Agenda and minutes

Councillor John Wilmott

None

Last meeting held on 4 July 2014 (for confirmation)

The Committee confirmed the minutes of the meeting held on 4 July 2014 as a correct record and they were signed by the Chair.

Report of the Chief Fire Officer

Wayne Bowcock, the Deputy Chief Fire Officer, provided members with an update regarding the current performance of Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service (NRFS) in relation to prevention, protection and response.

The key issues brought to members’ attention were;

·  the performance figures for 2013/14 were generally good, with over achievement of targets in several areas. There were however three areas where there was an above 10% under achievement of targets:

• fatalities in primary fires;
• accidental dwelling fire deaths;
• fires in non-domestic premises;

·  due to the fact that the targets for fatalities in primary fires and accidental dwelling fire deaths are zero, a single death has a significant impact on the targets;

·  NFRS continues to measure performance against other similar fire authorities  to share information in areas where improvements can be made or where it could be of use to assist others to improve. Whilst the areas are similar in terms of geography and in population quantity, there are some stark demographic and specific population density differences which can contribute to performance variations

Several issues were raised and points made in the discussion which followed:

·  work is being undertaken with the managers of buildings to ensure that they are taking greater responsibility for unwanted fire signals;

·  the elderly with mobility issues are particularly vulnerable to fire risk, as are those who smoke. The use of ointments and creams which are petroleum based by the elderly can exacerbate any fire risk;

·  NFRS continues to lobby for the compulsory installation of sprinklers in new build properties;

RESOLVED to note the contents of the report and to support the work contained within it.

Report of the Chief Fire Officer

Wayne Bowcock, the Deputy Chief Fire Officer, introduced Emma Darby, Engagement and Partnership Officer, who provided members with an update regarding current prevention activity taking place within Gedling Borough Council as part of a multi-agency initiative.

The key points of the presentation were as follows;

·  current government policy encourages elderly people to live independently. 20% of the population in Nottinghamshire is over the age of 65. Whilst dwelling house fires are decreasing, the numbers of fires in the home of the elderly is increasing;

·  it is vital that a programme to reduce the amount of emergency care accessed by this group of people is embedded into any partnership agenda;

·  by accessing the Adult Social Care Framework database that contains the names and addresses of all Nottinghamshire citizens who are in receipt of social care, the Service is able to target interventions toward those most at risk and is therefore not reliant on referrals;

·  in partnership with Gedling Borough Council, the Service has adopted an approach to ‘make every contact count’. The Gedling Project pilot is a multi-agency initiative with Gedling Borough Council, the Police, EMAS and NRFS;

·  NFRS has a specialist risk reduction operative who works with the elderly to ensure that they have adequate fire protection in their home, that they are aware of the risk of fire, what precautions to take and are able to escape their property in the event of a fire. This operative works closely with Age UK and other specialist partners to gain an expertise in dealing with the elderly;

·  the risk reduction operative has received additional training to be aware of other risk areas for this demographic group and, where possible, address these risks whilst they are in the premises.  Where this is not possible they will refer on to appropriate services, this could be through First Contact or specialist contractors;

·  the Risk Reduction operative is competent to:

o  complete Home Fire Safety Checks, including the fitment of alarms and providing fire safety advice;

o  advise on home security, including the fitment of bolts and door chains, door and window alarms;

o  rectify hazards in the home, loose carpets rugs etc;

o  fit hand rails and other aids;

o  advise on electrical hazards, dangerous appliances and heating;

o  issue temporary emergency heating;

o  give advice on doorstep callers and the ‘Buy With Confidence Scheme’.

·  where there are specialised pieces of work (fitment of outdoor lighting) this could be referred on to local traders;

·  once the operative has visited and made the property safe, the householder will be ‘risk rated’. Those in the higher risk bracket will be placed on an ’observation list’ controlled by the local authority who will ensure that they receive follow up visits from local police beat teams and are checked on a regular basis by local services (Neighbourhood Teams, refuse collectors etc);

·  the Scheme will be evaluated, with a view to rolling it out further if it is successful;

In the discussion which followed, Members were in agreement that there was a huge need to get private landlords on board with such initiatives.

RESOLVED

(1)  to note the contents of the report and to support the work contained in it;

(2)  that the Deputy Chief Fire Officer be tasked with bringing an interim report evaluating the pilot scheme to a future meeting of this Committee.

Report of the Chief Fire Officer

Wayne Bowcock, the Deputy Chief Fire Officer provided members with an update Wayne Bowcock, the Deputy Chief Fire Officer provided members with an update regarding the current fire protection activity taking place;

·  Fire Protection has been reacting to investigations which have established that more needs to be done to support people living with dementia;

·  significant additional funding has been made available to care homes providing dementia care if they achieved the ‘Dementia Quality Mark’.  One of the criteria involves the provision of additional stimulus, which could be achieved by sensory decorations within the care home setting and could involve the use of combustible items. The interpretation of the guidance available and the need for operators of care homes to comply with other relevant legislation or guidance has been inconsistent;

·  the Service has liaised closely with Dementia Care to develop effective guidance for care homes.  The Service has also liaised closely with Nottinghamshire County Council to ensure that fire safety compliance can be achieved without affecting the opportunity for care homes to achieve the Dementia Quality Mark and the associated funding;

·  the Fire Protection Team has been working with care home operators to ensure that guidance and compliance is understood and interpreted appropriately.  The Service has a legal obligation as the primary authority to uphold the requirements of the Fire Safety Order.  Where care home operators have been unable, or unwilling, to follow advice or comply with informal notices the Service has the option to adopt a more formal approach;

·  Fire protection continues to support premises and responsible persons that provide care for people living with dementia who aspire to achieve the Dementia Quality Mark by providing guidance on how to achieve this while still meeting their legal obligations under the Fire Safety Order. 

RESOLVED to note the report and to support the work contained within it.

d within it.

Report of the Chief Fire Officer

Wayne Bowcock, the Deputy Chief Fire Officer, presented his report giving an appraisal of the fire that occurred at the University of Nottingham Jubilee Campus on 12 September 2014.

The key points drawn to the Committee’s attention were;

·  the GlaxoSmithKline Carbon Neutral Laboratory for Sustainable Chemistry on the University of Nottingham’s Jubilee Campus was approximately 70% complete at the time of the fire;

·  social media played a large part in attracting attention to the fire. The incident attracted National media coverage and the media was used to ‘warn and inform’ residents of nearby properties of the dangers of flying embers and action they should take to avoid problems from the smoke;

·  the incident was first reported at 20.36 pm and Control mobilised 12 appliances, 2 ariel ladder platforms, the Command Support Unit, the Incident Support Unit, 4 Station Managers, 1 Group Manager and a Media Liaison Officer;

·  during the initial stages of the incident, NFRS was supported by colleagues from Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service as part of the normal response arrangements. Assistance was also received from the Environment Agency, Severn Trent and Western Power as well as East Midlands Ambulance Service and the Police;

·  the incident was scaled down in the early hours with crews checking for ’hot spots’. Police Crime Scene Investigation and Fire Investigation began on Monday 15 September and the investigation is ongoing. It will include CCTV footage and witness statements;

·  there is significant interest in the incident due to the unique size and construction methods used in the building. The Building Research Establishment has been contacted and will be kept informed of developments. A structured debrief will take place with the commanders and representatives from other agencies who attended the incident. The findings from this will be fed back to the Operational Assurance Team;

·  University officials have praised NFRS for the professional way in which it dealt with the incident. Whilst the building has been lost there are no casualties or fatalities;

·  Peter Holland the Chief Fire and Rescue Advisor has been briefing the Fire Minister on the incident;

·  even though the incident had involved a lot of resources from NFRS the Deputy Chief Fire Officer was confident that it had not compromised the ability of the Service to deal with any other issues which had arisen in the County at the same time;

RESOLVED

(1)   to note the report;

(2)  that the Deputy Chief Fire Officer be tasked with keeping members up to date on the investigations into the cause of the fire.