Agenda item

Report of Chief Fire Officer

John Buckley, Chief Fire Officer, presented the report proposing that the scale of charges in relation to Special Service calls and the use of service facilities are revised.

It is noted that there has been no variation in charges for several years and that regular reviews are required.

Charges can only be made to the value of the cost of providing the service and cannot incorporate profit. When called, the Service will always attend.

Room hire needs to be charged at an appropriate rate relevant to users.

Where Special Services are repeatedly requested in preference to businesses carrying out maintenance and repair work, such as to lifts, charges could be considered, in line with other Fire and Rescue Services which charge businesses as a deterrent after a set number of call-outs. However, further careful consideration is required prior to any significant changes.

Councillors commented as follows:

(a)  the perception of citizens is that this is a free service and contributes to the Service’s credibility. If charges are to be made, this may negatively impact on reputation, particularly if citizens perception is that they will be charged by the Service for attending;

(b)  further financial information is required regarding attendance cost for special services, and the range of users and market rates for room hire;

(c)  with regard to room hire charges, venues need to compete against each other to maintain their premises, if the Fire and Rescue Service make virtually no charge, this can jeopardise the facilities of other community organisations as they will not receive bookings and income. Room bookings should be charged at the going market rates to ensure that other community facility providers which hire out rooms are not undermined;

(d)  it is a valid point that whilst the Service does not charge for animal rescue, farms are businesses and public funded service is being provided for free;

(e)  charging is wrong as citizens pay council tax;

(f)  it is disturbing that businesses which choose not to maintain their equipment, such as lifts, rely on the Service to rescue their clients when the lifts break down, on the basis that the Fire and Rescue Service is free and responds immediately, in preference to a paid for maintenance service. Maybe, as with roadside recovery, a charge could be made after a certain number of  incidents. This would encourage businesses to take maintenance more seriously;

(g)  in no way would the Service want to deter citizens from calling on it when in need;

(h)  caution should be exercised given that in one instance  a council started to charge for environmental services regarding rat problems, where the citizens did not want to be charged for the service, they did not report issues and the rat population expanded out of control. It is vital that citizens are not led to believe that they will be charged for fire and rescue services;

(i)  if charges were to be made to repeat negligent offenders, a charging process would be required and a method of funds recovery. However, to pursue the issue further could have more substantial financial implications.

RESOLVED

(1)  to support the proposed new charges for Special Services, as set out in Appendix B, and refer these onto the full Fire Authority for approval;

(2)  to support the proposal to recover the costs of attending Special Service incidents within the framework as follows and refer these onto the full Fire Authority for approval;

(i)  consider approval of charges for the containment and clearance of debris, spillages, discharges or leaks from a vehicle, storage tank or pipe would be made where the owner can be readily identified. With regards to vehicles following road traffic collisions, charging would only be considered after the conclusion of the emergency phase, and where the services provided go beyond that normally encountered from a collision – eg: clearance of a large load or tanker discharge;

(ii)  charges for the provision or removal of water would relate to flooding in premises that has been caused by a lack of appropriate maintenance or mistakes on the part of contractors.  For example, these could include insurable risks such as burst pipes and leaking roofs. Charges would not be made for flooding caused by inclement weather or other natural disasters;

(iii)  charges for effecting entry to a premise would apply in circumstances that would be best facilitated by a locksmith. They would not apply when the incident involves a vulnerable person – eg: elderly person or child, or where there is the potential for a fire, or other emergency to occur;

(iv)  charges for the removal of a dangerous structure would only apply where there is no risk to life, property or public infrastructure;

(v)  no charge will be made for rescuing animals;

(vi)  no charge will be made for lifting incapacitated persons;

(3)  to support the proposed new charges for the hire of rooms, as set out in Appendix C and refer these onto the full Fire Authority for approval;

(4)  to support the proposal to extend charging for the use of facilities to all Service premises and refer this onto the full Fire Authority for approval;

(5)  to approve the proposal to fully review fees and charges every three years, and to amend fees and charges to reflect inflationary changes in the interim years.