kent and medway fire and rescue authority · the impact of east sussex’s new policy on this...

KENT AND MEDWAY FIRE AND RESCUE AUTHORITY

Planning and Performance Committee

Tuesday, 19 July 2016

10.30 am

AGENDA

KENT AND MEDWAY FIRE AND RESCUE AUTHORITY PLANNING AND PERFORMANCE COMMITTEE

Tuesday 19 July 2016, 10.30 am Ask for: Stuart Ballard/Marie Curry Kent Fire and Rescue Service Headquarters, The Godlands, Tovil, Maidstone, ME15 6XB

Telephone: (01622) 692121 ext 8206/8291

Members:- Mr Chard (Chairman), Mr Tranter (Vice-Chairman), Mr Brazier, Mr Chittenden, Mr Davies, Dr Eddy, Mr Heale, Mrs Hohler, Mr Homewood, Mr Iles, Mr Maddison, Mr Parry and Mr Terry.

UNRESTRICTED ITEMS

(During these items the meeting is likely to be open to the public)

A Routine Business A1. Membership and Substitutes

A2. Declarations of Interest in Items on this Agenda

A3. Minutes of Meetings held on 12 May and 16 June 2016 (Pages 5-9)

B Items for Decision B1. Animal Rescue Service – Cross-Border Arrangements with East Sussex Fire and

Rescue Authority (Pages 11-15)

B2. Domestic Sprinkler Projects in Gravesham (Pages 17-21)

B3. Dementia Action Plan (Pages 23-29)

C Items for Information C1. New Dimensions Programme Update (Pages 31-35)

C2. Channel Tunnel Fire Investigation Report (Pages 37-40)

C3 Performance Update – April to May 2016 (Pages 41-74)

C4. Safety and Wellbeing Plan Implementation Update (Pages 75-78)

C5. Summer Fire Safety Campaign and Operational Preparations (Pages 79-84)

D Urgent Business (Other items which the Chairman decides are urgent)

E Exempt Items (At the time of preparing this agenda there were no exempt items. During any such items which may arise the meeting is likely NOT to be open to the public).

Stuart Ballard Clerk to the Authority 7 July 2016 Please note that any background papers referred to in the accompanying reports may be inspected by arrangement with the Lead/Contact Officer named on each report.


PLANNING AND PERFORMANCE COMMITTEE _____________________________

MINUTES of a meeting of the Planning and Performance Committee held at Kent Fire and Rescue Service Headquarters, The Godlands, Tovil, Maidstone on Thursday 12 May 2016.

PRESENT: - Mr N J D Chard (Chairman), Mr A V H Gulvin (Vice-Chairman), Mr M J Angell (substitute for Mr J A Davies), Mr D L Brazier, Dr M R Eddy, Mr P J Homewood, Mr S J G Koowaree, Mr T A Maddison, Mr S Manion (substitute for Mrs S V Hohler), Mr R J Parry, Mr N A Terry and Mr S A Tranter.

APOLOGIES:- Mr J A Davies and Mrs S V Hohler.

OFFICERS:- The Chief Executive, Miss A Millington; the Director, Operations, Mr S Bone-Knell; the Assistant Director, Channel Tunnel and Resilience, Mr P Flaherty; the Assistant Director, Community Safety, Mr M Adams; the Assistant Director, Finance, Mrs A Kilpatrick; the Assistant Director, Policy and Performance, Mr J Finch; the Assistant Director, Response and Training, Mr C Colgan; and the Clerk to the Authority, Mr S C Ballard.

UNRESTRICTED ITEMS 24. Membership and Substitutes (Item A1)

(1) The Chairman reported the death on 15 April of Mr Keith Ferrin MBE, a former Member of the Authority and Chairman of the Committee from 2009 to 2013. Members stood in silence as a mark of respect to Mr Ferrin.

(2) The Chairman reported that Ms C J Cribbon had recently resigned from the Authority because of ill-health, and that Kent County Council had appointed Mr T A Maddison to serve in her place. He welcomed Mr Maddison to the meeting.

(3) RESOLVED that the Authority place on record its thanks to Ms Cribbon for her contribution to the work of the Authority during her period of office.

25. Minutes (Item A3)

RESOLVED that the Minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 4 November 2015 be approved and signed by the Chairman as a correct record.

26. Kent Resilience Team – Update and Work Plan Priorities 2016/17 (Item B1 - Report by Assistant Director, Channel Tunnel and Resilience)

(1) The Committee received an update on the progress and achievements of the multi-agency Kent Resilience Team (comprising staff from the Authority, Kent Police, Kent County Council and Medway Council) since its formation in 2014, and considered the priorities for the Team’s Work Plan for 2016/17.

(2) RESOLVED that:-

(a) the priorities for the Kent Resilience Team’s Work Plan for 2016/17, as set out in the report, be approved;

(b) the remaining contents of the report be noted.

12 May 2016

27. Performance Update and Service Performance Targets for 2016/17 (Item B2 - Report by Assistant Director, Policy and Performance)

(1) The Committee received a report on the Authority’s performance during 2015/16 as well as its performance against the three-year average targets for the period 2015-18. The Committee also considered the proposed Service Performance Targets to be adopted for 2016/17, including a change to the definitions for life-threatening and non-life threatening incident types.

(2) RESOLVED that:- (a) the proposed strategic Service Performance Targets for 2016/17, as

defined in the first section of Appendix 1 to the report, be approved;

(b) the proposed amendments to the definitions for life-threatening and non-life threatening incident types (LPIs 143 i, 143 ii and 144 i), as set out in Appendix 1 to the report, be approved;

(c) the Authority’s performance during 2015/16 as well as its performance against the three-year average targets for the period 2015-18, as set out in Appendix 1 to the report, be noted;

(d) the other performance targets and indicators for 2016/17 onwards, as set out in the second section of Appendix 1 to the report, be noted.

28. New Fire Station Developments (Item C1)

(1) The Committee received a presentation from the Director, Operations, and the Assistant Director, Response and Training, on progress with the development of new fire stations at Rochester, including the Road Safety Experience (recently opened), Chatham (on part of the site of the existing Medway station), Ramsgate (where purchase of the site for the replacement station had just been completed), and proposed refurbishments and replacements of fire stations elsewhere.

(2) The Chairman reported that Mrs Lynne Kemp, Head of Property and Facilities, who had been instrumental in progressing the developments covered in the presentation, would shortly be leaving the Authority to take up a new role at the Houses of Parliament.

(3) RESOLVED that:-

(a) the contents of the presentation be noted with thanks;

(b) the Committee place on record its thanks to Mrs Kemp for her sterling service to the Authority and its best wishes to her for the future.

29. Primary Authority Partnership Update (Item C2 - Report by Assistant Director, Community Safety)

(1) The Committee was updated on the development of the Authority’s Primary Authority Partnerships since the start of the first scheme in 2014, and on the Authority’s support for the developing Kent ‘Better Business for All’ initiative.

(2) RESOLVED that the contents of the report be noted.

30. Emergency Services Mobile Communications Programme Update (Item C3 - Report by Assistant Director, Channel Tunnel and Resilience)

(1) The Committee received an update on the latest developments relating to the Emergency Services Mobile Communications Programme.


12 May 2016

31. Joint Kent Community Safety Team Update (Item C4 - Report by Assistant Director, Community Safety)

(1) The Committee received a report on the early work and successes, and future plans, of the Joint Kent Community Safety Team (a partnership between the Authority, Kent Police and Kent County Council) following its establishment in September 2015.


32. Operational Exercise Programme – May to November 2016 (Item C5 - Report by Assistant Director, Channel Tunnel and Resilience)

(1) The Committee received details of the Authority’s operational exercise programme. Members would be invited to observe exercises in their local area and the annual Service-level exercise.


33. Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm Regulations 2015 (Item C6 - Report by Assistant Director, Community Safety)

(1) The Committee received an update on the Regulations and on the work undertaken by the Authority to provide guidance and advice to landlords, and to distribute to landlords the large number of free smoke and carbon monoxide detectors which had been provided by Government.


34. Channel Tunnel Update (Item C7 - Report by Assistant Director, Channel Tunnel and Resilience)

(1) The Committee received an update on the latest Bi-National Exercise held at the Channel Tunnel; progress on the investigation into the Channel Tunnel fire on 17 January 2015; and recent changes to Eurotunnel’s management structure.

(2) RESOLVED that the contents of the report be noted. 35. Mr A V H Gulvin

(1) The Chairman paid tribute to Mr Gulvin as this was the last KMFRA meeting which he would attend before his retirement from the Authority.

(2) RESOLVED that the Committee place on record the Authority’s thanks to Mr Gulvin for his contribution to the work of the Authority since June 2011, and particularly as Vice-Chairman of both the Authority and this Committee for the past year.

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PLANNING AND PERFORMANCE COMMITTEE _____________________________

MINUTES of a special meeting of the Planning and Performance Committee held at Kent Fire and Rescue Service Road Safety Experience, Marconi Way, Rochester on Thursday, 16 June 2016.

PRESENT:- Mr D L Brazier, Mr N J D Chard, Mr J A Davies, Dr M R Eddy, Mr M C Heale, Mrs S V Hohler, Mr P J Homewood, Mr T A Maddison, Mr R J Parry, Mr N A Terry and Mr S A Tranter.

APOLOGIES:- Mr I S Chittenden and Mr S Iles.

OFFICERS:- The Chief Executive, Miss A Millington; the Director, Finance and Corporate Services, Mr C Kerr; the Director, Operations, Mr S Bone-Knell; the Assistant Director, Human Resources, Mrs K Irvine; the Assistant Director, Policy and Performance, Mr J Finch; and the Clerk to the Authority, Mr S C Ballard.

UNRESTRICTED ITEMS

1. Membership (Item 1)

The membership of the Committee for 2016/17 was noted.

2. Election of Chairman for 2016/17 (Item 2)

(1) Mrs Hohler moved, Mr Homewood seconded, that Mr Chard be elected Chairman of the Committee

(2) There being no other nominations, Mr N J D Chard was declared elected as Chairman of the Committee for 2016/17.

3. Election of Vice-Chairman for 2016/17

(Item 3)

(1) Mr Chard moved, Mr Homewood seconded, that Mr Tranter be elected Vice-Chairman of the Committee.

(2) There being no other nominations, Mr S A Tranter was declared elected as Vice-Chairman of the Committee for 2016/17.

LEAD/CONTACT OFFICER: Assistant Director, Response and Training - Chris Colgan TELEPHONE NUMBER: 01622 692121 ext 8232 EMAIL: [email protected] BACKGROUND PAPERS: None

Item Number: B1

By: Assistant Director, Response and Training

To: Planning and Performance Committee – 19 July 2016

Subject: ANIMAL RESCUE SERVICE – CROSS-BORDER ARRANGEMENTS WITH EAST SUSSEX FIRE AND RESCUE AUTHORITY

Classification:

Unrestricted

FOR DECISION

SUMMARY

This report requests Members’ approval to revised arrangements for the response to animal rescue incidents in Kent and Medway as a result of East Sussex Fire and Rescue Authority’s decision to charge its residents for this service. The report updates Members on existing partnership arrangements between the two authorities for this type of incident and outlines the impact of East Sussex’s new policy on this Authority.

RECOMMENDATION

Members are requested to:

1. Approve that provision be made to recompense East Sussex Fire and Rescue Authority for the provision of animal rescue services in the Authority’s area, pending the publication of the Authority’s next Safety and Wellbeing Plan.

COMMENTS

Background

1. The Authority has historically assisted the public in the rescue of large animals which have fallen or become trapped. In the past this was performed using various strops, winches and the ingenuity of attending crews. This close-proximity method sometimes put firefighters at risk from bites or kicks, or musculo-skeletal injuries from heavy lifting in awkward situations. It also tied up resources for long periods of time.

2. In 2002, Members agreed to purchase a purpose-built vehicle, the Animal Rescue Unit (ARU), which has off-road capability and a crane which enables a crew to deal with large animal rescues in a much safer way. The ARU is based at Faversham fire station, and operated by full-time firefighters based there.

3. The Authority has an agreement with East Sussex Fire and Rescue Authority (ESFRA) under Sections 13 and 16 of the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004 to provide mutual assistance and cross-border support for the delivery of emergency services. East Sussex Fire and Rescue Authority has an ARU based at their fire station in Crowborough (near Tunbridge wells), very close to the Kent border.

4. When a request is made by a member of the public to the Authority’s Fire and Rescue Control Centre (FRCC) for a large animal rescue, the nearest ARU to the incident is currently mobilised, whether this be from Faversham, Kent or Crowborough, East Sussex. Due to Crowborough’s location close to the Kent border it is more often the case that East Sussex provides support to animal rescues in Kent than vice versa.

Historical Demand

5. From 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2016 there were 297 mobilisations to large animal rescues within the Authority’s border. Table 1 on the next page breaks these mobilisations down into which authority attended, and to what category of incident:

Table 1

Attending fire and rescue service

Animal collapsed/medical assistance

Trapped Total

Kent 75 107 182

East Sussex1 28 87 115

East Sussex Fire and Rescue Authority Position

6. On 1 April 2016 ESFRA re-classified large animal rescue incidents into either “large animal trapped” or “large animal fallen down and unable to get up”. For incidents where a large animal has fallen down, they now charge members of the public in East Sussex if they mobilise the ARU to the incident, but do not charge for rescues involving large animals trapped.

7. ESFRA has informed the Authority that from 1 April 2016 it intends to charge the Authority for every mobilisation into Kent for large animal rescue, both trapped and fallen down.

8. Cross-border charging is an issue which is reserved to Members, and so this report has been brought to this Committee for decision.

Legal Opinion

9. Legal advice was sought by the Authority through Kent County Council, which confirmed that ESFRA has the power to charge the Authority for services provided under the Section 16 agreement. Indeed the Authority and London Fire Brigade currently have a reciprocal charging arrangement for cross-border support which was agreed by the Authority in December 2014 (Minute 32). Further advice stated that a fire and rescue authority may charge members of the public for animal rescue services (Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004, section 18A) at cost (no profit), except where the rescue:-

• takes place as part of a response to a fire or explosion;

• is part of the response to an emergency resulting from events of widespread significance;

• is a response to an emergency which has occurred as a direct result of severe weather;

• is a response to an emergency resulting from a road traffic accident.

1 The number of times East Sussex’s ARU booked in attendance at the incident is not known

10. Before imposing charges on the public, a FRA must carry out a public consultation exercise. ESFRA did this as part of its recent Integrated Risk Management Plan consultation.

11. The inference from this advice is that ESFRA has the power to charge members of the public for its animal rescue service subject to the conditions stated in paragraphs 9 and 10 above. However, as noted in paragraph 16 below, the Authority has historically taken a policy position that it will not charge for services. On this basis, it is recommended that the Authority should make provision to recompense ESFRA for the provision of animal rescue services in the Authority’s area, because it would be unacceptable for ESFRA to charge individual residents of Kent and Medway for services provided as part of cross-border support.

Interim Position

12. Since officers were made aware of ESFRA’s position, additional measures have been taken to ensure that the Authority’s ARU capability is used to respond to any incident anywhere in Kent wherever possible. This is intended to minimise any financial exposure to the Authority from the approach taken by ESFRA. Staff at Faversham have introduced a recall to duty system which aspires to provide 24/7 availability, so that incidents in the north and east of Kent will always receive the speediest response from the Authority’s own ARU.

13. Staff working within the peripatetic “Fifth Watch” are also being trained on the ARU to provide resilience cover. Once qualified they can be detached to Faversham to cover any shortfalls in availability.

14. Staff in the FRCC are challenging calls for assistance. Calls to incidents of large animals fallen down will be attended by the Authority’s ARU wherever the incident is in the county, as this type of incident is considered less of an emergency situation or risk to the animal’s life. Calls to a large animal trapped will still receive response from the nearest available ARU, whether Faversham or Crowborough, and the Authority will incur charges whenever ESFRA’s ARU has to be used.

15. These arrangements will be maintained at least until the issue can be considered as part of the Authority’s ongoing operational capability review. Any changes to provision will form part of a future Safety and Wellbeing Plan.

IMPACT ASSESSMENT

16. Based on historical data, ESFRA has estimated the cost of providing mutual assistance to the Authority for large animal rescue to be approximately £30k per annum. This is based on a rate of £282 + VAT per hour for vehicles, equipment and personnel. Members have always taken the stance that the Authority would not charge the public for services. There are no proposals in this report to alter this

stance, and one of the major reasons for this is that the cost of invoicing, collection and debt management often exceeds the income generated.

17. Large animal rescues often have a high profile in the media, and a degradation or cessation of the service could lead to a reduction in positive press coverage or in some cases even negative press for the Authority. A reduction or cessation of some large animal rescue services could also lead to members of the public attempting to rescue their own animals. This may place them at risk of serious injury and the loss or injury of their animals. This issue has been at the forefront of officers’ thinking in responding to this issue.

RECOMMENDATION

18. Members are requested to:

18.1 Approve that provision be made to recompense East Sussex Fire and Rescue Authority for the provision of animal rescue services in the Authority’s area, pending the publication of the Authority’s next Safety and Wellbeing Plan.

LEAD/CONTACT OFFICER: Area Manager, Technical Fire Safety – John Robertson TELEPHONE NUMBER: 01622 692121 ext 8301 EMAIL: [email protected] BACKGROUND PAPERS: None

Item Number: B2

By: Assistant Director, Community Safety


Subject: DOMESTIC SPRINKLER PROJECTS IN GRAVESHAM

Classification: Unrestricted

FOR DECISION

SUMMARY

This Authority has long recognised the benefit of designing safer housing, with one element of this being the installation of sprinklers. This report provides Members with the latest update on the progress being made in installing domestic sprinklers in Carl Ekman House, Northfleet, and also requests approval to support a further initiative with Gravesham Borough Council to install sprinklers in The Hive, Northfleet. It also provides an update on personal protection sprinklers.

RECOMMENDATIONS


1. Approve an extension of the Authority’s partnership with Gravesham Borough Council to install domestic sprinklers at The Hive, Northfleet, including provision of technical support and a funding allocation of £38k (paragraphs 10 to 12 refer).

2. Consider and note the remaining contents of the report, including the latest progress being made on installing domestic sprinklers in Carl Ekman House (paragraphs 2 to 9 refer).

COMMENTS

Background

1. Domestic sprinkler systems can make a significant contribution to housing safety, particularly in accommodation where residents may be vulnerable due to age, disability or lifestyle. Members have long recognised this and have supported a number of initiatives aimed at encouraging the installation of domestic sprinkler installations. One of the most recent initiatives has been to support Gravesham Borough Council (GBC) in a programme to install domestic sprinklers in Carl Ekman House.

Carl Ekman House, Northfleet

2. Carl Ekman House is a fourteen-storey block of flats, built in the 1960s, in the Northfleet area of Gravesham. The building is home to a range of occupants, a number of whom are known to the Service as being particularly vulnerable, single parents or having poor health.

3. The Authority has worked closely with GBC on a number of projects, and the Council has been particularly supportive of our domestic sprinkler work. Members will recall that in 2013 the Authority was approached by GBC to establish a partnership to install a domestic sprinkler system in in Carl Ekman House to protect the residents.

4. Given the safety benefits this project had to offer and the existing good working relationship with GBC, the Authority agreed that it would support the project both financially, in the form of a £40k grant to assist with the installation costs, and by providing specialist knowledge and practical support through a member of the Technical Fire Safety team.

Project Initiation

5. The project needed to overcome a number of early barriers before a programme of installing sprinklers in all flats could be finalised. Technical challenges included ensuring there were adequate water supplies and developing an installation method which was visually acceptable inside the flat and did not affect the structural integrity of the building. Initially many residents were not keen to have sprinklers installed in their flats. This was the result of the common misconceptions that they would leak, or that a fire in a single property would lead to all the sprinklers in the building operating.

6. The Authority’s technical advisor facilitated meetings with a national expert in water networks and sprinkler water supplies. A detailed assessment of the existing water supplies followed and the water supply provision for Carl Ekman house was certified as suitable for the intended sprinkler installations. The Authority supported GBC’s

project team to undertake a community engagement event aimed at winning the ‘hearts and minds’ of residents. This approach had proven successful elsewhere in the country and greatly helped residents to realise the benefits of sprinkler systems and provided them with reassurance that a single sprinkler head operating would not flood every flat. This was followed up with a number of individual visits to talk with residents who still had concerns.

7. Systems were installed in two ‘pilot’ flats in December 2013. This allowed for a complete test of the system design, installation, water supply and ‘making good’ after the installation. The completed systems were also tested to demonstrate compliance with the domestic sprinkler standard. On satisfactory completion and certification of the two ‘pilot’ systems, GBC were able to appoint a company to install the system throughout the building.

Installation Programme

8. As Carl Ekman House is a residential building in permanent use, GBC developed an incremental plan for installing the sprinkler systems. Systems were either installed as flats became vacant through natural turnover of residents or, in some cases, they moved residents into one of the pilot flats whilst the sprinklers were installed in their own flat.

9. The installation programme has progressed steadily from April 2014 and, at the time of writing, sprinkler systems have been installed in 53 of the 54 flats in the building. Discussions are ongoing with the residents of the final property.

Next Steps – The Hive, Hive Lane, Northfleet

10. Building on the success of the partnership with the Authority and the programme to install sprinklers in Carl Ekman House, GBC has identified a further building where they believe resident safety could be improved by installing domestic sprinklers. The Hive is an eight-storey building containing 48 flats. The resident profile is similar to that of Carl Ekman House, with a number of residents who are either vulnerable, known to the Service, or both.

11. GBC has approached the Authority to request that the current partnership is extended and have asked whether it would be possible for additional funding to be provided for this second project at The Hive.

Funding Support

12. Members will recall that the Authority has previously reserved funds from the Performance Reward Grant (PRG) to support domestic sprinkler initiatives and provide match-funding for particular installations. As there have been few requests for partnership funding in recent years Members agreed to use some of the existing

fund to support the Carl Ekman House initiative and £40k will be provided to GBC as the Authority’s contribution towards the c £320k sprinkler installation costs. There is therefore £38k of the original sprinkler support funding remaining. Members are asked to approve the use of this £38k to support GBC with the sprinkler installation project at The Hive.

Personal Protection Sprinklers (PPS)

13. Although not an appropriate provision for the two premises highlighted above, Members will be aware of the continued developments within the field of stand-alone sprinkler systems (Personal Protection Systems, or PPS).

14. These sprinklers can offer life-safety protection from fire to certain vulnerable individuals living alone. The background to the development of PPS involved an understanding of the underlying causes of fatal fires in dwellings, indicating that a significant percentage of victims are at greater risk due to physical and/or mental health impairment.

15. A typical risk profile would be a person who, because of these underlying health issues, spends the majority of time in either a bed or chair and who would be unable to easily escape in the event of fire. They could be in close proximity to the seat of a fire when clothing or bedding catches alight. The fire hazard can therefore be considered to be localised to a specific area within a dwelling. PPS is not suited to individuals who are mobile such as people living with dementia or ‘hoarders’.

16. PPS units offer a portable risk reduction measure, which means that they have the potential to be quickly installed to protect a vulnerable person and can also be moved or re-used as required. However, care needs to be taken to ensure that the risk profile of the vulnerable person is appropriate for this type of system.

IMPACT ASSESSMENT

17. Given the location and tenure of the flats in Carl Ekman House and The Hive, the installation of domestic sprinkler systems will improve the safety of the residents in those buildings. The initiative also highlights the Authority’s partnership with GBC and emphasises both organisations’ commitment to improving housing safety wherever possible.

18. The projects will have a positive impact on people who may be vulnerable due to age, disability or lifestyle.

19. Extending the existing partnership with GBC and providing support for The Hive project will have two resource impacts for the Authority, both of which can be addressed from within existing provision. The staff impact arising from providing technical advice and partnership support will be met through the Technical Fire

Safety team. As detailed earlier, financial support for the project will be funded from the remaining sprinkler support budget.

RECOMMENDATIONS


20.1 Approve an extension of the Authority’s partnership with Gravesham Borough Council to install domestic sprinklers at The Hive, Northfleet, including provision of technical support and a funding allocation of £38k (paragraphs 10 to 12 refer).

20.2 Consider and note the remaining contents of the report, including the latest progress being made on installing domestic sprinklers in Carl Ekman House (paragraphs 2 to 9 refer).

LEAD/CONTACT OFFICER: Assistant Director, Community Safety - Martin Adams TELEPHONE NUMBER: 01622 692121 ext 7750 EMAIL: [email protected] BACKGROUND PAPERS: None

Item Number: B3

By: Assistant Director, Community Safety


Subject: DEMENTIA ACTION PLAN

Classification:

Unrestricted

FOR DECISION

SUMMARY

Dementia is now recognised as one of the biggest global health and social care issues of our generation. The Government is committed to improve dementia care; to make the country more understanding of dementia; to find out more about the condition; and to find new treatments which delay onset, slow progression, and even cure this disease of the brain.

This Authority shares a commitment to ensure that it continues to provide the very best levels of service to those considered to be the most vulnerable within our communities, and has therefore developed a Dementia Action Plan to highlight the work undertaken to support the Prime Minister’s Dementia Challenge. The Plan also recognises that many of our staff will also be touched in one way or another by dementia and it is appropriate therefore that we provide them with the necessary support and understanding.

RECOMMENDATION


1. Approve the Dementia Action Plan, which will be embedded into the Authority’s new Community Safety Strategy. (paragraph 9 and Appendix 1 refer).

COMMENTS

Background

1. The effect of dementia on people’s lives can be catastrophic. Those coping with dementia face the fear of an uncertain future, while those caring for them can see their loved ones slipping away. Dementia also takes a huge toll on our health and social care services. With the number of people with dementia expected to double in the next 30 years and predicted costs likely to treble to over £50 billion, the world is facing one of the biggest global health and social care challenges – a challenge as big as those posed by cancer, heart disease and HIV/AIDS.

2. In 2012, the Prime Minister established the ‘Prime Minister’s Dementia Challenge’, a national challenge to fight dementia. It laid out a programme of action to deliver sustained improvements in health and social care, create dementia-friendly communities, boost dementia research and, most importantly, raise the general awareness of this disease.

3. As a result of this programme, over 1 million people are now trained as Dementia Friends to raise awareness in local communities, and over 400,000 NHS staff, and over 100,000 social care staff, are now trained in better supporting people with dementia.

4. By 2020, the dementia challenge group has an aspiration to ensure that England is the best country in the world for dementia care, and support and for people living with dementia, as well as the best place in the world to undertake research into dementia and other neurodegenerative diseases.

5. The Authority has also stepped up to this challenge, and has been proud to lead the work within the fire and rescue service nationally with regard to promoting this programme. The Director, Operations, chairs the thematic group for public services.

6. This is an important issue for the Authority as it impacts on people’s safety. A significant number of dwelling fires are attributable to forgetfulness and memory loss, particularly when cooking or smoking, and the number of incidents attended directly attributable to dementia is anticipated to increase over the next five years. Additionally, people living with dementia, particularly in the latter stages, would find it difficult to escape safely from the home if a fire occurs.

7. Members of the Authority’s Home Safety Team are all trained to recognise the signs of dementia, and are able to provide additional support in terms of advice and equipment to allow people living with this condition to live at home for longer. They also make referrals to partner agencies such as Age Concern, for example, to ensure all of the support mechanisms are put in place to assist the individual.

Dementia Action Plan

8. In 2014, Members of the Authority provided their support for the ‘Dementia Pledge’. The purpose of this was to publicly demonstrate this Authority’s commitment to providing greater dementia care, and to:

• Publicly demonstrate the Authority’s commitment to improve;

• Benchmark the service against best practice;

• Develop small improvements into cultural change; and

• Demonstrate and share achievements.

9. In order to ensure that dementia is considered in all parts of the organisation’s everyday working practices, and to also ensure that the Authority continues with its commitment to the Prime Minister’s Dementia Challenge, a Dementia Action Plan has been developed (Appendix 1). The Plan will ensure that the Authority continues to provide the highest levels of service to all members of our community, particularly those that are considered to be most vulnerable.

10. At its meeting on 16 June 2016 (Minute 10), the Authority agreed to extend the life of the Authority’s five primary strategies to spring 2018. It is proposed that the Dementia Action Plan will be embedded into the Authority’s new Community Safety Strategy, when it is produced. However, due to the importance of dementia care to the Authority, the action plan is presented as an addendum to the existing strategy.

IMPACT ASSESSMENT

11. Dementia is widely recognised as being one of the biggest global health and social care challenges. The Authority has developed a Dementia Action Plan as a commitment to support the Prime Minister’s Dementia Challenge. In doing so, knowledge and understanding of dementia throughout the organisation will develop and improve, ensuring that the highest levels of support will be provided for dementia sufferers in their homes, as well as their carers and families. Advice on how to keep such people safe from fire and other hazards will be provided, and the Authority’s community safety staff will ensure that they continue to explore advances in technology and ideas to support people to remain in the comfort of their own homes for longer.

12. The Plan also highlights that there may be occasions when staff will require additional support and facilities to care for family members living with dementia.

RECOMMENDATION


13.1 Approve the Dementia Action Plan, which will be embedded into the Authority’s new Community Safety Strategy (paragraph 9 and Appendix 1 refer).

Appendix 1 to Item No: B3

Kent Fire and Rescue Service Dementia Action Plan

Introduction

With an ageing population dementia is one of the largest challenges facing our society. In 2008, there were 700,000 people with dementia in the UK; by 2038 that figure is expected to rise to 1.4 million. This is an important issue for Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) as it impacts on people’s safety. For example, a significant number of dwelling fires are attributable to forgetfulness when cooking, smoking and using combustible materials. Dementia has a significant effect upon memory, and it is anticipated that the number of fires associated with forgetfulness will increase exponentially. Additionally, people living with dementia, particularly in the latter stages, would find it difficult to escape safely from the home if a fire occurs.

There is a growing commitment across agencies and organisations to support individuals living with dementia. There is wide recognition that a growing number of service users will be affected by dementia in the years to come.

KFRS strives to support people with dementia to ensure they can live at home with a good quality of life for as long as possible. In order to achieve this we want to ensure all of our services and policies accommodate people living with dementia and their carers.

The action plan is designed to ensure that people living with dementia:

• Know where to go for help;

• Know what service they can expect;

• Are encouraged to seek help early;

• Are offered appropriate support;

• Are involved in the decisions about the services and support we provide.

In order to achieve these objectives we will ensure our staff have a good understanding of dementia and the effect it has on the person and their carers. We know that many of our staff will be touched in one way or another by dementia and we will provide them with the support they need.

Dementia is a major concern for our partners in the health sector. We will continue to work closely with them to identify opportunities to work together to improve services. We will also innovate where possible to ensure we exploit any new field of medical or social care available where applicable – this could apply equally to our operational response as well as community safety.

KFRS is a member of the Kent and Medway Dementia Action Alliance working towards making Kent a dementia-friendly community. On a national level, the service continues to take a leading role In delivering the Prime Minister’s Dementia Challenge – the Director, Operations, chairs the thematic group for public services.

Policies

Through the People Impact Assessment we ensure that all of our strategies and policies take dementia into account. This applies in particular to our Human Resources (HR), operational emergency response and prevention (community safety) policies.

Our HR policies recognise that some of our staff will be caring for people living with dementia and we will provide managers with the knowledge and flexibility to accommodate the needs of these staff – although never to the detriment of the services we provide.

Our community safety strategy and policies are customer-focused. Dementia is a significant factor which increases risk in the home. We will work with our partners to provide advice and interventions to lower that risk as far as we can.

We recognise that when we respond to emergency incidents the people involved may be living with dementia. We will ensure our operational procedures, and the equipment we use, take dementia into account and provide dignity, care and the best possible outcomes for these individuals. Our operational staff are provided with training and guidance to ensure our operational response is appropriate to people living with dementia.

Partnerships

We recognise that we cannot provide the right care and support to people living with dementia alone. We will therefore continue to develop and foster partnerships with both public sector and third sector providers. We will refer or signpost our customers to the most appropriate agency to meet their needs.

KFRS will continue to actively support the dementia action alliances working towards making Kent a dementia-friendly community.

Training

We will:

• Incorporate dementia training into our induction programme for all staff;

• Encourage all staff to become ‘Dementia Friends’;

• Increase the number of ‘Dementia Friends Champions’ to ensure good representation across our workforce;

• Ensure dementia awareness is embedded into operational training relevant to casualties and rescues;

• Provide further training via e-learning to ensure our staff have the skills and knowledge to undertake specific roles;

• Provide enhanced training for our community safety teams who are most likely to come into contact with people living with dementia;

• Provide information to all staff via the intranet, including how to recognise symptoms and where and how to signpost or make referrals.

Buildings

We will consider during the design stage of all new-builds or any station refurbishments how to make them dementia-friendly. This will include the building structure, accessibility, and facilities provided to our staff and visitors.

We will provide adaptations and upgrades to existing buildings where it is practical to do so. We will prioritise any buildings with public access.

Branding

We will utilise the Dementia Friends brand to publicise our support. This may include our website, social media, buildings and vehicles as relevant opportunities to identify services which are dementia-friendly. Identifying stations and crews which have achieved relevant training will help the public to recognise ‘safe places’ for dementia advice and support.


Item Number: C1



Subject: NEW DIMENSIONS PROGRAMME UPDATE

Classification:

Unrestricted

FOR INFORMATION

SUMMARY

This report updates Members on the review being undertaken on behalf of the Department for Communities and Local Government and the Chief Fire Officers’ Association which is looking at the vehicles and equipment that make up the New Dimensions fleet, originally supplied by Government to meet the increased threat from terrorist attacks. This report also updates Members on the three-year operational assurance programme for Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) teams and specifically the Authority’s own position within this process. Finally, the report includes an update on the recent reclassification of the United Kingdom International Search and Rescue team, which includes staff from the Authority’s USAR team.

CONCLUSION


1. Consider and note the contents of the report.

COMMENTS

Background

1. The National Resilience programme was set up in response to the 9/11 terror attacks in 2001 and provided a number of key fire and rescue authorities (FRAs) across the country with suitably-equipped Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) teams to respond to major incidents involving collapsed structures and serious transport incidents.

2. Each key FRA was supplied with a range of specialist vehicles and equipment that make up the New Dimensions fleet to enable them to respond anywhere in the country in a co-ordinated approach with fellow FRAs. The capability also includes the ability to respond to attacks requiring the mass decontamination of a large number of people, as well as wide-scale flooding across the country. Last year, the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) and the Chief Fire Officers’ Association (CFOA) commissioned a review of the capability and assets required for the national response to Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, explosive (CBRNe) attacks which included the procedures for mass decontamination.

3. In addition to the USAR provision for incidents at home, the United Kingdom International Search and Rescue Team (UKISAR) provides a UK Government-sponsored team that is available to be deployed to sudden-onset disasters overseas, normally involving search and rescue from urbanised areas. The team comprises staff from 15 FRAs that work in two groups on a rostered on-call basis under the governance of the CFOA and deployed on behalf of the Department for International Development (DFID), Foreign and Commonwealth Office, or the Cabinet Office.

USAR New Dimensions Asset Review

4. The first New Dimension vehicles to be supplied to FRAs were Incident Response Units (IRUs), a total of 65 being provided across the country to enable the decontamination of large numbers of people affected by any terrorist CBRNe attack that might take place. This Authority has two IRUs, situated at Ashford and Thanet (Westwood Cross site). The FRAs carry out mass decontamination on behalf of the Department of Health (DoH).

5. Following a significant amount of modelling work undertaken by the DCLG Analytical Unit, one of the outcomes in 2015 from the DCLG/CFOA review of CBRNe capability was that, in line with updated National Resilience planning assumptions, the number of IRUs should be reduced nationally by 22, from 65 to 43. Neither of the Kent-based IRUs were earmarked for removal under the plan and so the Authority currently continues to maintain both vehicles.

6. DCLG at that time also requested that future CBRNe capability be developed to provide mass decontamination utilising frontline fire appliances in order to meet the DoH requirement for a faster decontamination response. It was suggested that

should such a revised capability be developed, to a level acceptable to the DoH, the remaining 43 IRUs would be phased out during 2016/17.

7. This review work is currently ongoing and is now under the auspices of the Home Office. Interim information from officers’ attendance at National Resilience user group meetings is that the proposed alternative to IRU decontamination utilising frontline appliances may not entirely meet DoH requirements so the retention of the remaining IRUs is now being considered. Members will be kept updated as to the outcome and subsequent impact, if any, on the Authority’s current IRU capability.

Urban Search and Rescue Operational Assurance process

8. In March 2015 the National Resilience Board approved the introduction of a capability-specific assurance process. The process aims to provide assurance that national USAR capabilities provide an effective and proportionate response to incidents and to also measure the extent to which FRAs hosting USAR teams meet specific assurance criteria. The process is based on a three-phase programme, over three years, and will be assessed on the evidence collected and an assessment of practical competence:-

• Year 1 (2015/16) - FRA USAR team self-assessment

Completion of self-assessment based upon Phase 1 of the USAR Concept of Operations - Team Preparedness; FRAs are required to self-evaluate against a range of statements and submit evidence that supports their judgement outcomes.

• Year 2 (2016/17) – National Resilience Assurance Team (NRAT) USAR capability practical assurance

Operational assurance planned and conducted by NRAT, based upon a series of question sets and practical scenarios designed to allow USAR teams to demonstrate their technical competence.

• Year 3 (2017/18) - Participation in a national exercise

Operational assurance of a USAR Group response based on an operational scenario that will be developed and managed by NRAT.

KMFRA Position on Year 1 (2015/16) and Year 2 (2016/17)

9. Year 1 (2015/16) FRS USAR team self-assessment - Officers completed and submitted the self-assessment in February 2016. FRAs were requested to assess current performance and provide evidence on USAR team preparedness against a total of 25 statements. This enabled FRAs to identify and review organisational strategies, policies, training and procedures that support USAR assets and operations as well as identifying areas of good practice or any gaps in capability.

FRAs were required to apply a rating of ‘Developing’, ‘Established’ or ‘Advanced’ and to supply evidence to support their rating.

10. The Authority’s USAR team was deemed ‘Established’ in 22 areas; and ‘Advanced’ in the 2 areas of ‘Specialist Skill Sets’ and ‘Airwave Radio Communications’. ‘USAR team canine capability’ was deemed as being ‘Developing’. Members will recall that with the retirement of the previous search and rescue dog, the Authority no longer has this capability. FRAs have been advised to delay further development of canine capability and recruitment until new national guidance is produced and longer term funding becomes clear.

11. Year 2 (2016/17) - NRAT USAR capability practical assurance – Together with a team from Avon FRA, the Authority’s USAR team undertook this practical element of operational assurance at the Fire Service College on 21 April 2016. A team of 10 personnel plus a USAR Tactical Advisor attended and were required to demonstrate a full range of USAR skills over an eight hour period.

12. The practical exercise coincided with an ambulance service Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) exercise, with both agencies working effectively together. A number of scenarios tested various elements including command and co-ordination; logistics; rope work; technical search; chainsaw; hot gas working; lifting and moving;, and confined space working. The team also had to complete a short written exam testing their understanding of USAR procedures.

The national Year 2 practical assurance process will not be completed until January 2017, when all USAR teams will have been assessed, after which time formal feedback will be issued. The immediate ‘hot wash’ debrief on the day of the assessment was very complimentary of the Authority’s USAR team and the actions and knowledge of personnel. As a consequence the team have been requested to attend future practical assurance exercises as assessors.

United Kingdom International Search and Rescue (UKISAR) Reclassification

13. UKISAR has previously been classified by the International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG) as a ‘heavy rescue’ capability. This requires them to be able to breach the strongest of reinforced concrete and metal, and also be proficient in a range of technical applications including rope, confined space, chainsaw operation and hot gas cutting. The classification criteria has a total of 132 separate requirements including the ability to cross borders, maintain welfare arrangements, and humanitarian aspects. As part of the INSARAG reclassification programme a UKISAR team, including six staff from the Authority’s USAR team, attended a large, complex exercise over a 48-hour period during which the full team capability was assessed by external classifiers. The exercise took place in Weeze, Germany in May 2016.

14. The teams faced extremely arduous and challenging circumstances, with little sleep over the period of the exercise, and were confronted with a number of scenarios based on the search and rescue of a ‘collapsed university’ with persons trapped and missing. The assessment covered areas such as the setting-up of a ‘base of operations’ and accommodation; command and control; medical provision; and decontamination procedures.

15. The team were judged as outstanding against 132 different areas of the checklist and six areas of best practice were identified. The CFOA UKISAR National Co-ordinator has commented that this achievement confirms UKISAR’s status as one of the best ISAR teams in the world.

IMPACT ASSESSMENT

16. The New Dimensions fleet and USAR capability provides a resilient response to the threat of terrorist attacks and major incidents for the benefit of the public. Should an alternative, faster method of decontamination using frontline fire appliances be introduced there will be a need to dispose of the two IRUs currently located with this Authority.

17. Whilst this would alleviate the current workload associated with maintaining these vehicles and equipment, there would be an increased training commitment on all operational staff as well as any associated costs for new equipment that may be needed as a result of the change.

18. The impacts from both the USAR operational assurance programme and UKISAR reclassification are positive in terms both of confirmation that the Authority’s teams are performing at the highest standard, and of reassurance to the Government that national USAR capabilities can provide an effective and proportionate response to incidents and meet specific assurance criteria.

CONCLUSION


19.1 Consider and note the contents of the report.

LEAD/CONTACT OFFICER: Assistant Director, Channel Tunnel and Resilience - Paul Flaherty TELEPHONE NUMBER: 01622 692121 ext 8202 EMAIL: [email protected] BACKGROUND PAPERS: None

Item Number: C2

By: Assistant Director, Channel Tunnel and Resilience


Subject: CHANNEL TUNNEL FIRE INVESTIGATION REPORT

Classification:

Unrestricted

FOR INFORMATION

SUMMARY

This report updates Members on the findings and recommendations of the recently published official report into the fire in the Channel Tunnel on 17 January 2015. There are seven recommendations in the report for Eurotunnel to progress.

CONCLUSION



COMMENTS

Background

1. On 17 January 2015 a serious fire occurred on a freight shuttle in the Running Tunnel North (RTN – UK to France line) of the Channel Tunnel which completely consumed two heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) that were being transported on the shuttle, and caused damage to rolling stock, railway infrastructure and the tunnel lining. It also severely disrupted rail services through the Channel Tunnel and on the nearby road networks for several weeks afterwards.

2. The burning freight shuttle was stopped in the French half of RTN, approximately 16km from the French portal, and required the deployment of both French and UK First Line of Response (FLOR) and Second Line of Response (SLOR) teams, under the command of the French authorities. Following the incident, a number of investigations have been initiated by various authorities, some of which are still ongoing (see paragraph 8 below).

Fire Investigation

3. The UK Department for Transport’s Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) has been working with the Bureau d’Enquetes sur les Accidents de Transport Terrestre (BEA-TT), the body responsible for the investigation of railway accidents in France, to jointly investigate the circumstances surrounding the fire. Since the train stopped in the French section of the tunnel, the investigation has been led by BEA-TT.

4. The joint investigation has worked to establish an accurate timeline and the sequence of events and factors that led to the fire. It has reviewed the design history of the HGV carrier wagon involved, sought to understand how the event was managed, and assessed the effectiveness of tunnel safety systems and procedures.

5. The fire was caused by the arcing of a vehicle aerial with the 25,000 volt overhead catenary. This started a fire in the cab of a lorry which then spread. There are systems to check the height of aerials as vehicles are loaded on to the trains but in this instance they did not pick up the presence of this particular aerial type. This aspect of the safety systems has been considered in the report and recommendations made to improve safety and security.

6. Following the fire, Eurotunnel (ET) has reviewed and updated the procedures that are applied following a catenary-arcing event near the entrance of the tunnel, with the intention of reducing the consequences of any fire that may result. ET is also considering other control measures to reduce the probability of catenary-arcing events.

7. RAIB and BEA-TT have now published their Technical Investigation Report which includes their findings and recommendations. Whilst there are still other investigations ongoing, this is the last investigation that will have any significant

impact on the FLOR and the Authority’s personnel. It is the RAIB that have collated the evidence and made recommendations associated with the firefighting response.

8. As well as the RAIB/BEA-TT investigation, there are three other investigations into the fire of 17 January which are worthy of note:-

(a) The Channel Tunnel Inter-Governmental Commission has given instructions for a further investigation which will examine ET’s management of disruptive incidents. Particular focus will be placed on ET’s management of information (to the public and other organisations) during the disruption; its arrangements for restoring normal operations; and how it learns lessons from these disruptive incidents.

(b) A French judicial investigation was started as a matter of course following the incident to determine whether there had been any breach of French law but this has been closed without further action identified.

(c) The Office of Rail Regulation is investigating whether there has been any breach of UK Health and Safety legislation, as the initial incident (the arcing of the vehicle aerial) occurred at the UK portal to the tunnel.

Report Findings

9. The full report can be made available to Members on request, but the following recommendations are the most relevant to the Authority’s’ role in providing fire and rescue services at the Channel Tunnel site. The report has seven recommendations for ET. The following is an overview of the recommendations that either officers have contributed to, or that may have an effect on how the FLOR and SLOR should operate in the future:-

(a) Recommendation R3 – Limiting the likelihood of a train on fire stopping outside the SAFE Stations.

Members will be aware that, following the 2008 fire, ‘SAFE Stations’, fitted with ‘sprinkler’ systems designed to prevent small fires becoming larger, and to allow the FLOR and SLOR to evacuate affected trains before firefighting operations commence, were installed in four 800-metre sections of tunnel. On this occasion it was not possible to stop the train at one of the ‘SAFE Stations’. The report suggested that a fire is unlikely to be stopped quickly if a train does not stop within a ‘SAFE Station’.

(b) Recommendation R6 – Control of work done by external bodies - BEA-TT and the RAIB invite ET to reflect on the reasons behind the continued delay in reinstating power supply to the ventilation plants.

This issue relates to the fixed installations within the tunnel, i.e. the power supply to the supplementary ventilation system (SVS) and securing that power in the event of a fire. The more general comment here is on the time it

took to commence firefighting operations. The French-led SLOR effort to extinguish the fire began 3½ hours after the train had first stopped.

Comparisons with the 2008 fire have been drawn where such operations commenced 2 hours after the train had stopped, but this was deemed too long by the report into that fire. The focus of this recommendation is not on the efficiency of the firefighting operations, but rather on the non-use of the ‘SAFE Stations’ and their importance in containing the spread of a fire as raised in Recommendation R3.

(c) Recommendation R7 – Optimising the use of the emergency transport system - Availability of Service Tunnel Transport System Drivers (STTS):

The STTS vehicles are the special vehicles used within the Service Tunnel. They are used both as emergency vehicles to transport firefighters and their equipment in to the Service Tunnel and as maintenance vehicles. The French SLOR is reliant on ET providing STTS drivers. The UK SLOR has a number of trained STTS drivers which means that we are not reliant on ET providing them to us in the event of an emergency.

IMPACT ASSESSMENT

10. ET is contractually required to provide STTS drivers if there is a request to drive the UK SLOR underground. The Authority has never relied on this provision choosing, with ET’s agreement, to train a number of staff from surrounding stations to drive the STTSs. This policy will continue to ensure greater resilience.

11. The Authority’s personnel do train with their French colleagues on a regular basis and the relationship between the UK and French FLOR teams is very good. Joint training will increase, particularly around breathing apparatus procedures and fire behaviour training, in addition to search and rescue techniques and tactics.

12. The report makes no comments on the firefighting tactics used to tackle the fire other than the logistics in conveying the SLOR teams to the scene of the incident. It does refer to the ‘Salamander’ operation which was developed in response to the 2008 fire, but only in terms of its limited use by ET in this instance and the non-use of the ‘SAFE Stations’, which might have contained the fire more effectively until such time as the SLOR commenced their firefighting operation. The response and actions of the UK FLOR and SLOR were in accordance with their training and specified procedures.

CONCLUSION 13. Members are requested to:


LEAD/CONTACT OFFICER: Assistant Director, Policy and Performance – James Finch TELEPHONE NUMBER: 01622 692121 ext 8454 EMAIL: [email protected] BACKGROUND PAPERS: None

Item Number: C3

By: Assistant Director, Policy and Performance


Subject: PERFORMANCE UPDATE - APRIL TO MAY 2016

Classification:

Unrestricted

FOR INFORMATION

SUMMARY

This report, together with Appendix 1, provides Members with an update on how the Authority has performed against all the strategic service delivery indicators during the April to May 2016 period. Due to the timing of this report a verbal update will be given at the meeting in respect of performance during June 2016.

CONCLUSION



COMMENTS

Summary of Performance

1. The Authority’s strategic performance targets were agreed by this Committee at its meeting in April 2016 (Minute 27) and incorporated into the Corporate Plan. This report and Appendix 1 provide an update on how the Authority has performed against the targets relating to service delivery for the first two months of 2016/17 (April – May 2016). A verbal update on performance for June will be provided at the meeting. Performance relating to workforce and the environment is reported in more detail to the General Purposes Committee.

2. Most of the targets agreed by the Authority refer to an improvement in average performance over a three to five year period. This year, 2016/17, is the second year within this medium term reporting period. There was a considerable increase in fire activity last year which can be attributed to outdoor fires as a result of the hot dry weather we experienced. Because of this, the three-year projections currently appear to be over target for the majority of indicators. However, the purpose of the three-year targets is to allow for fluctuations in operational activity, and two more years of incidents at the expected levels should allow for performance to align to the targets set.

Service Delivery Performance Indicators

3. The Authority has attended 733 fires so far this year, which represents a 10% decrease when compared to the same period last year. The three-year average projection currently stands at 3,824 fires which is higher than the target. So far this year (Apr-May 2016), the level of fire activity has been in line with the levels we would expect and therefore performance is considerably better than the same period last year

4. Accidental fires accounted for 54% of the total fires attended and 14 people suffered injuries as a result of those fires. This is 2 casualties less than in the same period last year. So far this year there have been no fatalities in accidental fires. There have also been 3 people seriously injured resulting from deliberate fires, which is 3 serious injuries more than in the same period last year.

5. During the first eight months of 2015 (Jan-Aug), 426 people died or suffered serious injuries as a result of road traffic collisions (RTCs) in Kent and Medway, 51 fewer than during the same period of the previous year.

6. So far this year, 76.6% of life-threatening incidents have been reached within 10 minutes and 87.6% within 12 minutes. Overall performance is therefore lower than the targets set for these indicators. Non-life threatening incidents have been reached within 15 minutes on 94% of occasions, slightly lower than the target of 95%.

IMPACT ASSESSMENT

7. Comprehensive and reliable data allows the Authority to assess performance accurately, identify and rank areas of priority, steer policy development, and direct resources and activity to ensure that the Authority’s plans are delivered effectively.

8. Performance results provide public assurance that the Authority is successfully preventing fires and accidents happening in the first place.

CONCLUSION

9. Members are requested to: 9.1. Consider and note the contents of the report.

Appendix 1 to Item No: C3

Service Delivery Performance Update

1 April – 31 May 2016

Kent Fire & Rescue Service

Theme: Focus on your safety

Aspiration By 2020 there are zero deaths and far fewer injuries from fires. By 2020, to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured in road crashes by 33%, and the number of children killed or seriously injured by 40%, compared with the 2004-08 average.

Statement of purpose The purpose of this theme is to ensure that the number of people killed or injured from fires or in road crashes in Kent and Medway continues to decline. It is recognised that the numbers are very small and are subject to variation from one year to the next.

The focus of this theme is on prevention and protection.

Management Action Plan The following projects which form part of this theme are included within the 2015-17 Corporate Plan:

• Introduce a road safety centre at Rochester • Improve post-incident customer care • Introduce new website • Explore opportunities for joint agency working • Develop a corporate policy on security • Introduce new process for community safety commissioning and evaluation

Summary of performance The Authority has attended 90 accidental dwelling fires (ADFs) so far this year (Apr–May), 15 less than during the same period last year. The current long term projection, built using performance data from the past four years, indicates that the steady decline seen over the past 15 years is likely to come to an end soon. Current projections to the end of the year suggest that the Authority is likely to attend 582 fires in 2016/17. If projected performance for the three-year period of 2015-18 is achieved, the Authority would attend an average of 580 ADFs per year or 8.0 ADFs per 10,000 dwellings which would be 1.4% higher than the three-year average target. So far this year, 14 people have suffered injuries as a result of accidental fires, which is 2 casualties fewer than during the same period last year (Apr–May). 10 out of the 14 casualties occurred in ADFs and the majority (78%) suffered only minor injuries. During the same period last year, 13 people suffered injuries as a result of ADFs. The Authority continues to work with partner agencies to reduce the number of people who are killed or suffer injuries in road traffic collisions (RTCs). This includes all incidents reported by the Police and not only those attended by the Authority. The Authority regularly reports performance against the two targets agreed by the Kent and Medway Road Casualty Reduction Group in December 2010, which were, by 2020, to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured in road crashes by 33%, and the number of children killed or seriously injured by 40%, compared with the 2004-08 average. Provisional data available for the Jan–Aug 2015 period shows that the number of those killed or seriously injured (KSI) in RTCs has decreased in Kent and Medway compared to the same period last year (51 fewer).

On Kent’s roads, 32 people have been killed and 349 suffered serious injuries as a result of RTCs during the Jan-Aug period of 20151. During the same period, 1 child was killed and 26 children were seriously injured on Kent’s roads.

In Medway 1 person died and 44 people suffered serious injuries during the Jan-Aug period. There were no child fatalities during this period but 4 suffered serious injuries on Medway’s roads during Jan-Aug 2015.

Performance indicator Current

performance Apr – May 2016

Projected 2015-18 avg performance

Projection against 3 year avg targets2

LPI 134 - Fatalities/Casualties in accidental fires per 100,000 pop’n

0.79 (14 fatal/casualties) N/A N/A

LPI 105 - Accidental dwelling fires per 10,000 dwellings 1.24 (90 fires) 8.00 (580 fires)

LPI 136i – People killed or seriously injured in road traffic collisions

Jan-Aug 2015 Performance

426 fatal/casualties N/A N/A

LPI 136ii – Children killed or seriously injured in road traffic collisions

Jan-Aug 2015 Performance

61 fatal/casualties N/A N/A

1 The data for this indicator is collected and published by Kent County Council and Medway Council. The performance is reported on the basis of calendar years with Feb 2015 being the latest information available. Figures refer to draft data for the first two months of 2015. 2 The figure indicates how the projected performance for the three year period up to the end of March 2015 compares with the target set for the end of that period. When projected performance (given by the long-term trend line and affected by current performance) is better than the 3-year average target for 2012-15 a tick () will be presented. An arrow () would indicate that, although projected performance is worse than target, the difference between the performance and the target is within the parameters defined by the 95% confidence levels and therefore there is a good chance that the target will still be met. Only when the projected performance is worse than the target and the difference between projected performance and target is also outside the confidence levels, a cross () will be displayed. This would indicate that, even if the trend line shows an improvement, the pace of improvement will need to increase in order to meet the 3-year average target.

Theme: Focus on business

Statement of purpose The purpose of this theme is to ensure that the Authority works with partners to protect and grow the economy in Kent and Medway. If unemployment goes up in the area as businesses fail, then the risk of people dying or being injured in fires also goes up. Helping businesses to flourish in the current economic climate is therefore an important objective for the Authority and its partners. The current focus is on protecting businesses from the effects of fire, reducing risks, removing burdens where possible and reducing false alarms.

Management Action Plan The following projects which form part of this theme are included within the 2015-17 Corporate Plan:

• Implement new Premises Risk Management system • Introduce new business advice service

Summary of performance The Authority attended a total of 41 fires in non-domestic premises in the first two months of this year, which is in line with performance during the same period last year. The long-term trend indicates that the decrease in activity is unlikely to continue in the future, although this will have been affected by the increase in fires in prisons during 2015-16, which appear to have stabilised so far this year. A continuing decline in these incidents will likely see performance reach the targets set for the three years.

The Authority attended 327 calls to Automated Fire Alarms (AFAs) during Apr–May 2016, 97 more than during the same period last year. The majority of the unwanted calls attended (65%) occurred during the day (6am to 6pm) and, of those, 85% originated from domestic premises. Performance indicator Apr- May 2016

performance Projected

2015-18 avg performance

Projection against 3 year

avg targets LPI 103 - Fires in non-domestic properties per 1,000 non-domestic properties

0.79 (42 fires) 5.1 (275 fires)

LPI 145 – Unwanted calls to AFAs attended 327 calls N/A N/A

Theme: Responding to emergencies Statement of purpose The purpose of this theme is to ensure that the Authority provides an excellent emergency service whenever needed. Projects include initiatives to improve the efficiency as well as the quality of emergency response. Management Action Plan The following projects which form part of this theme are included within the 2015-17 Corporate Plan:

• Develop new fire stations • Introduce new Premises Risk Management system • Review operational capability • Introduce a new computer system for taking emergency calls and mobilising • Procure new station mobilising equipment and mobile data terminals • Increase flexibility of operational working patterns • Carry out a second review of emergency response provision • Explore opportunities for greater integration with other blue light services • Introduce new firefighting tactics and responses to road traffic collisions • Introduce more compact fire engines into the fleet • Improve post-incident customer care • Introduce new operational policy framework including standard operating procedures

Summary of performance Response times are measured through a combination of two different performance indicators that were introduced in April 2012 after being approved as a result of consultation through the Safety Plan. One indicator measures the percentage of times in which life-threatening3 incidents are reached within 10 and 12 minutes. The Authority’s performance against these indicators has been 76.6% and 87.6% respectively in Apr–May 2016, both below the target. The second indicator measures response times to non-life threatening incidents4. This measures the percentage of incidents reached within 15 minutes of the first mobilisation being made. In Apr–May 2016 performance against this indicator has been 94.2%, which is slightly below the target. Performance indicator Current

performance Apr – May 2016



avg targets LPI 143 - Response times5 to life-threatening incidents

10 min: 76.6% 12 min: 87.6% N/A N/A

LPI 144 - Response times to non- life threatening incidents 15 min: 94.0% N/A N/A

3 Life-threatening incidents include all fires in dwellings, non-residential and other residential properties (excluding chimney fires) as well as road traffic collisions where extrication or medical assistance is required, any emergency special service incident where life was at risk or any incident where a casualty was recorded. 4 Any incident not falling into the life-threatening category (including false alarms) excluding animal rescues, co-responder incidents, officer only incidents and normal road speed attendance incidents. 5 Response times are measured from the time the first resource is mobilised to the time the first resource books in attendance at the address provided. In a small number of cases this is not the final address for the incident, for example if the caller provides the wrong address.

http://www.kent.fire-uk.org/about_us/plans,_policies__performance/corporate_plan/additional_information/rerp.aspx

http://www.kent.fire-uk.org/about_us/plans,_policies__performance/corporate_plan/additional_information/premises_risk_management.aspx

http://www.kent.fire-uk.org/about_us/plans,_policies__performance/corporate_plan/additional_information/operational_capability_review.aspx

http://www.kent.fire-uk.org/about_us/plans,_policies__performance/corporate_plan/additional_information/taking_999_calls.aspx

Theme: Workforce strategy Statement of purpose The purpose of this theme is to implement the new workforce strategy which will ensure we continue to have a well-trained, flexible workforce which is able to meet the changing demands placed upon the Authority.

Management Action Plan The following projects which form part of this theme are included within the 2015/16 Corporate Plan:

• Increase flexibility of operational working patterns • Introduce crewing with fewer than four • Implement the new payroll and HR system • Introduce new intranet and migrate to new document management system • Review operational training facilities • Review of on-call firefighting

Progress against this theme

Progress against this theme is reported to the General Purposes Committee.

Performance indicator Current performance

Apr – May 2016



avg targets LPI 500 – Incident rate of RIDDOR reportable incidents 4 N/A N/A

LPI 406 – Absence Rate 2.94% N/A N/A

Theme: Caring for the Environment Statement of purpose The purpose of this theme is to ensure that the Authority protects the environment and contributes to Kent and Medway remaining a pleasant place to live. The focus is on protecting the environment during operational incidents and from the effects of our business. Work therefore includes actions to reduce risks from fires and other emergencies as well as reducing carbon emissions from our use of vehicles and buildings.

Management Action Plan The following projects which form part of this theme are included within the 2015/16 Corporate Plan:

• Continue the carbon management programme • Continue to review and improve environmental protection • Introduce energy saving solutions as part of new station builds • Replace fuel tanks

Summary of performance The Authority has attended 733 fires so far this year (Apr–May 2016), 10% less than during the same period last year. The three-year average projection stands at 3,824 fires which is 2.5% higher than the target.

A large increase in fires during the first six months of 2015-16 has impacted the projections for the three-year averages, making most of the targets appear unachievable. So far this year (Apr-May 2016), the level of fire activity has been in line with the levels we would expect and therefore performance is considerably better than the same period last year. The number of grassland fires and rubbish fires are heavily influenced by periods of long dry summer weather. If the levels of activity remain at lower levels this year and next, the three-year average targets should be achievable.

Progress in delivering the Caring for the Environment Strategy is routinely reported to the General Purposes Committee.

Performance indicator Current performance

Apr – May 2016



avg targets LPI 100 – Total fires per 10,000 population 4.65 (733 fires) 21.67 (3,824

fires)

LPI 128 – Accidental fires per 10,000 population 2.23 (393 fires) 13.92 (2,456

fires)

LPI 101 – Deliberate fires per 10,000 population 1.93 (340 fires) 7.78 (1,372

fires)

Detailed performance update

How to read the tables: 2012/13 2013/14

2014/15

2015-18 Projection

(3-year avg) KFRS Results 7.76 (562 fires) ↑ 8.31 (602 fires) ↓ 8.28 (600 fires) ↑ 7.44 (550 fires) ↑

KFRS Rank

N CIPFA N CIPFA N CIPFA 3-year target 4/45 1/16 5/45 2/16 N/A N/A

1 Where performance for the year is among the top 25% of results (the upper quartile) the cell is coloured green, performance among the middle ranking results (the inter-quartile range) is coloured amber, and performance among the lowest 25% of results (the lower quartile) is coloured red. 2 This model was developed by CIPFA to aid local authorities in comparative and benchmarking exercises. This model allows users to generate family groups based upon a wide range of socio-economic indicators. The CIPFA Nearest Neighbours Model adopts a scientific approach to measuring the similarity between authorities, taking factors such as the social and physical characteristics of the authorities into account. The CIPFA Nearest Neighbours Model which includes this Authority also includes: Hampshire, Essex, Lancashire, Derbyshire, Staffordshire, Hertfordshire, Suffolk, Devon, West Sussex, Cheshire, Nottinghamshire, Humberside, Hereford & Worcester, Northamptonshire and Norfolk. 3 The figure indicates how the projected performance for the three year period up to the end of March 2018 compares with the target set for the end of that period. When projected performance (given by the long-term trend line and affected by current performance) is better than the 3-year average target for 2012-18 a tick () coloured green will be presented. An arrow coloured amber () would indicate that, although projected performance is worse than target, the difference between the performance and the target is within the parameters defined by the 95% confidence levels and therefore there is a good chance that the target will still be met. Only when the projected performance is worse than the target and the difference between projected performance and target is also outside the confidence levels, a red cross () will be displayed. This would indicate that, even if the trend line shows an improvement, the pace of improvement will need to increase in order to meet the 3-year average target. N/A = not available.

The pro rata incident rate for comparative purposes as defined by each LPI title

Our LPI result for the year

Our relative position compared to other FRAs that year, with 1 being the best

Our actual value/score for that year

The arrow shows how our performance compares to the previous year. ↑ = better, ↔ = same, ↓ = worse.

Green cell = upper quartile, amber = inter-quartile, red = lower quartile1

Our position compared to all 46 FRAs in England

Our position compared to the 15 other Authorities in the CIPFA Nearest Neighbours Model2

Projection for the three year period3

This page has ben deliberately left blank

LPI 100 - Total number of calls to fire (excluding false alarms) per 10,000 population

2013/14

2014/15

2015/16 2015-18 Projection (3-year avg)

KFRS Results 24.06 (4,325 fires) ↓ 21.33 (3,821 fires) ↑ 24.3 (4,292 fires) ↓ 21.67 (3,824 fires) ↓

KFRS Rank


The Authority has attended 730 fires so far this year, 10% less than during the same period last year and 1.6% less than the average number attended over the past three years.

In Apr-May 2016, the Authority attended 99 grassland fires compared to 180 in the same period last year. This represents a 45% decrease.

The three-year average projection currently stands at 3,824 fires or 21.67 per 10,000 population. This projected performance is 2.5% higher than the three-year average target for 2015-18. The projected performance is being affected by the high levels of activity experienced in the first few months of 2015/16.

Risks Although the Authority attended the lowest number of fires ever recorded (3,821) in 2014/15, this was followed by a large increase in activity in 2015/16. Although the figures so far this year show a decrease compared to the same two months last year, the long term trend is now starting to plateau.

The chart on the next page shows that the trend line, which has been built with performance data for the past four years, is now starting to even out and the declining trend looks set to be coming to an end. The three-year average target is still achievable if the remaining years experience a lower level of activity than that seen in 2015/16.

LPI 128 – Accidental fires per 10,000 population

2013/14

2014/15 2015/16 2015-18 Projection (3-year avg)

KFRS Results 14.08 (2,462 fires) ↓ 12.90 (2,256 fires) ↑ 13.90 (2,450 fires) ↓ 13.92 (2,456 fires) ↓

KFRS Rank


Accidental fires account for 54% of the total number of fires attended by the Authority. So far this year there have been 393 accidental fires, 8% fewer than during the same period last year. The main reason for this decrease has been the fall in the number of accidental outdoor fires (mainly weather-related) from last year to this year. In addition, accidental vehicle fires experienced an increase, to 86 during the first two months of 2016/17 from 64 in the same period last year.

Risks The chart on the next page shows the long term trend line, which indicates that the declining trend is unlikely to continue in the coming years. However the level of activity is still within the confidence boundaries and therefore, it is still possible to achieve the three-year average target by March 2018.

LPI 101 – Deliberate fires per 10,000 population

2013/14


KFRS Results 10.48 (1,833 fires) ↓ 8.95 (1,565 fires) ↑ 10.40 (1,842 fires) ↓ 7.78 (1,372 fires) ↑

KFRS Rank


The Authority has attended 340 deliberate fires so far this year (Apr–May), which is 12% less than during the same period last year. This increase is solely due to a reduction in the number of outdoor fires this year compared to last.

The three-year average projection currently stands at 1,372 deliberate fires or 7.8 per 10,000 population. This performance is 14% better than the three-year average target for 2015-18.

Risks The long term trend shows that the three-year average target is likely to be achieved. However, this trend line is strongly influenced by the sharp decline in deliberate fires experienced over the past four years to date. As the number of these fires decreases, the scope for further improvements reduces accordingly and this means that the slope of the trend line (as shown by the red line in the chart on the next page) is likely to flatten in the near future.

LPI 105 –Accidental fires in dwellings per 10,000 dwellings

2013/14


KFRS Results 8.31 (602 fires) ↓ 8.28 (600 fires) ↑ 7.80 (580 fires) ↑ 8.00 (580 fires) ↓

KFRS Rank


There have been 90 accidental dwelling fires (ADFs) so far this year, 15 less than the number attended during the same period last year. Current projections indicate that the Authority could attend a total of 582 ADFs this year and an average of 580 over the three-year period of 2015-18. If achieved, this performance would be 1.4% higher than the three-year average target for 2015-18.

10 people have suffered injuries, 3 serious and 7 minor, as a result of those fires. During the same period last year, 13 people suffered injuries as a result of ADFs.

Risks Over the past ten years the Authority has successfully reduced the number of ADFs from 868 in 2005/06 down to the all-time low of 561 attended in 2012/13. However, annual fluctuations in the numbers of ADFs attended are expected since the figures are now very low. It is therefore difficult to predict whether further improvement is likely to be achieved. This is reflected in the long-term trend line in the chart on the next page which shows that the steady decline in ADFs is starting to flatten out.

The Authority’s three-year forecast performance for this indicator is within expected fluctuations and this means that the three-year target is achievable.

LPI 134 – Fatalities and non-fatal casualties in accidental fires per 100,000 population

2013/14 2014/15 2015/16 Apr – May 2016

KFRS Results 5.67 (98 fatal/cas) ↑ 4.58 (80 fatal/cas) ↑ 5.20 (91 fatal/cas) ↓ 0.79 (14 fatal/cas)

The accidental fires attended by the Authority in Apr–May 2016 resulted in a total of 14 casualties, 78% of which were only minor. This is 2 casualties fewer than during the same period last year. So far this year there have been no fatalities in accidental fires.

3 people have been seriously injured and one person slightly injured in deliberate fires so far this year, which is 3 serious injuries more than during the same period last year.

Risks The numbers of people killed or injured in fires are very small and tend to fluctuate; it is therefore difficult to identify a trend.

The number of accidental fatalities/casualties this year has remained in line with the number during the same period last year.

LPI 103 – Fires in non-domestic premises per 1,000 non-domestic premises6

2013/14 2014/15 2015/16 2015/18 Projection (3-year avg)

KFRS Results 5.75 (300 fires) ↓ 5.21 (274 fires) ↑ 5.90 (313 fires) ↓

5.18 (275 fires) ↓

The Authority has attended a total of 42 fires in non-domestic premises so far this year, 6 fewer than during the same period last year. The projected performance for the three-year period 2015-18 currently stands at 275 fires or 5.18 per 1,000 population. If achieved, this performance will be 5% higher than the three-year average target. This indicator has been hugely impacted by the increase in fires in prisons during 2015-16. A continuing decline in these incidents will likely see performance reach the targets set for the three years.

Risks The long-term trend indicates that the decrease in activity is unlikely to continue in the future, although this will have been affected by the rise in prison fires. The upper limit of incidents is now very limited and caution should be taken with the trend line depicted in the chart on the next page due to the small number of incidents involved.

6 Non-domestic premises include residential properties other than dwellings (hotels, B&B or residential homes) as well as non-residential properties such as offices, retail and industrial establishments, warehouses, hospitals, sporting venues, entertainment and cultural premises, religious venues and those used by public administration.

LPI 145 – Unwanted calls to Automatic Fire Alarms attended

2013/14 2014/15 2015/16 Apr – May 2016

KFRS Results 1,657 calls↑ 1,440 calls↑ 1,667 calls↓ 327 calls

The Authority attended 327 calls to automatic fire alarms (AFAs) during the Apr–May 2016 period. The majority (65%) of the unwanted calls attended occurred during the day (6am to 6pm) and, of those, 84.5% originated from domestic premises.

Risks The Authority has seen a huge decrease in the number of AFAs attended since the policy was introduced, from just over 3,000 attendances in 2012/13 down to 1,440 in 2014/15. Although further reductions are still achievable it is likely that the pace of improvement will slow down.

LPI 136 i – People killed and seriously injured (KSIs) in road traffic collisions (RTCs)7

LPI 136 ii – Children killed and seriously injured (KSIs) in RTCs8

7 2015 figures are provisional only 8 2015 figures are provisional only

2012 2013 2014 Jan – Aug 2015 LPI 136 i 575 ↑ 650 ↓ 716 ↓ 426 LPI 136 ii 51 ↓ 51 67 ↓ 61 The Authority is reporting performance against the targets for the number of people killed or seriously injured (KSI) as agreed in December 2012 by the Kent and Medway Road Casualty Reduction Group (CaRe), which are:-

(a) By 2020, achieve a 33% reduction in the number of Killed or Seriously Injured in RTCs, compared with the 2004 to 2008 average of 824;

(b) By 2020, achieve a 40% reduction in the number of children Killed or Seriously Injured in RTCs, compared with the 2004 to 2008 average of 77.

Performance against these two targets is calculated using all incidents reported by the Police and not only those attended by the Authority. On Kent’s9 roads, 32 people have died and 349 have suffered serious injuries as a result of RTCs during Jan-Aug 2015. One of the fatalities was a child. In Medway, during Jan-Aug 2015, one person died and 44 people suffered serious injuries.

The most recently published statistics by the Department for Transport10 indicate that the number of people killed in RTCs nationally in the year ending September 2015 increased by 3% compared to the year ending September 2014. In contrast, the number of people injured decreased by 3% during the same period compared with the previous year. Motor traffic levels also rose by 2% in the period from Oct 2014 – Sep 2015 compared with the previous 12-month period. The national trend in child road deaths and serious casualties was downwards: 8% less for the year ending September 2015 compared to the previous 12 months.

Risks During 2013 and 2014, the Authority experienced an increase in the number of KSIs compared with the numbers reported in 2011 and 2012. Although the figures for the first eight months of 2015 are promising, the agreed targets for 2020 still appear to be very challenging. Members of the CaRe group, including Kent County Council, Medway Council and Kent Police, are developing intervention actions to reverse this trend.

9 Provisional figures. 10 “Reported Road Casualties in Great Britain: Quarterly Provisional Estimates year ending September 2015” published in February 2016. https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/401295/quarterly-estimates-jul-to-sep-2015.pdf

LPI 143 i & LPI 143 ii – The percentage of life-threatening emergency incidents attended within 10 minutes (top chart) and 12 minutes (bottom chart)11

11 Response times are measured from the time the first resource is mobilised to the time the first resource books in attendance at the address it was mobilised to as stated in Operational Memo G16.

Category Number of incidents Within 10 minutes Within 12 minutes 2015/16 Apr – May

2016 2015/16 Apr – May

2016 2015/16 Apr – May

2016 Dwelling Fires 629 103 84.7% 84.5% 91.9% 92.2% Non Residential Fires 436 74 79.6% 78.4% 87.6% 83.8% Other Residential Fires 30 11 83.3% 81.8% 93.3% 90.9% Other Fires 46 11 60.9% 54.5% 73.9% 81.8% RTCs 624 97 69.4% 63.9% 80.8% 80.4% Other Special Service 508 78 80.5% 80.8% 88.2% 92.3% All 2,273 374 78.1% 76.6% 86.8% 87.6% Over the Apr-May period, the Authority responded to life-threatening incidents within 10 and 12 minutes on 76.6% and 87.6% of occasions respectively, which is lower than the target for both indicators.

Risks The ongoing work to develop more flexible ways of crewing which is being undertaken as part of the variable crewing project will deliver a more effective and generally improved operational response. The development of new stations will also improve response times in some areas. However, these are medium term projects and therefore the outcomes of these developments are not likely to have an impact on response times in the short term.

LPI 144 – The percentage of non life-threatening emergency incidents attended within 15 minutes

Category Number of incidents Within 15 minutes 2015/16 Apr – May 2016 2015/16 Apr – May 2016

False Alarms 4,519 823 95.1% 94.6% Fires 2,874 518 92.3% 94.6% Special Services 954 164 93.2% 90.8% All 8,347 1,505 93.9% 94.2%

Glossary

Item

Description

Call A request for assistance by the public or any other body or agency made to the fire and rescue service. For reporting purposes this is only emergency calls into the control centre.

CIPFA Group This model was developed by CIPFA to aid local authorities in comparative and benchmarking exercises. This model allows users to generate family groups based upon a wide range of socio-economic indicators. The CIPFA Nearest Neighbours Model adopts a scientific approach to measuring the similarity between authorities, taking factors such as the social and physical characteristics of the authorities into account. The authorities included in our CIPFA group are: Hampshire, Essex, Lancashire, Derbyshire, Staffordshire, Hertfordshire, Suffolk, Devon & Somerset, West Sussex, Cheshire, Nottinghamshire, Humberside, Hereford & Worcester, Northamptonshire and Norfolk.

Fatality An individual who is deceased as a result of an incident, even though a doctor may not have certified them as such.

First Aid An individual who, as a result of an incident, is administered oxygen. Individuals who receive first aid will always be recommended to seek medical advice.

Incident Any call to which the Service sends a response. As a lot of people may call us about the same incident, this number is always lower than the number of calls we receive.

Killed or Seriously Injured (KSIs)

Includes all killed or seriously injured in road traffic accidents on public roads in the Kent and Medway area. The definition of “killed” and “seriously injured” are given in the Department for Transport (DfT) document Road Casualties Great Britain and Stats 20 – Instruction for the Completion of Road Accident Reports.

Life-threatening incident

All fire incidents in dwellings, non-residential premises or other residential premises (residential homes, hotels etc.) where the fire is not a chimney fire. All RTC incidents excluding those recorded as being: wash down road, advice only, or no action.

Non-domestic premises

Non-domestic premises include residential properties other than dwellings (hotels, B&B or residential homes) as well as non-residential properties such as offices, retail and industrial establishments, warehouses, hospitals, sporting venues, entertainment and cultural premises, religious venues and those used by public administration.

Non-fatal casualty An individual who suffered serious or slight injuries as a result of the incident.

Non-life threatening incident

All fire incidents not categorised as life-threatening (see above). All special services apart from those RTCs included as life-threatening (see above).

Precautionary check

An individual who, as a result of an incident, is advised to seek medical advice because it is unclear whether medical intervention or further medical treatment is required.

Response Times The response time is the difference between the time the first resource is mobilised and the time the first resource reaches the address to which it was mobilised.

Serious injury A life-threatening injury which may require major medical intervention. Serious injuries include severe burns, clinical shock, overcome by gas or smoke, fractures, severe concussion, etc.

Slight injury A physical injury or symptom which requires medical intervention. Slight injuries include slight burns, smoke inhalation, psychological shock, small bruising or cuts, etc.

Unwanted calls to AFAs

This includes all calls attended by the Authority that are identified by Control operators as automatic fire alarms at the time the call comes in and that turned out to be false alarms.

LEAD/CONTACT OFFICER: Assistant Director, Policy and Performance - James Finch TELEPHONE NUMBER: 01622 692121 ext 8453 EMAIL: [email protected] BACKGROUND PAPERS: None

Item Number: C4

By: Assistant Director, Policy and Performance


Subject: SAFETY AND WELLBEING PLAN IMPLEMENTATION UPDATE

Classification:

Unrestricted

FOR INFORMATION

SUMMARY

At its meeting on 12 February 2016 (Minute 25), the Authority approved its Safety and Wellbeing Plan 2016. This report updates the Committee on the progress made in delivering the Plan since it was approved.

CONCLUSION



COMMENTS

Background

1. At its meeting on 12 February 2016 (Minute 25), the Authority approved its Safety and Wellbeing Plan 2016. This report updates the Committee on the progress made in delivering the Plan since it was approved.

Progress

2. Overall, good progress has been made in delivering the Plan so far.

3. Health and wellbeing: The Plan discussed changing the nature of home safety visits to cover a broader range of issues, and not just fire safety. To support this work, a new computer system has been developed to capture additional data about the customers that have been visited. The intention of capturing this additional data is to better understand what the customers’ needs are, and to facilitate the sharing of data confidentially and securely with other agencies such as Social Services providers. Additional training has also been given to staff. Future developments include the roll-out of new devices to allow staff to record information about customers during visits, negating the need to return to the office to complete paperwork.

4. Capacity within the team has also been added, both to the call-handling function which makes and receives calls about home visits, and to the visiting team, where additional officers are in the process of being recruited.

5. ‘Concern for welfare’ calls: The Plan highlighted the proposal to provide additional assistance to South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAmb) and, in more limited circumstances, Kent Police, in responding to ‘concern for welfare’ calls. Since February both agencies have been reminded of the capabilities the Authority has at its disposal, and these have been deployed to good effect when searching for missing people or assisting the Police with criminal investigations and evidence recovery. There has also been an increase in the number of these kinds of calls attended by the Authority, but these have had no impact on more traditional roles performed.

6. Responding to medical emergencies: The Plan highlighted further developments in the Authority’s capability to respond to medical emergencies on behalf of SECAmb. The Authority now has 17 fire engines responding to medical emergencies and seven officers performing the same role, alongside the existing seven co- responder units based at on-call stations. Between February and May 2016, 450 calls have been attended, with 10 lives saved across Kent and Medway through Authority staff performing resuscitation at scene in support of SECAMB crews. Further stations and staff will be able to respond over the coming months as training and equipment is rolled-out.

7. Fire engine availability: As part of the Plan, the Authority revised its resourcing model to having around 50 fire engines available at all times. This is generally being achieved, although as the Authority enters the summer holiday period it will continue to be a focus of attention for officers. Further information on preparations for the summer is reported at item C5 of this agenda.

8. Moving fire engines: Fire engines from Dartford and Thames-side fire stations are now routinely moved to other locations during the day, to spread emergency cover across Kent and Medway, especially in areas where day cover from on-call staff is difficult to achieve. The second fire engine at Canterbury is not routinely being moved however, as further recruitment has been successful at a number of the surrounding on-call fire stations, but the position will be kept under review.

9. Future of the on-call service: The Authority continues to try to attract and retain on-call firefighters across Kent and Medway. However there are significant difficulties in doing this. Members will recall that, as part of the Safety and Wellbeing Plan, a new review of the on-call service was commissioned. This has been split into two areas. First, a number of simple and pragmatic “quick wins” have been implemented, such as allowing local managers more autonomy in agreeing when on-call firefighters are rostered for duty. The second area is a more fundamental review of the duty system and its underpinning contracts. This review is not anticipated to be completed until November 2017 but it will then form part of the next Safety and Wellbeing Plan.

10. Flexible rostering: Members will recall that flexible rostering arrangements were applied to firefighters working at day-crewed fire stations in 2013. The system has also been extended to the Channel Tunnel and the 999 Control room. All full time fire stations in the Medway area (Strood, Rochester and Medway/Chatham fire stations) have now moved to flexible rostering, and feedback from staff has been very positive.

11. The next stage was to be to convert Dover, Folkestone and Tunbridge Wells fire stations to flexible rostering in January 2017, with the remainder in 2018. However, a number of fire stations have current vacancies filled by temporary staff. There is little sense in appointing substantively to these vacancies when it is known that, under flexible rostering, fewer staff will be required overall. It has therefore been decided that Dartford, Thames-side and Ashford should also convert to flexible rostering in January 2017. The remaining stations (Maidstone, Ramsgate, Margate and Canterbury) will convert in January 2018, although the option to bring this date forward will be kept under review in the coming months.

12. Fire station redevelopment: At the Committee’s meeting on 12 May 2016, Members received a presentation on the Authority’s investment in its estate. Since then, the new fire station at Medway has been completed, and once it goes live, will be known as Chatham fire station.

13. On 16 June 2016, the Chairman of the Authority officially opened the Road Safety

Experience and Rochester fire station.

IMPACT ASSESSMENT

14. Collecting additional data about customers visited during home safety checks is anticipated to have a positive impact on equality issues. It will allow any trends to be identified and also help to target the right support, from the right agency, in a timely manner.

CONCLUSION




Item Number: C5



Subject: SUMMER FIRE SAFETY AND OPERATIONAL PREPARATIONS

Classification:

Unrestricted

FOR INFORMATION

SUMMARY

This report updates Members on the fire safety and operational preparations scheduled for the summer months. This level of planning will ensure the Authority is well placed to deal with potential issues that may arise as a result of the warmer weather and the anticipated increase in demand over this period.

CONCLUSION



COMMENTS

Background

1. During the summer the Authority always expects an increase in calls, predominantly associated with factors such as warmer weather, increased outdoor activities, school holidays and more people travelling on the roads in Kent and Medway.

2. In particular this has the potential to lead to more deliberate fires as a result of increased anti-social behaviour, as well as more outdoor fires especially in woods and heathland which can easily grow into larger, more serious incidents with greater fire spread due to the dryer seasonal conditions.

3. As well as increased fire activity there can be greater demand from what is termed ‘emergency special service’ calls. These range from water-related rescues such as children and young people who get into difficulties whilst playing in ponds, lakes and rivers, sometimes with tragic consequences, to incidents such as children or pets locked in cars.

4. In order to mitigate, prepare and ultimately respond to this increased demand the following preparations are in place:-

(a) Community Safety/Technical Fire Safety preparations - delivered to raise awareness of the dangers and encourage people to enjoy the summer safely;

(b) Availability of staff - especially those with specialist skills and in key areas where demand has spiked in previous years. Availability will be enhanced through a range of crewing models under the Variable Crewing project;

(c) Responding to calls - using a range of specialist vehicles and equipment introduced under the Operational Capability Review project, which Members have been told about at previous meetings of the Committee.

Community Safety Preparations 5. This summer, community safety teams and station staff will be working to actively

promote the Accidental Dwelling Fire (ADF) campaign. This campaign will pay particular attention to the dangers of drinking alcohol and cooking, both inside the home, and during hot weather when barbecues are more likely to be used.

6. Between June and August, safety messages will be delivered with a specific focus on kitchen fire safety, to raise awareness of the dangers and encourage behavioural change to reduce risk and improve safety in the home.

7. Two separate audience groups will be targeted, namely elderly persons living in sheltered accommodation, where fires and fire alarm activations occur most frequently, and also families and residents living in areas identified as higher risk.

8. To support the ADF campaign, using the Authority’s established relationship with Shepherd Neame through the Primary Authority Scheme, officers will be targeting those most at risk of cooking while under the influence of alcohol, either after being at the pub or simply drinking at home and then cooking in the kitchen or on a barbecue.

9. A ‘beer mat campaign’ has been developed, which uses a new product known as a ‘Face Mat’, which encourages social interaction between people in a pub environment. A series of fun cards have been created, which also have a serious fire safety message on the reverse – ‘Keep smiling after a good night out – Being drunk and cooking do not mix’.

10. Approximately 6000 mats will be distributed by Shepherd Neame throughout their pubs located within target areas in Kent and Medway, supported with posters in toilets and on notice boards. The Business Engagement Team will also distribute an additional 6000 mats to non-Shepherd Neame pubs which are located in the same target areas.

11. Other engagement opportunities that teams from across the Service will be involved in during the summer period include:-

• Boat Fire Safety Week, 30 May – 5 June 2016;

• Carers Week, 6 June - 12 June 2016;

• Drowning Prevention Week, 18 – 26 June 2016;

• Road Safety Campaign (Country Roads – KCC), throughout June to August 2016;

• CFOA Drink Drive Campaign throughout July 2016;

• Chimney Safety Week, 5 – 11 September 2016. Technical Fire Safety Preparations 12. Whilst business safety is less affected by seasonal variations, the Authority’s

Technical Fire Safety (TFS) team will focus on a number of areas throughout the summer months.

13. The warmer months see an increase in the number of outdoor events. These range from small local fetes and summer fairs to larger events such as the Kent County Show and music festivals. The majority of the small events do not require specific advice, but safety planning and operational preparations for larger events often require a coordinated response from the TFS, Operational Groups and Emergency Planning teams.

14. To ease this process, the TFS team has worked with colleagues to commission new functionality in the technology used for the Premises Risk Management (PRM)

system, which will allow the three departments to view notifications electronically, make specific comments and observations, and agree a suitable planning approach for each event, with key information being recorded in the TFS database.

15. The TFS team is also undertaking a programme of joint safety visits to a range of entertainment and similar venues which accommodate large numbers of people. This reflects an increase in events throughout the summer, particularly ‘big screen’ events coinciding with the broadcast of matches from the European Football Championships (Euro 2016). Visits are being undertaken with partners including Kent Police and local authorities and will focus on a number of safety aspects affecting the licensed retail and entertainment businesses and the wider local economy.

16. Operational activity in non-domestic properties does not generally see the summer seasonal peaks which are associated with outdoor and deliberate fires. The exception to this is fires in prison establishments which does see an increase, mainly from May to September. Whilst the Authority does not have formal jurisdiction in prisons (they are part of the Crown Estate), a good working relationship has been developed with senior management, most notably at HMP Swaleside. This provides a forum for the Authority to discuss fire safety-related issues with prison management and, where possible, to influence local changes which have seen reductions in the number of fires to which the Authority has been called.

Availability of Staff 17. Members will recall from previous updates the work of the Variable Crewing project,

which continues to look at alternative ways of crewing fire appliances to improve cover in the county, specifically in rural areas. The project has made advances over the last 12 months and continues to improve availability of personnel, with particular focus on the summer period when traditionally crewing levels can fall.

18. Flexible Rostering Duty System – This system requires staff to pre-plan their availability, rather than adhering to fixed contracted hours, to ensure that, wherever possible, their fire appliance is available with a crew. This increases the availability of crews and is invaluable throughout the summer months as it allows stations to become self-sufficient, covering their own absences through sickness, training courses or annual leave. The system continues to be rolled-out across the Service with three more stations being added since the last summer period.

19. Fifth Watch - Members have previously been updated on the Fifth Watch crewing

system. This was introduced in late 2014 to provide service-wide resilience when crewing numbers fall below the required levels. The Fifth Watch operates under a flexible system, and are able to cover crewing shortfalls at short notice anywhere in Kent and Medway.

20. The Fifth Watch system continues to work well and the team has recently expanded from 6 to 12 staff. They are highly skilled individuals, who have the necessary qualities and attributes to operate effectively within any of the Authority’s teams. As such they can be used either as a complete crew or individually to fill crewing gaps at identified locations. This remains a cost-effective method of improving fire cover across the summer period and gives a flexible and resilient option to cover sickness or training across the county.

21. On-Call availability - On-call arrangements continue to be reviewed with a particular focus on ways to improve availability throughout the summer period.

Responding to Calls

22. All-terrain vehicles - The Authority has, in recent years, introduced all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) at Dartford and Herne Bay to address difficulties in accessing fires and other incidents in remote rural areas which, by their very nature, can be extremely resource-hungry and time-consuming.

23. The ATV is towed by a dedicated Ford Ranger (pick-up style truck), which works in conjunction with the ATV when in attendance. Each ATV and Ford Ranger combination has the ability to:-

• access remote areas with firefighting capability in the form of a fire fogging unit;

• carry personnel to the scene of incidents in remote rural areas;

• carry a range of rescue and firefighting equipment to the scene of incidents in remote rural areas.

24. Use of ATVs allows traditionally difficult and long-duration incidents to be resolved with far fewer resources, within a shorter time and with less fatigue on crews, who would have previously been required to run out numerous lengths of hose and carry heavy equipment over difficult terrain to reach the fire.

25. Water units - The Authority has two Water Units (based at Ashford and Larkfield) which carry 14,500 litres of water, as well as inflatable dams which allow large amounts of water to be stored near the incident ground for attending pumps to connect into. These vehicles are key elements of the fleet during the summer months.

26. Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) – Members will recall from previous updates that the Authority has invested in a UAS (drone). While it is still currently in the ‘proof of concept’ stage, early indications are that it is proving to be an extremely valuable addition to the fleet. One of the main benefits of the UAS is the ability to get an overall picture of an incident from above. This has always been problematic when the incident spans a wide geographical area as is the case with large wildland fires.

Having this asset for the summer months will greatly assist command and control decision making.

27. Forced entry/breaking-in equipment – One of the more detailed recommendations from the Operational Capability Review was the introduction of improved forced entry/breaking-in equipment to gain access through locked doors without causing unnecessary damage leading to increased costs for the owner. The warmer weather can see an increase in the number of calls to children or pets locked in cars.

28. Traditionally, crews may have had no alternative but to smash car windows, which in itself can be extremely traumatic, to free the child or pet quickly to prevent suffering. The new equipment allows crews to gain a faster entry, thereby releasing resources sooner for other calls as well providing a more professional solution with less stress to the occupant and minimal/no damage to the vehicle.

IMPACT ASSESSMENT

29. The warmer weather has the potential to increase demand and impact on residents, visitors and businesses of Kent and Medway. The proposed approach to this summer’s safety preparations will mitigate the effect of that impact and ensure the Authority is prepared to respond in the most effective and efficient way.

30. These plans will have a positive impact on vulnerable people, especially young children and older people with mobility or other disabilities.

CONCLUSION


31.1 Consider and note the contents of this report.

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