Agenda for Nottinghamshire and City of Nottingham Fire and Rescue Authority - Community Safety on Friday, 6th October, 2017, 10.00 am

Agenda and minutes

Venue: Fire and Rescue Service Headquarters, Bestwood Lodge, Arnold, Nottingham, NG5 8PD

Contact: Cath Ziane-Pryor  Email: catherine.pryor@nottinghamcity.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

10.

APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

Minutes:

None

11.

DECLARATIONS OF INTERESTS

Minutes:

None.

12.

MINUTES pdf icon PDF 324 KB

Of the meeting held on 30 June 2017 (for confirmation)

Minutes:

The minutes from the meeting held on 30 June 2017 were agreed as a true record and signed by the Chair.

13.

SERVICE DELIVERY PERFORMANCE pdf icon PDF 200 KB

Report of the Chief Fire Officer

Minutes:

Dan Quinn, Area Manager at NFRS provided Members with an update on the performance of the Service Delivery Directorate.

 

The following points were highlighted:

 

(a)  there have been 0 fire fatalities in this period;

 

(b)  Warsop achieved 97.3% Retained Duty System (RDS) availability, 7 out of 16 sections performed above 90%;

 

(c)  exercise planning is currently focusing on high-rise fires and basement fires. Two successful exercises have been run with North and South Districts putting in significant resources;

 

(d)  25 RDS trainee firefighters started training, all are due to complete training in November 2017;

 

Following questions from Members, further information was provided:

 

(e)  there has been a struggle to recruit and retain RDS staff in the Misterton and Collingham areas, however there are currently 14 interested candidates. A different approach was taken in this area, the Fire Service wrote directly to the community and focused on contacting those who had previously shown an interest;

 

(f)  the Service is looking at introducing more flexible and more innovative ways to retain RDS Staff such as shorter or more flexible contracts;

 

(g)  the service is looking at working with RAF bases and Army Bases, and recruiting service personnel as they leave the military. Student organisations are also being approached to promote the Fire Service;

 

(h)  neighbourhood action teams with Councils can work to promote the Fire Service particularly to BME residents;

 

RESOLVED to note the contents of the Service Delivery Performance Report.

14.

RISK REVIEW 2017 pdf icon PDF 173 KB

Report of the Chief Fire Officer

Minutes:

Wayne Bowcock, Deputy Chief Fire Officer at NFRS updated the Members on the review of new and existing site specific information on operational risks within Nottinghamshire.

 

The following points were highlighted:

 

(a)  Following the Grenfell Tower fire in London NFRS established a Serious Event Review Group (SERG) that requested all information on high-rise buildings is reviewed and, where necessary, refreshed;

 

(b)  As a result of this review the Operational Assurance team are reviewing all information held on category 3 and category 4 buildings  and work to identify any risks not already recorded as Site Specific Risk Information (SSRI) has begun. This work is considered a Service priority;

 

(c)  The reviewed and updated risk information will be accessible from mobile data terminals that are carried by crews to all incidents;

 

Following questions from Members, further information was provided:

 

(d)  There are certain buildings that crews are called out to more often than others. Buildings like the Victoria Centre flats are regularly attended and crews will do hazard spotting at the same time as attending an incident. This hazard spotting work is then fed back after the incident;

 

(e)  Crews likely to attend incidents at category 4 buildings, such as Victoria Centre, perform annual familiarisation visits and conduct their own risk assessments and service exercises help crews to become familiar with buildings.

 

RESOLVED to note the content of the report

 

15.

GRENFELL TOWER FIRE pdf icon PDF 177 KB

Report of the Chief Fire Officer

Minutes:

Wayne Bowcock, Deputy Chief Fire Officer at NFRS updated members on the work that has been carried out by the Service following the tragic fire at the Grenfell Tower Block, North Kensington, London.

 

The following points were highlighted:

 

(a)  It is believed that this tragic incident will result in wide reaching legislative changes;

 

(b)  Nationally there have been 400 buildings identified with similar aluminium composite materials cladding as that on Grenfell Tower block. Three of these buildings are within Nottinghamshire;

 

(c)  As a consequence of the Grenfell Tower fire NFRS will have carried out over 60 audits of tall building with the majority being broadly complaint with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRO);

 

(d)  The NFCC sends out daily situation reports which include details of audits completed nationally. The Serious Event Review Group acts as a centralised coordination point to ensure all information received is collated and all responses to requests for information are responded to in a timely manner;

 

(e)  NFRS is the enforcing authority for the RRO and it is the responsibility of the designated Responsible Officer (RO) to ensure compliance with the RRO. The RO is any person having control to some extent or the owner of tall residential buildings;

 

(f)  NFRS hosted a strategic briefing for housing providers, NHS, Clinical Commissioning groups, education providers and many other organisations with a view to ensuring the same consistent messages are being delivered across the county;

 

(g)  The Stay Put policy has received national attention and will be reviewed nationally. NFRS supports the statement issued by the NFCC stating that on the majority of occasions where there is a high rise fire staying put is the right thing to do. However, in the case where smoke is entering a flat, or there is fire in a flat then the resident would be advised to evacuate;

 

(h)  Control room staff have been given additional training in helping residents interpret the Stay Put policy safely;

 

(i)  There will be a number of reports coming to this Board updating Members on the progress of the review and enquiry;

 

Following questions from Members, further information was highlighted:

 

(j)  The NFCC recently issued a Sprinkler position statement which supports the use of sprinklers in all communal areas, and preferably in individual flats, of high rise buildings. NFRS fully supports this statement;

 

(k)   There are still concerns with regards to the private rented housing sector and some landlords willingness to assess and comply with fire safety regulations. Nottingham City Council is looking to a selective licensing  scheme for landlords which is working towards improving this situation;

 

(l)  Some social housing providers require all electrical equipment to be PAT tested within its properties, however this requirement is not universal across all providers and landlords;

 

RESOLVED to note the contents of the report.