Minutes:
As Chair of the Authority, Councillor Michael Payne made the following announcements:
Police and Crime Commissioner and Nottinghamshire County Council Elections
(a) elections are to take place on 6 May 2021 for both the Police and Crime Commissioner position and Nottinghamshire County Council. All members on the Authority who are standing, are wished good luck. Councillor Andrew Brown and Councillor Parry Tsimbiridis are not standing again and are thanked both on a personal level and on behalf of the Authority for their service. There will be a more formal acknowledgement at a future meeting;
(i) Councillor Andrew Brown has served on the Authority since the 2017 AGM, consistently acting in straight-forward, sensible and calm, diligent and professional manner, working closely with the Chair and Vice-Chair and seeking cross-party collaboration and consensus on issues prior to their submission to the Authority;
(ii) Councillor Parry Tsimbiridis has been a member of the Fire Authority on-and–off for many years. He speaks up for his values and beliefs which have come about as a result of his own experiences of living through some difficult regimes in his previous country of residence. He has, for several decades, provided a passionate and dedicated service to the County Council in standing up to support the most vulnerable people in society and he will be sorely missed in the community, at County Hall and the Fire Authority;
(iii) Councillor Andrew Brown thanked the Chair for his kind words, noted that he has seen many changes both within the Fire and Police Services and has enjoyed his time on the Authority and welcomed the collaborative approach and hoped that the legacy will live on;
(iv) Councillor Parry Tsimbiridis responded that the Fire Authority had been close to his heart for many years, and whilst he had enjoyed the time, he is also proud of the valuable achievements of the Authority, particularly with regard to promoting citizens’ safety, recruitment and inclusion;
Staff Activity and Community Support during the Ongoing Pandemic
(b) on behalf of Authority members and the Police and Crime Commissioner, the Chair thanked most sincerely all service staff for their excellent work to support communities during the COVID-19 pandemic and particularly the additional support provided beyond the usual roles, such as delivering food parcels, medication and clothing to vulnerable citizens, working with mortuaries, helping to deliver vaccinations, and supporting other emergency staff. Members of the Authority are proud and grateful that all staff, operational and office based, have been so keen to support their local communities. The effort has been matched by every sector of the emergency services, including the Police, Ambulance and NHS, for which citizens are also very grateful. Thanks also go to local trades union representatives, with whom the Authority has established a good relationship over several years, which added their support to the combined effort. The Strategic Leadership Team are to be recognised for all of their ongoing work and dedication, particularly throughout the pandemic. Fire Service staff have been a credit to the Service and their communities;
(c) Councillor Shuguftah Mumtaz, Chair of the Human Resources, supported the Chair’s appreciation and thanks, highlighting the wok of volunteer employees who have taken part in delivering more than 11,000 citizen vaccinations;
(d) Councillors Jonathan Wheeler, Sue Saddington, Vaughan Hopewell, and Sybil Fielding added their heartfelt thanks to staff, particularly for that witnessed in their specific constituencies, and also acknowledged the good work and contribution of retiring Councillors Andrew Brown and Parry Tsimbiridis, wishing them well in their retirement;
Covid-19 ‘recovery road map’
(e) the Chair reported the 4 stage COVID-19 ‘recovery road map’ announced by the Prime Minister, noting that the Chief Fire Officer and Strategic Leadership Team were considering implications, including the requirement for ongoing support of communities. Further consideration is to be given by the Clerk to the most appropriate method of conducting future meetings of the Fire Authority depending on whether the Government decides to extend the regulations permitting meetings to be held remotely. Representations have been made in support of an extension. Members will be kept informed;
The Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) White Paper
(f) the PCC review white paper is due to be published imminently and members will be informed accordingly. It is understood that there will be a specific reference to Fire and Rescue Services which may affect the governance arrangements of the Fire Authority. It is acknowledged that in Nottinghamshire, Police and Fire Service collaboration is working very successfully and could be held up as an example of good practice;
(g) Police and Crime Commissioner Paddy Tipping, informed the Authority that the white paper may possibly be issued next Thursday or after the budget, and that it will include a section on ‘Fire Service Reform’. However, once published, it will go out for consultation and it is unlikely that any significant amendments will be implemented for 12-24 months. The success of Police and Fire Collaboration in Nottinghamshire has proved that it can be done without the need to change governance arrangements;
Strategic Inclusion Board
(h) The Strategic Inclusion Board will meet after the Authority meeting today.