Agenda item

Report of the Chief Fire Officer

John Buckley, Chief Fire Officer, presented the report which informs the Authority of the outcome of the COVID-19 Thematic Inspection by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS), and provides an update of the Service’s ongoing efforts in supporting communities through the pandemic. The following points were discussed:

(a)  the results of the inspection which considered the Service’s response to COVID-19 during the period up to June 2020, were provided in an ungraded letter, a copy of which is attached to the report;

(b)  the thorough inspection provided an outstandingly positive response in every area inspected, for which everybody involved should be very proud;

(c)  two areas which were identified for further consideration by the service and the wider sector included that the Service:

  (i)  should determine how it will adopt, for the longer-term, the new and innovative ways of working introduced during the pandemic, to secure lasting improvements;

  (ii)  should update its plans, including business continuity plans, using the lessons it has learned from the pandemic to date;

(d)  an update of recent COVID-19 response work was summarised as follows:

  (i)  urgent care shifts completed for East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) 336;

  (ii)  urgent care patients transported 1,132;

  (iii)  medicine and food parcels delivered 12,137;

  (iv)  COVID-19 tests administered 392;

  (v)  vaccinations given 16,468;

  (vi)  signposting and befriending calls made 3,233;

(vii)  COVID testing centres built across the county 7;

(viii)  COVID testing volunteers trained 144;

  (ix)  staff seconded to support partner organisations 50;

(e)  the Central Government support grant is rapidly being spent but it is hoped that a further grant will be forthcoming;

(f)  although some areas of work have been temporarily delayed and paused, the Service continues to meet its statutory functions, and is enabled to provide community support under the remit of the Fire and Rescue Service Act 2004, Part 2, Section 11, which provides ‘Powers to respond to other eventualities’ where ‘the event or situation is one that causes or is likely to cause’….’one or more individuals to die, be injured or become ill’.

Comments from Authority members included:

(g)  all staff and managers were thanked by the Chair for helping the Service support communities whilst still fulfilling statutory functions;

(h)  it is suggested that members of the Authority are provided with copies of the updated activity to enable them to share it online to highlight the work of the Service during this period;

(i)  members of the Authority, welcomed the report and joined the Chair praising the flexibility and willingness of staff, unions and managers to enable such valuable collaborative work;

(j)  the temporary extension of the fixed contract staff who were initially engaged for prevention work is welcomed;

(k)  it is requested by members that those staff who had willingly been redeployed should receive a letter of thanks from the Chair on behalf of the Authority, particularly those involved in personally delivering more than 1,000 individual vaccinations.

Resolved to:

(1)  formally receive the outcome letter on the Thematic COVID-19 Inspection;

(2)  endorse the Chief Fire Officer’s approach and use of Fire and Rescue resources to support the strategic joint agency response to COVID-19.