolkit (FSEC)

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister are currently trialling a new FSEC toolkit. The purpose of FSEC is to provide protection to the public against the hazard of fire, given that a fire has occurred, whilst making provision for those other types of incident to which the Fire and Rescue Service is expected to respond.

This is achieved by first estimating the likelihood of an incident occurring in a given location and its severity by the time of arrival of the first appliance in attendance, and then providing the type and weight of intervention likely to be required.

A series of risk assessment 'toolkits' have been developed, together with a technique for response planning, giving brigades more flexibility in how they achieve the FSEC standards. A Service's performance will be assessed on its ability to keeps risk below nationally prescribed limits, and to drive down risk where it is possible to do so without incurring disproportionate costs.

For further information go to www.communities.gov.uk (external link)

Firelink

The Firelink project, run by Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, aims to procure, deliver and install a national radio system to meet the needs of the Fire and Rescue Service in England, Wales and Scotland by the end of 2007.

The majority of existing Fire and Rescue Service wide-area radio systems were originally installed in the 1970's and are now ageing and obsolete with limited facilities and no development potential. They are becoming increasingly unreliable and difficult to maintain.

The migration of police communications to the 'Airwave' system will also affect Fire and Rescue Service communications as some facilities that are currently shared will no longer be viable for the fire service. In addition, the low-band VHF radio spectrum used by the Fire and Rescue Service is being withdrawn for regulatory reasons and consequently the Fire and Rescue Service must replace its wide-area radio systems by the end of 2007.

For further information please go to www.firelink.org.uk (external link)

Integrated Personal Development System (IPDS)

Integrated Personal Development System (IPDS) is an impartial and objective way of recognising and rewarding skills in the fire and rescue service. It is based on roles not ranks. It gives firefighters, managers, specialists and support staff a national benchmark for their skills.

Thirteen operational roles are being replaced by seven key roles. Six other specialist and support ranks are being replaced by four core roles.

For further information go to www.ipds.co.uk (external link)

Integrated Risk Management Plan (IRMP)

It states in the Government's National Framework document that all Fire and Rescue Services must produce IRMP plans which are reviewed regularly.

Integrated Risk Management plans should:

• identify existing and potential risks to the community within the authority area
• evaluate the effectiveness of current preventative and response arrangements
• identify opportunities for improvement and determine policies and standards for prevention and intervention
• determine resource requirements to meet these policies and standards

To be effective, IRMPs will need to provide a fully integrated, risk-managed approach to community safety, fire safety inspection and enforcement, and emergency response arrangements that will contribute to a safer environment.

In order to provide a fair and equitable service it will be necessary for Fire and Rescue Authorities to take into account, within their IRMP, the diverse needs of the population they serve and to assess how best to meet these needs, particularly in relation to community safety provisions.

For further information go to www.communities.gov.uk (external link)

New Dimension

The New Dimension programme, run by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, supplies equipment and procedures to enhance the capability of the Fire and Rescue Service to respond to a range of incidents.

The programme was established following the September 11th attacks on the World Trade Centre. It provides the Fire and Rescue Service with equipment, procedures and training to respond to a range of threats including:

• chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear incidents/terrorist threats
• industrial and domestic accidents
• chemical spills and collapsed buildings
• natural disasters
• floods and earthquakes

For further information go to www.communities.gov.uk (external link)

• clear aims and objectives
• delegated powers that are appropriate to those aims and objectives

• the integration of common and specialist services such as fire investigation
• to put in place effective resilience plans for large scale emergencies
• to introduce regional personnel and human resource functions
• to develop a regional approach to training
• to establish regional control centres
• to introduce regional procurement within the context of a national procurement strategy

Urban Search and Rescue (USAR)

The New Dimension programme is providing equipment and training to expand the National Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) capability for the Fire and Rescue Service.

Following the events of September 11th, the thirteen fire and rescue services with international search and rescue teams expanded their remit to respond to collapsed structure incidents within the UK.

To support this specialist capability, they received New Dimension interim urban search and rescue units with new tools and equipment. A further six temporary vehicles have been delivered to additional brigades to provide a national coverage.

The units provide an interim capability while procurement of extra equipment and specially designed permanent USAR vehicles progresses, with deployment expected next year.

The new equipment for USAR vehicles supplied to the Fire and Rescue Service is designed for demanding and sustained use and includes:

• Technical search cameras
• Listening devices and communication probes
• Cutting, drilling and breaking equipment
• Timber cutting work stations
• Propping and shoring equipment
• Lighting and power generation
• Hand tools
• Heavy capacity air bags

For further information go to www.communities.gov.uk (external link)