Agenda item

Dan Quinn, Area Manager and Head of Service Delivery, presented the report which updates the Committee on Service Delivery Performance between 1 October and 31 December 2017.

The report includes the activity of the Service with the number and types of incidents responded to and the Retained Duty System (RDS) availability by station.

The following points were highlighted and responses provided to the Committee’s questions:

(a)  it should be noted that retained Warsop and East Leake Station staff achieved an exceptionally impressive availability of  97.35% and 96.29% respectively during the last quarter of 2017. The achievement of 80% or more is considered good against some national figures, so even where there has been a decrease in availability on the previous quarter’s figures, overall service availability is good. Detailed investigations into the factors behind lower performing stations is carefully considered and efforts made to address the issues behind lower availability;

(b)  for future reports, additional information will be included such as the number of incidents attended by each station. It is noted that although on call 100 hours per week, if only called out three or four times, this can result in as little as £17 per callout, which provides the Committee with a true sense of retained firefighters commitment to their communities;

(c)  on 1 July 2018 there will be a ‘Significant Incidence Response’ Service exercise which will include a fire in a high rise building. Members of the Authority will be provided with more details;

(d)  with regard to recruitment, the Service does attend jobs/recruitment fairs. More details are provided in a following agenda item but information from respective Councils on their fairs and recruitment events is welcomed;

(e)  in response to the point raised by members that several residents contributing to the East Leake Facebook page had commented and raised concerns that the valued First Responder service is no longer available, this voluntary element has been withdrawn at the suggestion of trades unions pending the outcome of the ongoing negotiations at a national level.  East Leake crews took part in the first responder scheme on a voluntary basis which was welcomed by the community due to its remote location and the length of time taken for paramedics and ambulances to arrive. The comments of Councillors and residents will be passed to the East Leake crews, along with the suggestion that if they wish to continue with First Responding on a voluntary basis, from the Services’ stance, the option is still available to them. Statistics on responding to incidents and the outcomes are held by East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) but information can be requested to try and gauge, what, if any adverse effects for citizens, including loss of life, can be identified by the service being withdrawn. This information will be circulated to members outside of the meeting.

Members of the Committee commended the high availability rates of Warsop and East Leake Station staff and requested that this is formally reflected in writing to the staff at these stations and each station which achieved an availability of 90% or more. It is understood that there are many factors which may influence availability which is not necessarily a reflection of staff commitment, which is not doubted.

RESOLVED

(1)  to note the report;

(2)  for Wayne Bowcock, Deputy Chief Fire Officer, to forward the Committee’s thanks and appreciation to staff at Retained Duty stations which have achieved an availability of 90% or more during the last quarter.