Grenfell Tower Fire. Community Safety Committee. Purpose. Recommendations That Members of the Community Safety Committee note the content of this

Transcription

1 OFFICIAL Grenfell Tower Fire Community Safety Committee Date: 21 July 2017 Submitted By: Director of Service Delivery Agenda Item: 5 Purpose To update Members of the Community Safety Committee on the actions taken by WYFRS following the tragic incident at Grenfell Towers in London on 14 June Recommendations That Members of the Community Safety Committee note the content of this report Summary This paper details actions taken following the incident to support local authorities and housing providers to reassure the residents of tower blocks across West Yorkshire Local Government (Access to information) Act 1972 Exemption Category: Contact Officer: None AM Jim Butters Background papers open to inspection: 36T Annexes: Briefing for West Yorkshire Members of Parliament 11

2 1 Introduction 1.1 On 14 June 2017, a fire in a high rise housing block in London resulted in one of the most devastating fire incidents in UK history. 1.2 The response to this incident caused massive challenges to London Fire Brigade and the days and weeks since the event have led to unprecedented demand being placed on Fire and Rescue Services with raised concerns from many government departments, local authorities and housing providers. 1.3 This document aims to provide members of the Community Safety Committee with detail on the activities within WYFRS since the fire and plans for the coming weeks and months. 2 Information 2.1 Grenfell Tower is a 24 storey residential high rise housing block in Kensington, West London. The block contained 120 flats and was built in A fire broke out on or around the 4 th floor at approximately 1am on 14 June 2017 and spread over the external cladding of the building, engulfing much of the block. 2.3 At the height, 40 fire engines were deployed with over 200 firefighters with the response and recovery effort covering a significant period of time. 2.4 It is clear that this resulted in many fatalities with people unable to escape the block and official figures for fatalities currently stands (at the time of writing) at The Metropolitan Police have given regular updates and it is expected that the death toll will rise as a full search of the block is carried out. It is expected that the final death toll will not be known for many months. 2.6 On 15 June, WYFRS responded to requests from local MPs for a briefing and this response is included as appendix A. 2.7 WYFRS have been requested to attend meetings with Local Authorities and are working together with local authorities and housing associations to provide support, advice and reassurance to people living in high rise buildings across West Yorkshire. 2.8 Advice and information was issued to operational crews to give additional guidance on operational risk visits for high rise blocks and additional support was given for crews using a guidance document so that consistent responses could be given to questions raised by concerned residents. 2.9 A massive amount of communication has been sent across the fire sector through the National Fire Chiefs Council Communities Site. WYFRS have also been liaising frequently with Local Authorities There has been a working group formed that meets every Monday morning to review the actions required and those already carried out as part of the response arrangements In addition to this, the NFCC is sending twice daily briefings into Fire Control. These updates aim to provide the very latest advice and actions for FRSs to carry out. They are also the conduit by which information is gained from across the country to ensure government is kept updated. The level of communications across the fire sector and beyond on the specific issue of fire safety in high rise blocks, the safety of external cladding (specifically aluminium composite material (ACM)) has been unprecedented Members will have seen in the media that there is much effort ongoing in respect of identifying and testing cladding on various building types. Whilst it remains the case that the cause of the fire has been attributed to a fridge freezer within a flat, there is a lot of work still to do in order to fully Grenfell Tower Fire Page 2 of 5 12

3 understand the reasons behind the extensive fire spread. There is clearly a link to the cladding which was so heavily involved, but it is unwise to speculate beyond that due to the ongoing investigation Some visits to high rise blocks have been carried out by WYFRS Operational crews and dedicated fire protection teams both as proactive measures and also in response to a cladding failure notification through the NFCC The process of testing samples of ACM cladding is being carried out by the Building Research Establishment (BRE). These tests are being funded by DCLG and all local authorities have been requested to send samples of any ACM cladding (used on their high rise blocks) to BRE for tests to be carried out. DCLG have written to private owners of high rise blocks encouraging them to send samples to the BRE for testing 2.15 A verbal update on the number of failure notifications and follow up actions will be provided at the meeting. Operational Impacts 2.16 Understandably, this incident has had a significant impact on how safe residents living in high rise premises feel in their homes and questions are being asked about the stay put policies that are in place in the vast majority of high rise premises across West Yorkshire Since the Grenfell Tower tragedy we have attended incidents in high rise blocks that have resulted in a spontaneous evacuation of the building by the residents. This requires additional command and control arrangements to be put in place by the initial incident commander and as such requires additional resources to support any evacuation In light of this, the pre-determined attendance (PDA) for a confirmed flat fire has been increased by two appliances from four to six appliances, one of which will be a CARP (Combined Aerial Rescue Pump). In addition to this we have also reviewed what we would send to a fire at a high rise where the building has cladding which has failed the recent government flammability tests. The predetermined attendance for these premises is now eight appliances, two of which will be CARPs, to ensure sufficient firefighting capability is in attendance to monitor and restrict external fire spread wherever possible The Stay Put policy has come under scrutiny nationally but it remains the view of both WYFRS and the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) that for the overwhelming majority of cases this is the safest approach for both Firefighters and residents. Incident Commanders are however trained to dynamically assess every incident and if required they have the discretion to amend this guidance Crews have also been carrying out familiarisation visits with high rise premises to ensure their operational intelligence is up to date Whilst this incident has understandably caused us to reflect on our current arrangements it must be remembered that we train extensively for high rise fires as they are some of the most challenging incidents we face. Our procedures are both robust and well exercised. Fire Safety Inspections 2.22 The majority of work following the Grenfell Tower fire has been focussed on responding to concerns raised around fire safety within high rise blocks and specifically the issues around cladding. For the purpose of clarity, a high rise building is one that is defined as a building with a floor that is 18 metres above the fire service access level which equates to approximately 6 storeys and above. 13 Page 3 of 5

4 2.23 Within West Yorkshire, we have records of 687 high rise blocks broken down into districts below: Leeds 409 Bradford 154 Kirklees 50 Calderdale 47 Wakefield When West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service receives notification from the BRE or NFCC that a sample of cladding has failed the combustibility test, fire protection officers have to make a visit to the building within 24 hours of receiving that notification The purpose of this visit is to discuss with the Responsible Person the immediate interim measures which they are required to introduce as a result of the failure This visit is different to an audit which our inspectors would normal carry out and has been developed by an expert panel sitting in DCLG with specialist input from the fire sector and NFCC. Some of the measures required to be introduced include: - Checking all front doors are fire resisting and self-closing - Check compartmentation - Check all smoke detectors are present and working - Consider the installation of a temporary fire alarm covering common areas - Introduce a fire watch to patrol the site - Relocate vehicle parking so that a vehicle fire does not impact any cladding - Review any other cladding on the building to ensure it meets relevant standards 2.27 Once our inspectors have conducted their visit they will arrange a further visit to check the agreed measures are introduced Due to the timescales involved in carrying out inspections we have set up a rota to ensure the availability of suitably qualified inspectors over the weekend In addition to the visits we are making as a result of a failed test, our inspectors are also proactively visiting any high rise building where we have been notified ACM cladding is present. In these cases we are advising the Responsible Person to have their cladding tested and discussing the interim measures required should they be notified of a failure. Prevention Advice 2.30 Prevention messages have been sent to residents of high rise blocks through Local Authorities and housing providers and WYFRS have been pushing prevention messages on the website and through the use of social media A simple advice booklet has been produced containing the key fire safety messages for people living in high rise blocks and these leaflets will be distributed throughout the stations of West Yorkshire for operational crews and prevention teams to issue to any concerned resident during the home visits. 14 Page 4 of 5

5 Freedom of Information Requests 2.32 One of the unforeseen work streams from this incident has been dealing with a succession of Freedom of Information requests. These have predominantly been around the number of high rise fires we have attended in recent years and how many have had cladding. We have also had requests around the number of inspections we have carried out and the number of inspecting officers that we currently employ. 3 Financial Implications 3.1 Currently a Grade 10 Manager from the Operational Risk Management team has been taken off his current duties to co-ordinate all work relating to the Grenfell Tower incident. He is also supported by a Grade 5 clerk. There has also been an uplift in the number of Inspecting Officers that we have on call on evenings and over the weekend. This has been so that we can react promptly to notifications of cladding failing the BRE tests. There is an on-going cost to this increase in provision. Much of the work of the Fire Protection team has been directed to work associated with this incident. 4 Equality and Diversity Implications 4.1 In order to provide the best possible service to residents, more information is required about occupants to help the Service tailor its Prevention messages and media. This is an ongoing piece of work in conjunction with the Diversity & Inclusion team. 5 Health and Safety Implications 5.1 The additional visits by operational crews to high rise buildings will ensure crews have the most up to date operational intelligence to best manage an incident. This, along with the enhanced PDA should ensure sufficient resources and information are available to effectively command and deal with a fire in a high rise building. 6 Service Plan Links Deliver a proactive Community Safety Programme Deliver a professional and resilient emergency response service Provide a safe skilled workforce that serves the needs of a diverse community Provide effective and ethical governance and achieve value for money. 7 Conclusions 8.1 The Grenfell Tower incident has been unprecedented both in terms of the operational demands that it placed on London Fire Brigade and also in the wider national implications it has had for Fire and Rescue Services, Local Authorities and the Private Housing Sector. Personnel from across a range of departments have worked tirelessly since this incident occurred to ensure that we can support local authorities and private sector owners of high rise tower blocks in keeping them as safe as they possibly can be. We also continue to provide reassurance and guidance to tenants both through the media, our own internet site and through local visits to address any and all concerns they may have. It is fully anticipated that this work will remain as we continue to be notified of premises that have cladding that fails the BRE tests. WYFRS will follow closely the subsequent enquiry as well as maintaining our own links with London Fire Brigade officers. Any lessons that come to light will be thoroughly analysed and acted upon. 15 Page 5 of 5

6 CC: WY FRA Members John Roberts Chief Fire Officer / Chief Executive West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service Oakroyd Hall Bradford Road Birkenshaw BD11 2DY John.Roberts@westyorksfire.gov.uk Tel: Briefing for West Yorkshire Members of Parliament High-rise Residential Accommodation Following the tragic event at Grenfell Towers in London on 14 June 2017, I wanted to write to you on behalf of the West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority and brief you on the prevention, protection and response arrangements delivered by West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service (WYFRS) in relation to high rise accommodation blocks within West Yorkshire. The residents of high rise blocks around the country will of course be concerned following the incident at Grenfell Towers and WYFRS has provided advice and assurance following the incident with press releases, media interviews and notices posted on our social media sites. Clearly, it is too early to speculate on the cause of the fire at Grenfell Towers and why it was that the fire spread so quickly. WYFRS will act on any learning that emerges from this incident to ensure that our ongoing activities support the safety of individuals and families living within high rise buildings. Our service is delivered on the foundations of Prevention, Protection and Response. I will provide a brief overview of each below: Prevention The fire prevention messages are delivered during our programme of home visits. Since 2013 we have visited around 167,000 homes across West Yorkshire to deliver fire safety advice and over 4000 of these visits were to people living in high rise blocks. During these visits, we discuss escape plans and fit smoke detection, where it is required. Our specific advice to people living in high rise accommodation would be: Know your escape plan Make sure you are familiar with emergency evacuation procedures provided by the landlord or owner for your building. Make an escape plan so that you and your family know what to do if there is a fire in your flat. Practice this plan, make sure everyone understands it and knows where the door key is. 17

7 Should a fire break out If there is a fire in another flat in the building, you are usually safest in your own home unless you are affected by the heat or smoke. If it is too dangerous to follow your planned escape route because stairs and hallways are full of smoke, ring 999 and stay inside the safest room. Keep the doors closed and use towels or bedding at the bottom of the door to block the smoke. Use the stairs, not the lift, when leaving the building in the event of a fire. If there is a fire, never assume that someone else has called 999 make the call yourself. Fire safety in your building Keep exits and passageways clear of any obstructions. Ensure doors to stairways are not damaged or faulty and report any defects promptly to the landlord or owner for your building. Close all internal doors at night to prevent the spread of fire. Never tamper with internal fire mains (dry riser) inlets on landings. These provide water to firefighters in an emergency and could cost lives if not functioning properly. If you see a dry riser vandalised, report it immediately to the landlord or owner for your building. Never use or store bottled gas cylinders in high-rise flats. Never park your vehicles so that you block access to high-rise flats. Access roads are designed so fire engines can get as close as possible to fight fires. Don t start cooking if you are very tired or have drunk a lot of alcohol - never use chip pans, use oven chips instead. If you smoke, make sure you put cigarettes out properly, and don t smoke in bed or while sleepy. Check your smoke alarms regularly. Protection The standards of construction of high rise blocks are embodied in Building Regulations, which should ensure that adequate fire safety provisions are incorporated in blocks of flats when they are built. Modifications or renovations to such buildings should also conform to the requirements laid out in the Building Regulations and it is the responsibility of the building owner and construction companies to ensure that these regulations are complied with. Fire Safety legislation (The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005) is enforced by the Fire & Rescue Service. In blocks of flats this covers the common parts but not individual flats. National guidance has been issued in a series of guides which includes blocks of flats. Over the years there have been a number of significant fires within high-rise blocks of flats nationally which have resulted in learning outcomes being identified and implemented through the issuing of Coroner s Rule 43 and Regulation 28 letters which seek to prevent future deaths. Notable incidents within high rise flats are: Harrow Court, Hertfordshire: - 2 February A fire occurred on the 14th floor of a 17 storey residential tower block resulting in 3 fatalities (2 fire-fighters and one occupant). Lakanal House, London: - 3 July A fire broke out on the 9th floor of a 14 storey block of flats on resulting in 6 fatalities. Shirley Towers Fire, Hampshire: - 6 April A fire on the 9th floor of a 16 storey block of flats claimed the lives of 2 fire-fighters. 18

8 Following the Lakanal House Fire WYFRS carried out a series of visits to high-rise premises by specialist Fire Protection Inspectors. Training was also delivered to operational crews to enable them to carry out visits within blocks of flats. As a result, during 2010 all Local Authority high-rise premises received a visit from either a Fire Protection Inspector or an Operational Crew, this then continued with crews carrying out regular visits as part of their Operational Risk Visit programme and passing any Fire Safety issues (identified during the visit) to our dedicated Fire Protection team to carry out follow up action. The Operational Risk Visit programme is designed to familiarise our crews with the highest risk buildings which they may respond to, allow them to plan for an incident, and to record the significant hazards that may be encountered by any crew attending an incident at the premises. One key recommendation that emerged following previous incidents in high rise buildings was for social housing providers to consider the retro-fitting of sprinklers in all high-rise premises over 30 meters in height. WYFRS set up a working group to address any actions relevant to FRS s, these included: Review and clarification of operational training to improve the response to such risk. Improvements in knowledge and understanding of high rise blocks across West Yorkshire Support and encouragement for social housing providers to retro-fit sprinklers in all highrise premises. To date this has been undertaken in a number of blocks in the Leeds area. The development and introduction of cable cutting tools (due to fears that Firefighters may become entangled in cables if the cable fastenings at ceiling level fail in a fire situation resulting in wires and cables falling onto firefighters during firefighting and rescue operations). Liaison with Local Authorities and Arm s Length Management Organisations to encourage them to replace combustible cable fastenings with steel. In July 2011 the Local Government Association, together with input from various organisations including the Chief Fire Officers Association, published the guidance document - Fire safety in purpose-built blocks of flats. Key points from that guidance include: People living in flats experience more fires than people living in houses. However, a fire in a flat is no more dangerous than a fire in a house. High-rise does not mean high-risk. To keep fire risk to a minimum, it is just as important to prevent fires as to provide measures to protect people when fire occurs. The most significant influences on fire risk are social and lifestyle factors and advanced age, not the type of dwelling in which people live. All dwellings should have working smoke alarms. Very few people die as a result of a fire in a neighbour s flat or the common parts. Nearly all fire deaths occur in the flat in which fire starts. It is important to ensure that fires cannot start in the common parts or common facilities. The guidance document was intended to meet the needs of housing providers and enforcing authorities by providing tailored advice specifically for blocks of flats, additionally it was expected that enforcing authorities would have regard to the guidance when dealing with such premises. 19

9 Stay Put Policy The advice from WYFRS will be that, subject to buildings being built and maintained correctly, the walls, floors and doors will protect you and the rest of the building from fire for a minimum of minutes. The vast majority of fires within high rise blocks across West Yorkshire are contained to the flat where the fire started. Those occupants of flats not involved in fire are safe to rema in in their flat subject to the fire being contained to the flat of origin. Most blocks of flats will therefore advise occupants to stay put if the fire is not within their flat. Although this relies on there being effective compartmentation, it is a principle that is currently adopted wherever possible. Clearly, the events at Grenfell Tower resulted in the fire spreading throughout the building and in this rare circumstance, the on scene Fire Commander would have to amend the advice accordingly and residents may be instructed to leave their flats, if it is safe to do so, and exit the building via the protected staircase/s. Firefighters would be tasked to assist this evacuation and the staff within our control centre would also support with advise to residents who make 999 calls. Fire Alarms Purpose-built blocks of flats are not normally provided with communal fire detection and alarm systems. This is due to the adoption of the stay put policy, therefore to have a communal fire alarm sounding may cause confusion to residents. Smoke detection within each flat is necessary and a requirement to ensure early warning so that residents can evacuate safely from their flat in the event of a fire. WYFRS continues to work with local authorities, landlords and managing agents of high-rise blocks of flats to ensure as far as possible, the safety of all residents. Response Fighting fires in high rise buildings poses significant challenges for firefighters. The events at Harrow Court, Lakanal House and Shirley Towers sent shock waves across the fire sector and the learning from such incidents has informed operational response policy to high rise buildings within West Yorkshire. The Rule 43 letters issued after Lakanal House and Shirley Towers were published within 2 months of each other. Many of the recommendations were specific to the Local Authorities, however actions which were relevant to FRS s included: Clarification and guidance on search procedures. Training in fire-fighting techniques related to the containment of compartment fires. Training of fire-fighters on ventilation procedures. FRS s to consider measures to reduce the risk to fire-fighters due to fallen cables. The operational challenges that exist when dealing with such fires include: Access for firefighting appliances and fire crews. Travel distances to the scene of the fire, especially where the fire is on the upper floors. Non-standard floor layouts and flat numbering systems in different blocks. Falling objects and fire debris. Communication issues for face to face and radio communication. 20

10 Access and use of lifts to transport firefighters and equipment to upper floors. Fire development in compartments affected by wind with increased effect at height. Exposure to heat resulting in very difficult working conditions for firefighting. Cable entanglement as cable supports at ceiling fail due to the heat from fire resulting in loose cables falling with the potential to entangle firefighters. At present, we send 3 pumping appliances and a Combined Aerial Rescue Pump (a regular fire engine with an integral high reach capability) to all fires in high rise premises. Since 2010, fire crews have carried out familiarisation and training exercises at high rise premises across West Yorkshire following a significant update to our operational procedures. This update was as a result of the learning from national incidents. The release of the new procedures also required that every operational crew across WYFRS completed: A whiteboard exercise on a high rise risk within their local area. Visits to local high rise buildings to carry out dry runs of the new procedures. A practical exercise simulating a high rise fire with the full standard attendance to ensure that all the elements of the new procedures were covered. An E Learning module assessing knowledge of firefighting operations at high rise buildings. In addition to this, from 2012, all Watch and Crew Commanders were required to attend a Minerva simulated high rise incident scenario at the dedicated Command training suite at WYFRS. There is a dedicated high rise equipment pack on all fire engines across West Yorkshire with equipment to support the response operation to incidents within high rise blocks. All District Command teams have a training plan for each year and this involves exercising against key risk sites. Due to the fact that firefighter deaths in the UK over the past ten years have occurred in high rise flats, it is a key area of training across all districts. Many local crews have adopt a block schemes which see the local fire crews visiting their local high rise blocks to check the availability of firefighting equipment and to maintain their familiarity with the layout of the block to ensure an effective response in an emergency. Wherever possible, we develop relationships and work in partnership with owners, caretakers and safety officers of high rise blocks. We will continue to work with the management agents to ensure the safety of residents and firefighters in relation to high rise premises across West Yorkshire. If there is any further information that you require then please let me know in order that I can provide you with a response. Yours Sincerely, John Roberts Chief Fire Officer / Chief Executive West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service Cllr Judith Hughes Chair West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Authority 21

11 OFFICIAL Safer Communities Strategy Community Safety Committee Date: 21 July 2017 Submitted By: Director of Service Delivery Agenda Item: 6 Purpose To inform Members about the new Safer Communities Prevention Strategy Recommendations That Members note the content of the report and familiarise themselves with the new Strategy Summary The new Safer Communities Prevention Strategy has developed following the 2016/17 Service Action Plan which included an action to develop a comprehensive strategy to include community safety, health and well-being and working practices. Following extensive stakeholder engagement and regular updates on the progress of this work stream to members of the Community Safety Committee over the past 18 months, the new strategy is complete and ready to launch. WYFRS will deliver an efficient and effective service to the communities of West Yorkshire, providing targeted resources towards the most vulnerable members of the community. Local Government (Access to information) Act 1972 Exemption Category: Contact Officer: None Chris Kirby Fire Safety Area Manager Background papers open to inspection: None E: chris.kirby@westyorklsfire.gov.uk T: Annexes: Safer Communities Strategy 23

12 1 Introduction 1.1 The development of the new Safer Communities Prevention Strategy was triggered by the Service Action Plan for 2016/ The new document sets the strategic direction for WYFRS in all community safety activity. It details the legal framework that underpins our duties to promote fire safety before highlighting our vision, key priorities and how we aim to measure our success. 1.3 The strategy is much shorter than previous documents. It is hoped that this will increase the access to the strategy, increase ownership of the principles set out within the document whilst still covering all the key elements. 2 Information 2.1 The existing Fire Safety Strategy was introduced in 2013 with a Fire Prevention Strand and a Fire Protection Strand. The document is 32 pages long and feedback from operational staff suggested it was too detailed for a strategy document. 2.2 As the Safer Communities Strategy has captured only the key Fire Prevention elements from the existing Fire Safety Strategy, it is proposed to separate the Fire Prevention and Fire Protection elements and the existing Fire Safety Strategy will become obsolete. The new Strategy documents will assume the fire safety link with other relevant documents such as the Community Risk Management Strategy. 2.3 Updates to the Fire Protection elements of the Fire Safety Strategy will take place with a new Fire Protection Strategy delivered in the near future and members of the Community Safety Committee will be kept informed on progress. 2.4 It is evident that vulnerability to certain health and well-being issues can result in an individual being more vulnerable to fire. Poor health including mobility issues, smoking, living alone and being socially isolated, poor living standards and mental health all contribute to increased risk. The new safe and well visit will deliver support against these vulnerability factors in addition to providing the traditional fire safety advice. 3 Financial Implications 3.1 There are no financial implications arising from this report. 4 Diversity and Inclusion Implications 4.1 Local teams will be encouraged to identify vulnerability and also consider local populations that we have struggled to engage with before. This approach focussing on the most vulnerable, is inextricably linked with protected characteristics and our duty to advance equality of opportunity, eliminate discrimination and foster good relations. 4.2 The new strategy will encourage greater engagement with local community groups and this engagement will assist with developing an evidence base of due regard to our general duty under the Equality Act. 4.3 The removal of the points based target will empower local teams to spend more time on community engagement activities that the previous ways of working may have limited. 4.4 By focusing our attention on effective community engagement, we can act as advocates not only for fire safety messages, but also of the service and this will be very relevant when addressing and engaging with groups that are underrepresented within the service. Safer Communities Strategy Page 2 of 3 24

13 5 Health and Safety Implications 5.1 The increased scope of activity that the new strategy promotes will deliver a wider assessment of health and well-being for those who qualify for the home safe and well check. 5.2 The potential for WYFRS teams to identify (through the programme of home visits) health and well-being vulnerabilities, to offer some basic advice and information for self-help and to refer the more serious concerns to specialist partner agencies has the potential to significantly improve the speed at which support can be obtained for the vulnerable people we visit. 5.3 In addition to the implications in 5.2, the increased knowledge and understanding of health and well-being issues (delivered through the safe and well training programme) will offer some personal benefits to our staff who can take this learning and apply it within their own personal network of family and friends. 6 Organisational Dependencies 6.1 There are specific objectives within the Safer Communities Programme which are dependent upon internal resource from various departments. 6.2 One key dependency on the resources within ICT to develop and deliver a suitable mobile working solution to allow prevention work to be captured using mobile devices so we can move away from the paper solution that we currently operate with. 6.3 This will significantly reduce admin time and allow the delivery teams to spend more time in the community delivering assessments, offering advice and education and referring those who are most vulnerable on to partner agencies. 7 Service Plan Links 7.1 The new safer communities Strategy provides clear links to the Authority Ambition of Making West Yorkshire Safer and also supports the following key service priorities: Delivery of a proactive community safety programme Provision of a skilled workforce that serves the needs of a diverse community 8 Conclusions 8.1 The new Safer Communities Prevention Strategy has developed following the 2016/17 Service Action Plan which included an action to develop a comprehensive strategy to include community safety, health and well-being and working practices. Following extensive stakeholder engagement and regular updates on the progress of this work stream to members of the Community Safety Committee over the past 18 months, the new strategy is complete and ready to launch. 8.2 The strategy will ensure that WYFRS continues to deliver an effective and efficient prevention and early intervention service focussing on those most vulnerable. Working alongside partners from across West Yorkshire, the development of this strategy will improve our ability to support the health and well-being of our communities through the provision of simple assessments, information and advice and signposting to other specialist agencies where appropriate. 8.3 The training programme for the safe and well programme demonstrates a commitment to continually develop our employees, giving them additional skills to support people who are vulnerable and these are skills they can take into their private lives also. 25 Page 3 of 3

14 Safer Communities Prevention Strategy Issue Date: 16/06/2017 File ID: [File Id] 06a Safer Communities Strategy (Draft) Page 1 of 5 OFFICIAL 27

15 Contents 1 Introduction How will we achieve our goals? What we will deliver Road and Water Safety Partnership Working Who will we work with? How will we measure success?... 5 Issue Date: 16/06/2017 File ID: [File Id] 06a Safer Communities Strategy (Draft) Page 2 of 5 OFFICIAL 28

16 1 Introduction The Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004 placed a statutory duty on West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service (WYFRS) to promote fire safety, placing fire prevention activity at the heart of what we do. Our vision, Making West Yorkshire Safer, continues to be our main focus. The success of our fire prevention programme has, over the last 10 years, seen a significant decrease in the number of fire related incidents and a dramatic increase in the number of homes with fitted smoke detectors. In 2016, a National Consensus Statement signed by NHS England, Public Health England, the local Government Association, the Chief Fire Officers Association and Age UK, described how the health and well-being outcomes for people could be improved by working together on intelligence-led, early intervention and prevention strategies. The report, Working Together also challenges local health and social care services to maximise opportunities by contacting their local fire and rescue service, identifying common risk intervention criteria around those vulnerable people who are also at a higher risk of fire and using our trusted brand to gain access to those homes. By working with the NHS foundation trusts, local authorities and other agencies within West Yorkshire, we will use our collective capabilities and resources more effectively to support a wider prevention and early intervention agenda, improving the health and well-being of people, reducing preventable hospital admissions and avoidable winter pressures and deaths. The Government, through the Police and Crime Act 2017, has also made provision for discussions across the emergency services to consider models of collaborative working wherever it is in the interests of further efficiencies and effectiveness of service delivery. We will continue our focus of Making West Yorkshire Safer by: Supporting individuals to be safer within their homes Working with our partners to identify and improve the safety, health and well-being of the most vulnerable people within our communities Providing a range of community safety activities including targeted home visits, school education sessions, social media campaigns, awareness sessions within local communities, specialised individual support and group activities for children and young people and targeted campaigns aimed at high risk groups. 2 How will we achieve our goals? To achieve success and deliver our vision we will: Use a shared intelligence-led approach to improve our basic understanding of risk to identify vulnerability. Using quantitative and qualitative data and intelligence supplied by our partners, via information sharing protocols, we will analyse our existing data and utilise it more effectively. Target our resources towards those who are at the greatest risk of injury or death from fire or road. We will ensure that these resources are used effectively and efficiently and achieve best value. Be consistent in our service delivery across West Yorkshire but we will also be flexible in our approach at a local level so that differing needs of diverse communities can be met. Be professional in our approach, ensuring our staff are informed, confident and skilled to deliver a high quality service. Learn from our experience. We will actively seek feedback from our partners and the people of West Yorkshire, and use it, to continually improve our service offer. We will evaluate what we do so that we can assess the impact of our services. Issue Date: 16/06/2017 File ID: [File Id] 06a Safer Communities Strategy (Draft) Page 3 of 5 OFFICIAL 29

17 Aim to be innovative in our approach encouraging our staff and local communities to suggest new ideas and create local solutions. We will explore examples of cross-sector good practice to help inform the way forward. Improve our accessibility through the effective use of technology and social media to improve our ability to communicate with individuals and communities. 3 What we will deliver Our Safe and Well Visit programme was launched in April We are continuing to deliver fire prevention safety advice but will extend our focus to include the identification of additional risk factors and vulnerabilities that may have an adverse impact on an individual s health and well-being. We will offer different services to individuals according to their level of identified risk. Those who are at low risk of fire, because they have working smoke detectors and no other identified lifestyle risk factors, will be offered fire safety advice via the internet, , telephone, post or on the doorstep. For those where the identified risks are higher we will offer to carry out a Safe and Well visit in their home. This visit will result in the fitting of appropriate interventions or equipment, tailored advice and information and referrals to specified partners so that support can be offered at the earliest opportunity. The additional areas of risk that we and our partners in West Yorkshire have identified are: Frailty and falls Smoking cessation Winter cold Crime prevention Social isolation 4 Road and Water Safety We currently play a key role in the delivery of consistent road and water safety messages across West Yorkshire and work collaboratively with our partners to ensure the improved safety of all road users and those enjoying or venturing near our waterways. We support the development of road safety forums across the five districts of West Yorkshire and are active participants in the development of joint agency plans to improve road safety. We will continue to promote and support innovative practice in the delivery of road and water safety education information, initiatives and campaigns within our communities. 5 Partnership Working Our positive impact, in creating safer and healthier communities within West Yorkshire, will be dependent on the success of our relationships with partners. We will ensure that we maintain strong partnerships with local authorities and other statutory services and develop new relationships with other public and third sector organisations. Working collaboratively with our partners, we will develop: A person-centred service based on an assessment of an individual s risk of injury or death in the home by fire. Shared referral pathways which ensure our interventions are integrated and delivered at the earliest opportunity and in the most effective way. Issue Date: 16/06/2017 File ID: [File Id] 06a Safer Communities Strategy (Draft) Page 4 of 5 OFFICIAL 30

18 Data and intelligence sharing protocol agreements which will enable us to share and exchange information so that we can target resources effectively and evaluate our activity to demonstrate we are delivering best value. Joint training programmes which will ensure our staff and partners are able to identify high risk and vulnerability cases appropriately. Community based initiatives which will improve the safety of the people of West Yorkshire on our roads and on or near our waterways. 6 Who will we work with? We will work with anyone at a medium or high risk of fire within their homes to improve their safety and well-being; we will use a filtering system to assess those who are at the highest risk and may have additional vulnerabilities. This will include providing advice and identifying further support for older people, people experiencing poor mental health, people with disabilities, those experiencing domestic abuse and troubled families with children. We will proactively and increasingly use our resources to identify and support older people, those with complex needs and longer term conditions such as dementia. Working with key partners, we use shared intelligence and information to target our resources to vulnerable people and increase the proportion of Safe and Well visits carried out in the homes of people over the age of 65; older people are twice as likely to die in a fire than those under age 50. We continue to identify and raise cause for concern reports where vulnerable adults or children are experiencing abuse or neglect; we do this in line with the Safeguarding Adults Multi-Agency Policy and Procedure for West and North Yorkshire. We regularly and consistently train our staff so that they are knowledgeable and confident recognising mental ill health, health and lifestyle vulnerabilities and know how to access additional support from our partners and other agencies. We continue to lead the way in our engagement with children and young people, receiving an Excellence in the Fire Service Award in 2016 for innovative partnership working. Through our successful Youth Interventions programme, we specialise in challenging the behaviour of vulnerable young people and acting as a catalyst for change improving their safety, health and well-being. We also educate children young people through our school visit programme delivering key fire safety messages. 7 How will we measure success? We will monitor our overall service performance through a set of key performance indicators that are reported to Members of the Fire Authority. These indicators, such as the number of dwelling fires and the number of fire-related injuries, are also monitored in each of the local authority areas across West Yorkshire. In addition to these indicators, our service plan outlines key priorities and objectives which we aim to deliver in each district area. Through a set of measurable outputs and outcomes we will evaluate the impact of the services we deliver. We will monitor all early intervention and prevention activities and encourage teams to deliver localised solutions. We will use quantitative and qualitative data and feedback from our partners, customers and staff to support the evaluation of our community safety activity and to ensure that we deliver best value. For further information or comment information@westyorksfire.gov.uk Issue Date: 16/06/2017 File ID: [File Id] 06a Safer Communities Strategy (Draft) Page 5 of 5 OFFICIAL 31

19 OFFICIAL District Action Plans Report and Performance against outcomes targets for Community Safety Committee Date: 21 July 2017 Submitted By: Director of Servbice Delivery Agenda Item: 7 Purpose To inform Community Safety Committee of performance against the District Action Plans and outcomes targets for Recommendations That Members of the Community Safety Committee note the contents of this report Summary This report provides information on the Districts Action Plans and related outcomes targets for Local Government (Access to information) Act 1972 Exemption Category: Contact Officer: None Chris Kirby, Area Manager Fire Safety Background papers open to inspection: None T: E: Chris.Kirby@westyorksfire.gov.uk Annexes: District Action Plans and performance outcomes target sheets 33

20 1 Introduction 1.1 The attached District Action Plans allow the District Command team to set the key actions for the upcoming year. The performance targets set out within the Performance Monitoring Reports are monitored throughout the year and are used to direct resources towards reducing risk across the Districts. 1.2 This report covers the period from 1 April 2016 to 31 March The methodology applied here compliments the overarching risk management strategy for West Yorkshire which takes into account the principles outlined in the Community Risk Management Strategy This document provides the detail of how WYFRS delivers its services over a 5 year period and how these services are best targeted towards areas of greatest need. It also recognises that risk is not equally spread across the County and that our services should be delivered in a risk proportionate manner. As such, the District Action Plans set out the priorities that will best support the risks within each of the Districts and allows local flexibility to the overarching strategy. 2 Information 2.1 This report highlights the progress that has been made against the District Action Plans that were set at the beginning of the financial year. The Plans follow the same format as the annual Service Action Plan and they are populated following detailed consideration of the priorities within each of the 5 Districts across West Yorkshire. 2.2 The outcomes targets sheets are provided for West Yorkshire with a breakdown for each District. The District Commanders have added a commentary with their respective district Performance Monitoring System Report. 2.3 The targets for outcomes are set using a formula that takes into account the average performance over a rolling 3 year period. Further stretch targets are applied, where applicable. The aim is to set challenging targets to ensure that our teams are making every effort to reduce the risk as much as possible. 2.4 Previous years have seen a dramatic reduction in the number of incidents attended by WYFRS but this reduction has started to slow in more recent years. As explained at the meeting of the Community Safety Committee on 7 April 2017, the emphasis on the future outcome targets is based around maintaining the current three year average performance. 2.5 Specific reference needs to be made to the fact that the service ceased the Operational Risk Visit Programme at the beginning of December 2016 (as reported to the April 2017 Community Safety Committee Agenda Item 7) and the annual targets have been revised to take into account the number of months that the full ORV process was in operation. The revised figures are based on a simple calculation which took the original annual target / 12 and then this was multiplied by the number of months the ORV process was in operation. As the ORV programme ran from April 2016 to December 2016, each target has been revised with the following formula: (Original Annual Target / 12) * 8 (No months ORV programme ran before being suspended) NOTE: All service and district PMS reports have been amended to this new calculation for the reporting of performance for ORV s for 2016/17. District Action Plans Report and Performance against outcomes targets for Page 2 of 3 34

21 3 Financial Implications 3.1 There are no financial implications arising from this report. 4 Equality and Diversity Implications 4.1 Prevention initiatives involve a range of activities involving partnership working and engagement with local communities. Our effort is best directed towards those who are more likely to be vulnerable to fire and this may be the result of various lifestyle factors, including disability, mental health and other behaviours and choices such as smoking, consumption of alcohol, excessive storage of combustible materials and unsafe cooking practices. 4.2 The Safer Communities Programme Board has been established to oversee the prevention activates across the Districts. The Diversity and Inclusion team sit at this forum and have an opportunity to give advice and guidance on the best ways in which prevention initiatives can engage with underrepresented groups across the communities of West Yorkshire. 5 Health and Safety Implications 5.1 Targeted risk reduction activities reduce risk to health and safety of firefighters and the community; this is supported by effective performance monitoring and management. 6 Service Plan Links 6.1 The District Risk Reduction activities and performance monitoring are an example of the following priorities: Delivery of a proactive community safety programme Delivery of a professional and resilient emergency response service Provision of a safe skilled workforce that serves the needs of a diverse community, and Provision of effective and ethical governance and achieving value for money 7 Conclusions 7.1 The plans for each District were extremely challenging but are critical in relation to making the communities safer. The 2017/18 District Action plans were presented to Community Safety Committee on 7 April Districts will continue their hard work to complete the actions set out within their local plans and continually strive for improvements. The performance against the 2017/18 targets and the updates against the District Action Plans will be provided to the Community Safety Committee in October 2017 with a final report at the end of the financial year. 35 Page 3 of 3

22 Performance Monitoring Report - 12 Jun :08:46 - Sourced from Performance Management Information System WEST YORKSHIRE FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICE - PERFORMANCE MONITORING SYSTEM DEFINITIONS ACTUAL DATA (Baseline Years) Performance from the baseline year. 2009/10 is used as a baseline 3 YEAR AVG TARGET (Previous 3 Years) Average performance from the previous 3 financial years, used as the target for this current year TOTAL SO FAR (Current Year) AGAINST TARGET SO FAR (Current Year) END OF YEAR PROJECTION (Current Year) Cumulative total for current year so far Comparison of activity so far against the target Red (outside 10% of target), Amber (within 10% of target), Green (target achieved or exceeded) Projected value at the end of the financial year based on Total So Far and the number of days remaining ACTUAL DATA (2009/10 3 YEAR AVG TARGET (2013/16) TOTAL SO FAR (2016/17) [values to 31 Mar :59:59] AGAINST 3 YEAR AVG (2016/17) END OF YEAR PROJECTION (2016/17) Arson % 6246 Actual Rescues % 727 Total Activity % Dwelling Fires % 1185 Non-Domestic Building Fires % 506 Prevalence of False Alarms % Fire Related Injuries % 214 Road Traffic Collisions % 578 No. of Operational Risk Visits (IN) % 3731 Malicious False Alarms % 347 No. of Home Fire Safety Check Points (IN) % COMMENTS RELATING TO PERFORMANCE INDICATORS 37

23 Performance Monitoring Report - 12 Jun :09:24 - Sourced from Performance Management Information System DEFINITIONS BRADFORD LOCAL AUTHORITY (DRRT) - PERFORMANCE MONITORING SYSTEM ACTUAL DATA (Baseline Years) Performance from the baseline year. 2009/10 is used as a baseline 3 YEAR AVG TARGET (Previous 3 Years) Average performance from the previous 3 financial years, used as the target for this current year TOTAL SO FAR (Current Year) AGAINST TARGET SO FAR (Current Year) END OF YEAR PROJECTION (Current Year) Cumulative total for current year so far Comparison of activity so far against the target Red (outside 10% of target), Amber (within 10% of target), Green (target achieved or exceeded) Projected value at the end of the financial year based on Total So Far and the number of days remaining ACTUAL DATA (2009/10 3 YEAR AVG TARGET (2013/16) TOTAL SO FAR (2016/17) [values to 31 Mar :59:59] AGAINST 3 YEAR AVG (2016/17) END OF YEAR PROJECTION (2016/17) Arson % 1936 Actual Rescues % 148 Total Activity % 5782 Dwelling Fires % 312 Non-Domestic Building Fires % 113 Prevalence of False Alarms % 2446 Fire Related Injuries % 64 Road Traffic Collisions % 138 No. of Operational Risk Visits (IN) % 832 Malicious False Alarms % 118 No. of Home Fire Safety Check Points (IN) % COMMENTS RELATING TO PERFORMANCE INDICATORS 38

24 Bradford District Performance Monitoring Report 1 st April st March 2017 The District performance in the following areas in either meets or exceeds the set target: Actual Rescues There were 148 actual rescues carried out by Bradford District crews during the year 2016/17. This is 23.3% better than the target set, which is an excellent result. Total Activity Total activity for the year was slightly below the target set. We will work to continue this downward trend in all calls in the year 2017/18. Dwelling Fires There were 312 dwelling fires in the last year. This is 3.7% better than the target and the lowest ever total for the year since the present recording system began. This is a heartening reduction and we will continue to work hard to reduce as far as possible dwelling fires within the District. Prevalence of False Alarms There were 2446 false alarms in the year which was over 11% better than the target. A change in policy in 2014 to how WYFRS responds to false alarms has reduced the numbers of such calls across the County, including in Bradford District. This is important as, amongst other benefits, the reduction in false alarms means the District s crews no longer have to spend time checking the premises where these calls were occurring. This allows that time to be spent on other important duties including fire prevention. Fire Related Injuries Fire related injuries, standing at 64 for the year, were 3% better than the target. This category covers everything from death to slight smoke inhalation requiring a precautionary check-up. By continuing to target and reduce all fires through our Prevention and Protection work these figures should reduce along with the fires that cause them. Road Traffic Collisions There were 138 road traffic collisions requiring action by FRS crews in the year 2016/17. This was a 7.4% improvement on the target set at the start of the year. As with dwelling fires a comparison with the same period last year is also favourable as there has been a nearly 17% reduction on last year. We will continue to work with all partners to try reduce this figure further in the coming year. Malicious False Alarms The total for malicious false alarms is exactly on target. These low figures are in part testament to the sterling work carried out by Control in call challenging. 39

25 Number of Operational Risk Visits The annual target for ORVs was amended to take into account a decision to cease ORVs from 5 December The number of ORVs delivered in Bradford was what would be expected at the time the visit programme was ceased. Additional visits were also carried out following 5 December in conjunction with the specific instructions from the Operational Risk Management Team. The District performance in the following areas has not met the target: Arson There were 1936 Arson incidents during the year. This was 11.5% above the target. Reducing these deliberate fires will be one of our main priorities for the coming year. We will do this by working with partners, specifically improving links between our Watch Commanders and Assistant District Commanders with their local Neighbourhood Policing Teams to share intelligence on arson fires and other anti-social behaviour within areas, in order to concentrate prevention activity into areas with identified higher risk. Non-Domestic Buildings Fires At 113 for the year, Non-Domestic Building Fires were 8.7% above the target. This is a challenging target for a large District such as Bradford. However, we will continue target this PI to keep the numbers of these fires as low as possible. Home Fire Safety Checks Bradford narrowly missed the target (-0.2%) for home fire safety check points. The district delivered 77,582 points over the year, whilst actively engaged in the design and delivery of a number of pilots in line with the development of the new Safer Communities Strategy and further detail can be found in the Action Plan update for 2016/17. 40

26 BRADFORD DISTRICT ACTION PLAN West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service DELIVER A PROACTIVE COMMUNITY SAFETY PROGRAMME We will: Our action: Progress: Ensure the authority s statutory fire protection duties are discharged efficiently and effectively in order to reduce the risk of fire and the effects of fire should it occur Work with partners to reduce the risk of fires, road traffic incidents, other emergencies and enhance community wellbeing Carry out 1300 planned Operational Risk Visits in line with the WYFRS Risk Based Inspection Programme Continue to revisit and undertake Operational Risk Visits at sites previously categorized as Very High, High, and Medium risk Target Operational Risk Visits to reflect: The themes outlined within the WYFRS Risk Based Inspection Programme Premises identified as high risk by watches Deliver a points total of 77,700 by carrying out Home Fire Safety Checks across the district. Work with Partners to target the highest risk individuals and areas within the District Due to a suspension of the ORV programme in December, in order to allow improvements and streamlining to the system, we have not carried out 1300 ORV visits this year. However, at the time of suspension we were on course to meet this target. Whilst the ORV inspection programme was suspended crews continued to visit sites within the District which were known to be high risk. Up to the suspension of the ORV programme this target was being met. Following the suspension of the programme crews continued to visit sites within the District which were known to be high risk. This target was met. Our partnerships continued to develop throughout the year. A high proportion of our prevention work is carried out from referrals received from our partner agencies. Support the transition of Home Fire Safety Check visits to a programme that reflects the Safe and Well principles In conjunction with Bradford District Care Trust and the local CCG we have a Falls Prevention trial running at Keighley. Crews use a simple risk assessment to identify elderly people at risk of a fall. These people are then referred to BDCT and are visited by a District Nurse for a full falls assessment and help and assistance where required. Home Security pilot being developed in conjunction with the Central Prevention Team and WYP. Deliver a targeted and sustained Home Fire Safety Check programme in identified higher risk areas covered by Shipley and Idle fire stations prior to the merger of those two stations. Strengthen links with local Dementia support groups and implement interventions to manage fire related hazards. Train all District watches to recognise signs of Dementia and be a Dementia Friendly District Deliver Community Safety messages to up to 1200 young people during the Police led Spring, Summer and Autumn camps 41 (Old) Shipley and Idle fire stations closed on 31 st May. Prior to this extensive fire prevention activity was carried out in the areas of those two stations where call times will increase with the opening of the new Shipley station. All District crews are now trained in recognizing signs of dementia and how to refer to appropriate agencies. The District Prevention Assistant is in regular contact with local dementia groups. The Police Camps were successfully supported by the Fire Service last year. The summer camp had the theme of vehicle safety, specifically the dangers of speeding. The camps were well received.

27 Work with partners, specifically WYP and Bradford College to further exploit the potential of community volunteers to deliver fire service safety messages. WYFRS in Partnership with WYP now have access to Safer Communities Advocates who volunteer for each service. WYFRS will access these volunteers for various purposes such as exercise casualties and community initiatives, particularly around the Bonfire Night period. 42

28 DELIVER A PROFESSIONAL AND RESILIENT EMERGENCY RESPONSE SERVICE We will: Our action: Progress: Work with our blue-light partners and other agencies to provide a safe and effective emergency response Ensure emergency response is dynamic and resilient reflecting changes to the level of risk and demand Pilot emergency 1st responding in Ilkley Embed the Joint Emergency Services Interoperability Programme (JESIP) by improving operational co-working with Police through joint training programmes. Complete a training programme with District Neighbourhood Policing and Response Teams to ensure better interoperability at Missing Persons Incidents within the District Continue to exchange information with other blue-light responders within local tactical, operational, and strategic groups Oversee the start of the new station on Valley Road, Bradford, to ensure it fully supports a highly effective emergency response. Pilot implemented and on-going and running successfully. The missing persons protocol with WYP has been amended this year to allow earlier mobilization of WYFRS resources to missing persons. Joint missing persons training was completed with NPT Sergeants to ensure the changes to the protocol are understood by WYFRS and WYP staff to ensure the most effective response when required. Regular meetings are held between the ADC / DSO and their Police counterparts to ensure any operational issues are identified and acted upon quickly. The DC sits on the Contest Silver group which is chaired by WYP and Bradford MDC. The new Shipley station, on Valley Road, was occupied, ahead of schedule, on 31 st May. Embed the District exercise programme to ensure every watch in the District will take a full part in 2 planned 4 pump exercises per year. The1st rotation of District exercise programme was completed in April. This programme has proven to be an excellent addition to training and assurance in Bradford District. Each watch in the District will attend two 4 to 5 pump exercises per year and will organise one of the exercises themselves every other year. Continuously improve our emergency response by learning from ours and others experiences Implement recommendations from the review of flood and water rescue assets Effectively debrief the District and Brigade exercise programme to ensure all learning from exercises is fully embedded Implement an effective localised Training strategy in line with the Management of Risk Information Policy and FF Safety Strategy Deliver the 2016/17 District Training Strategy objectives and ensure that the training to risk approach continues Recommendations now agreed Service wide. New equipment to Bingley fire station, which is a water rescue station, includes larger boats with more powerful engines. De-brief outcomes is fully utilised by the ADC / DSO to ensure all learning from exercises and incidents is disseminated and where necessary trained against. As well as the District Exercise Programme the District team organise District exercises periodically through the year. For example in September a series of exercises where run at Leyland House high rise block in Keighley to test local crews on their implementation of the high rise policy in difficult circumstances. 43

29 PROVIDE A SAFE SKILLED WORKFORCE THAT SERVES THE NEEDS OF A DIVERSE COMMUNITY We will: Our action: Progress: Continue to monitor absences and support staff to promote attendance in line with the Absence and Attendance Policy Promote the health, safety and well-being of all employees Ensure the availability of Welfare Officers to support the rehabilitation of employees The new Absence and Attendance Policy was implemented on the District earlier this year. Absence monitoring by SCs carried out for all absences & Welfare Officers are appointed for more long term / involved cases. A district lead for all HR matters has now been appointed from the Districts SCs. Provide training and development to maintain a skilled and flexible workforce Deliver a local Training and development Strategy that focuses on training to risk Embed the District exercise programme to ensure every watch in the District will take a full part in 2 planned 4 pump exercises per year. Training to risk exercises delivered throughout the year. The 1st rotation of District exercise programme was completed in April. This programme has proven to be an excellent addition to training and assurance in Bradford District. Each watch in the District will attend 2 four to five pump exercises per year and will organise one of the exercises themselves every other year. Create an environment that enables our staff to develop and embrace organisational and cultural change Introduce challenging quarterly 3 pump drills/exercises, organised by district WCs and involving the district s FDS officers. Discuss the issues identified within the Community Risk Management Strategy to ensure all the Districts staff are informed and engaged with the WYFRS IRMP planning process. Ensure that managers discuss organisational and cultural change as part of the Personal Development Review process Programme introduced January Progressing well. This programme sits below the District exercise programme and completes the District strategy for multi pump training. EMOCs require watches to carry out training with neighbouring stations quarterly. In Bradford District 2 pf these training sessions consist of a 3 pump exercise / drill on a theme decided by the organising station. Meetings between Watches & DC & ADC were completed before end of The DC and ADC between them met with all watches. This was an ideal opportunity for mutual communication between the District team and watches including around the IRMP. PDR process was completed by 28 th February. We placed great emphasis this year on PDRs being carried out in a sequential order; DC with SCs first then SCs with WCs and lastly WCs with watches. This should help to standardise a good level of PDR 44

30 Performance Monitoring Report - 12 Jun :09:47 - Sourced from Performance Management Information System CALDERDALE LOCAL AUTHORITY (DRRT) - PERFORMANCE MONITORING SYSTEM DEFINITIONS ACTUAL DATA (Baseline Years) Performance from the baseline year. 2009/10 is used as a baseline 3 YEAR AVG TARGET (Previous 3 Years) Average performance from the previous 3 financial years, used as the target for this current year TOTAL SO FAR (Current Year) AGAINST TARGET SO FAR (Current Year) END OF YEAR PROJECTION (Current Year) Cumulative total for current year so far Comparison of activity so far against the target Red (outside 10% of target), Amber (within 10% of target), Green (target achieved or exceeded) Projected value at the end of the financial year based on Total So Far and the number of days remaining ACTUAL DATA (2009/10 3 YEAR AVG TARGET (2013/16) TOTAL SO FAR (2016/17) [values to 31 Mar :59:59] AGAINST 3 YEAR AVG (2016/17) END OF YEAR PROJECTION (2016/17) Arson % 475 Actual Rescues % 83 Total Activity % 1867 Dwelling Fires % 104 Non-Domestic Building Fires % 42 Prevalence of False Alarms % 810 Fire Related Injuries % 30 Road Traffic Collisions % 62 No. of Operational Risk Visits (IN) % 465 Malicious False Alarms % 19 No. of Home Fire Safety Check Points (IN) % COMMENTS RELATING TO PERFORMANCE INDICATORS 45

31 Calderdale District Performance Monitoring Report - 1 April 2016 to 31 March 2017 District performance in the following areas either meets or exceeds the required target: Arson Following a fairly poor start to the financial year, Calderdale District has rallied to excel against the 2016/17 target by 6.5%. North East Calderdale continues to be the focus of arson initiatives. This is because around 50% of all Calderdale s deliberate fires occur in this risk reduction area. The District Team continues to work proactively with the Police and local community groups in developing youth engagement and anti-social behaviour initiatives. These appear to be helping to reduce arson in North East Calderdale because the incidence has reduced by 18% over three-years. Actual Rescues - The majority of Calderdale s rescues occur following road traffic collisions and dwelling fires. Reducing the number of dwelling fires and road traffic collisions therefore has a beneficial effect on performance against the actual rescues target. Consequently, the District has surpassed its 2016/17 target by 17.8%. Total Activity There were fewer emergency calls in Calderdale during 2016/17 than during the previous year. The longer-term trend in emergency calls is also downwards and is reflected by bettering the 2016/17 total activity target by 0.8%. Dwelling Fires During 2015/16 dwelling fires in Calderdale fell to their lowest ever level. Repeating this fantastic achievement was always going to be challenging. Although the District has failed to repeat the previous year s performance it has outstripped the 2016/17 target by 5.5%. This performance means that the District continues to deliver a downward trend in dwelling fires. Success is partly due to how the District targets risk reduction initiatives and improvements in partnership working. Road Traffic Collisions Calderdale s topography and road networks present serious challenges to reducing road traffic collisions. This has prompted a more coordinated approach to working in partnership to create safer roads. The District Team is at the forefront of this partnership and is now starting to see some good results. Partnership initiatives with the Local Authority, Police, and local businesses have helped to deliver performance that has beaten the 2016/17 target by 10.1%. Road traffic collisions attended by WYFRS have reduced to their lowest level in recent years and represent over a 50% reduction on the 2009/10 figure. Operational Risk Visits During 2016/17, the ORV programme was ceased to allow key changes in the way the service deals with such inspections. However, the performance in Calderdale at the time the programme was stopped was on course to meet the annual target, with 465 Operational Risk Visits completed. This is an extremely respectable figure, given that WYFRS discontinued the full visit programme in December Additional visits were also completed following the date the formal visit programme ceased which increased the number of inspections delivered across Calderdale to 481. Malicious False Alarms Calderdale District continues to receive a very low number of malicious false alarms. During this reporting period, the District has responded to just 19 incidents following malicious calls. This is the lowest ever recorded figure for the District and means that the District has surpassed its respective target by 20.8%. It means that malicious calls have reduced by over 50% over five years and by 70% against the 2009/10 figure. The continued trend suggests that the District s educational and youth engagement initiatives are making a real difference. Home Fire Safety Checks - Calderdale District is working hard to target its finite resources to individuals at higher risk from fire and other emergencies. During 2016/17, the District accrued 47

32 27,512 points from home fire safety check visits. It has therefore exceeded the District points target by 21.5%. The District has also completed a very successful pilot for Safe and Well visits. Around one third of these visits have led to referrals to other agencies. Performance in the following areas fell outside the required target: Prevalence of False Alarms Historically, Calderdale has struggled to meet the targets set for false alarms. This year, the District has narrowly missed the target by just 0.5% (four calls). Analysis of previous performance also shows that false alarms have reduced by 15% over fiveyears, and by 37% against the 2009/10 figure. As previously stated malicious calls have also reduced to an all-time low level. Non-Domestic Building Fires Calderdale District failed to meet the 2016/17 target for nondomestic building fires by 27.3%. Surprisingly, the normally low-activity Upper Valley area returned the highest number of non-domestic building fires for the District. This year s incidents included five significant fires requiring resources from across the county. The incidents of note are; Dobb Royd Castle (8 pumps), Water Stalls Road 6 pumps, Calder Valley Skip Hire (12 pumps), and two separate fires at Riverside Works, Elland ( pumps). Fire Related Injuries For successive years, Calderdale District has failed to meet the target set for fire related injuries. During 2015/16 fire related injuries in Calderdale reduced to an alltime low figure of 11. This year s performance is concerning though with injuries rising to 30, and failing to meet the 2016/17 target by 100%. Although the vast majority of last year s fire related injuries were slight, two people sadly lost their lives in two separate house fires. The District will continue to work with its partners to reduce fire related injuries. It will also continue to deliver a sustained programme of home safety checks in areas at higher risk. Summary The service delivery targets continue to present the District with significant challenges. The target numbers are generally low and provide very-little flexibility. The District has enjoyed considerable success during the past few years considering that we continue tom set challenging performance targets. This year represents the best ever overall performance against the targets. I am extremely proud of what everyone in Calderdale has achieved, but resolute that we can continue to improve. Success is a true reflection of the strategy and work-ethic adopted by everyone in the District. The 2017/18 Action Plan for Calderdale commits to reducing deliberate fires in unoccupied and derelict properties. The District Team is now benefitting from dedicated prevention resources. These will be fully utilised to work alongside local partners to improve the security and resilience of unoccupied buildings against the threat of arson. These initiatives will hopefully reduce the number of fires, and repeat non-domestic building fires. During 2017/18, the Calderdale District Team will seek to improve the fire safety awareness for private landlords. This is a direct response to the number of serious fires in privately rented dwellings. Both of the fire related deaths in Calderdale during 2016/17 occurred in privately rented accommodation. The associated fire investigation reports for these incidents highlight scope to improve fire safety arrangements. The District Team will therefore initiate an awareness campaign including a series of workshops for local landlords. The Team will also improve its partnership arrangements with adult social care and highlight the direct links between lifestyle factors, dwelling fires, and fire related injuries 48

33 CALDERDALE DISTRICT ACTION PLAN West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service DELIVER A PROACTIVE COMMUNITY SAFETY PROGRAMME We will: Our action: Progress: Ensure the authority s statutory fire protection duties are discharged efficiently and effectively in order to reduce the risk of fire and the effects of fire should it occur Carry out 640 planned Operational Risk Visits in line with the WYFRS Risk Based Inspection Programme Target Operational Risk Visits to reflect the themes outlined within the WYFRS Risk Based Inspection Programme Continue to revisit and undertake Operational Risk Visits at sites previously categorised as Very High, High, and Medium risk Operational crews completed 481 Operational Risk Visits, prior to suspension of the inspection programme. The District was on course to meet the annual target During 2016/17, Calderdale firefighters visited several sites in line with the Risk Based Inspection Programme themes. These included visits to schools, residential care premises, and larger factories and warehouses Operational crews have continued to revisit higher risk sites in the area and update the respective details Work with partners to reduce the likelihood of fires, road traffic incidents and enhance community well-being Deliver a points total of 22,650 by carrying out Home Fire Safety Checks across the district, targeting the most vulnerable members of the community Utilise new demographic data to target those most at risk from fire and other emergencies for Home Fire Safety Checks Support the development of Home Fire Safety Check visits to a programme that reflects the Safe and Well principles Deliver a targeted and sustained Home Fire Safety Check programme in Sowerby Bridge Refresh and improve partnership, and referral arrangements for hoarding issues Increase the number of friendship and partnership arrangements with local Dementia support groups Support and contribute to any appropriate Vanguard Schemes established within Calderdale Deliver the flagship Road show as part of national Road Safety Week and to communicate life-long safety messages to local sixth form students The District accrued 27,504 from delivering Home Fire Safety Checks during 2016/17. The District has improved its partnership arrangements and these are helping to target the service toward those most vulnerable The District is still awaiting the release of the Exeter Data. On receipt, this will be used to assist in targeting those at heightened risk of fires and other emergencies The District Team has successfully piloted Safe and Well Visits in the Upper Valley area of Calderdale. These visits comprised an assessment of the home environment, health and wellbeing, and falls risk. Around a third of visits resulted in referrals to other agencies Operational crews spent a number of days delivering Home Safety Checks in the Sowerby Bridge Ward The District Team continues to work with Together Housing and Age UK to improve the management of hording cases. Last year, this included presenting a successful workshop on 21 October 2016 as part of National safeguarding Week The Safe and Well programme has enabled closer working with local partners who support people with Dementia. These include Age UK, and Calderdale MBC s Staying Well Team The District Team continues to contribute to the Prevention and Oversight Group. The Team is also supporting the key objectives of the vanguard Scheme, particularly those regarding the home environment and healthy lifestyles The Roadshow ran on 25 November at the Victoria Theatre in Halifax. It continues to deliver safety messages to the next generation of drivers 49

34 Work with partners to reduce the likelihood of fires, road traffic incidents and enhance community well-being Deliver a structured road safety awareness training programme to communities resident in the Park Ward Continue to develop links with the Salvation Army and Age UK to support the ongoing Cherished Campaign Work together with Calderdale MBC and other partners to deliver flood safety, and after the flood advice to communities in the Upper and Lower Valleys Investigate scope for other organisations and volunteers to deliver Home Fire Safety Checks within the District Deliver thematic topic talks to operational firefighters in Calderdale regarding specific community safety issues During 2016/17, the District Team delivered two road safety initiatives in the Park Ward. These focused on wearing seatbelts, reducing speed, and refraining from using mobile devices while driving The District Team decided to focus its efforts on working together with Tesco to provide events during the Christmas period. This culminated with an event on 14 th December in the Community Room at Halifax Fire Station. Around 50 senior citizens visited and were treated to an afternoon of fun, games, bingo, and company On 1 st November 2016, a Watch Commander from Calderdale District commenced a secondment with Calderdale MBC. The secondment role is helping to support flood safety work across the District and improve partnership arrangements The District has not been able to make much progress against this initiative. The Safe and Well visits provide potential to improve upon current arrangements though The District Team has introduced a rolling programme for these talks. The first tranche included input about the concept of safe and well 50

35 DELIVER A PROFESSIONAL AND RESILIENT EMERGENCY RESPONSE SERVICE We will: Our action: Progress: Work with our blue-light partners and other agencies to provide a safe and effective emergency response Ensure emergency response is dynamic and resilient reflecting changes to the level of risk and demand Continue to exchange information with other blue-light responders within local tactical, operational, and strategic groups Task Watch Commanders based at Todmorden and Rastrick Fire Stations with arranging joint operational training with GMC, and Lancashire FRS Undertake joint training initiatives with the Calder Valley Mountain Rescue Team Test knowledge and understanding of the Joint Emergency Services Interoperability Programme (JESIP) principles via multi-agency exercising Reinstate Mytholmroyd Fire Station without moving the fire appliance off site Continue to improve the availability of the Retained Duty System crewed fire appliance at Mytholmroyd Implement IRMP initiatives that involve fire stations within Calderdale Implement recommendations from the review of flood and water rescue assets Members of the District Team are regularly attending multi agency group meetings with the Police, YAS and Local Authority representatives Local exercising and exchange of operational information is taking place with out of county fire stations like Bacup and Littleborough. Operational crews also attended three cross-border training exercises during 2016/17 The District Team has established a training schedule with the Calder Valley Mountain Rescue Team. This will help to improve understanding of each other s capabilities and roles The District Team has incorporated JESIP into the Performance Management Visit programme. All exercises now include JESIP as part of the debrief outcomes This was achieved by utilising a temporary appliance bay to house the fire appliance. The Fire Station was fully reinstated on 27 th January 2017 Availability for this appliance is still low in comparison to other WYFRS fire appliances. WYFRS is currently processing a number of RDS applications though and a number of these are for Mytholmroyd Fire Station None of the IRMP initiatives have required any subsequent action in Calderdale The recommendations returned a very positive outcome for Calderdale. Todmorden Fire Station now has a swift water response capability, and Rastrick Fire Station will shortly benefit from enhanced water rescue assets Continuously improve our emergency response by learning from ours and others experiences Continue to improve the quality of risk information by identifying and rectifying common errors and learning from best practice WYFRS is changing the process for gathering and storing operational risk information. The new process will improve the quality and viability of information. The District Team is supportive of these changes and is providing the necessary details to assist the process Deliver the 2016/17 District Training Strategy objectives and ensure that the training to risk approach continues The District Training Strategy establishes key training objectives for a three-year period aligned to firefighter safety. During 2016/17, the District organised several exercises to complement the ongoing training programme Continue to encourage employees to use the debrief outcomes facility to share their experiences with others, and ensure that common themes are shared The debrief outcomes facility is embedded and Calderdale crews are using it effectively 51

36 PROVIDE A SAFE SKILLED WORKFORCE THAT SERVES THE NEEDS OF A DIVERSE COMMUNITY We will: Our action: Progress: Promote the health, safety and well-being of all employees Support employees to maintain their fitness and welfare Monitor absences and implement effective measures to promote attendance in line with the new Absence and Attendance Policy Ensure the availability of Welfare Officers to support the rehabilitation of employees The District is continuing to support its employees with their fitness and welfare. This includes assisting employees to recover from absence and return to full operational duties. The Team is continuing to provide early support via Welfare Officers The District Team has effective sickness monitoring arrangements in place. The District achieved its 2016/17 sickness target and has communicated the details of the new policy to employees All Calderdale District Officers provide the Welfare Officer role. They are actively involved in supporting a number of employees and aiding their rehabilitation. ADC Furby has made a significant contribution in driving forward the Welfare Officer role Provide training and development to maintain a skilled and flexible workforce Deliver year two of the Training and Development Strategy that focuses upon training to risk Review and provide new and challenging operational scenarios as part of the Performance Management Visit (PMV) programme Undertake a comprehensive review of the quality of information recorded in the electronic maintenance of competence records at all fire stations in the District The District Team have produced a District Training Strategy which establishes key training objectives for a three-year period. A risk assessment process determines the training themes for each year, and this aligns to the Firefighter Training Strategy. The Team successfully delivered the year-two objectives within the Strategy During 2015/16, the District Team refreshed the PMV programme. The Team subsequently delivered several new scenarios during 2016/17 aligned to the District Training Strategy themes The new electronic records went live in Calderdale District at the start of the 2015/16 fiscal year. Further changes were made to the system during 2016/17 and the District Team is continuing to quality sample these records as part of the PMV programme Create an environment that enables our staff to develop and embrace organisational and cultural change Start to implement the recommendations of the Command, Leadership, and Management project including restructuring of the District Team Communicate organisational and cultural expectations Monitor the level of awareness regarding fairness, dignity and respect policies and implement arrangements to improve this Ensure that managers discuss organisational and cultural change as part of the Personal Development Review process The Calderdale District Team restructured on 3 rd April This followed several discussions with staff about Station Commanders adopting functional references, and future expectations The District Team has invested significant effort into improving communication links and ensuring that all employees are aware of the expectations. The District Team has also fully implemented an Action Plan to specifically address issues from the 2016 staff survey The 2016 staff survey provided very good assurance for awareness regarding fairness, dignity and respect policies. The District Action Plan has addressed several issues highlighted by the survey The District Team encourages these discussions to take place during interim Personal Development Review meetings as well as the annual appraisal 52

37 Performance Monitoring Report - 12 Jun :10:01 - Sourced from Performance Management Information System DEFINITIONS KIRKLEES LOCAL AUTHORITY (DRRT) - PERFORMANCE MONITORING SYSTEM ACTUAL DATA (Baseline Years) Performance from the baseline year. 2009/10 is used as a baseline 3 YEAR AVG TARGET (Previous 3 Years) Average performance from the previous 3 financial years, used as the target for this current year TOTAL SO FAR (Current Year) AGAINST TARGET SO FAR (Current Year) END OF YEAR PROJECTION (Current Year) Cumulative total for current year so far Comparison of activity so far against the target Red (outside 10% of target), Amber (within 10% of target), Green (target achieved or exceeded) Projected value at the end of the financial year based on Total So Far and the number of days remaining ACTUAL DATA (2009/10 3 YEAR AVG TARGET (2013/16) TOTAL SO FAR (2016/17) [values to 31 Mar :59:59] AGAINST 3 YEAR AVG (2016/17) END OF YEAR PROJECTION (2016/17) Arson % 877 Actual Rescues % 143 Total Activity % 3578 Dwelling Fires % 187 Non-Domestic Building Fires % 79 Prevalence of False Alarms % 1727 Fire Related Injuries % 31 Road Traffic Collisions % 103 No. of Operational Risk Visits (IN) % 545 Malicious False Alarms % 58 No. of Home Fire Safety Check Points (IN) % COMMENTS RELATING TO PERFORMANCE INDICATORS 53

38 Kirklees District Performance Monitoring Report 1 April March 2017 The District performance in the following areas either meets or exceeds the required target: Dwelling Fires. Kirklees District has exceeded this challenging target by 3.6%, with a total of 187 dwelling fires recorded for this period. In contrast to the three year average of 194 dwelling fires per year, we have experienced a reduction of 4% over this reporting period. This achievement is attributed to the prevention work carried out by operational crews and prevention staff. We continue to target the most vulnerable within the community, and we continue to work with our partners to identify those people who are in most need of our service. Prevalence of False Alarms. The number of false alarms is 0.7% below the target set, with a total of 1727 incidents recorded for the year. Operational crews continue to work with the Fire Protection Team to identify premises where issues arise. 71% of the False alarms were attributed to faulty equipment and we have prompted the owners to look at the necessary improvements to their system which will result in fewer false alarms. Fire Related Injuries. Kirklees District has exceeded the target by 3.1%. These injuries occurred across 31 incidents with 1 incident resulting in a fatality. Of these incidents, there were 4 properties in which there was no smoke alarm installed. Kirklees District continues to work with local community groups and partners to provide fire safety education and promoting the importance of having working smoke detectors. Road Traffic Collisions. Kirklees District has achieved the target set by 12.7% with 103 incidents recorded. This is a reduction of 13% in comparison to the 3 year average. Kirklees District continues to support the Kirklees Road Safety Partnership, to identify hot spots and carry out educational work. The Road Safety videos commissioned by the partnership will be launched in October Furthermore, operational crews have delivered a series of targeted road safety events during this reporting period. No of HFSC Points. The number of HFSC points for has exceeded the required target by 9.6% with a total of points. The focus for the year ahead will be to align our partnerships to support the safe and well principles and develop innovative approaches to target the most vulnerable in our communities. 54

39 Performance in the following areas are outside of the target set: Arson. Kirklees District is above the target set for arson by 12.9%. Primary fires as a result of arson equates to 23 dwellings, 58 non-domestic properties and 161 vehicle fires. The majority of secondary fires are attributed to refuse (312) and vegetation (113). We continue to work with our partners to prevent anti-social fires in derelict premises and report instances of waste build-up and fly tipping to the council. We also seek long term solutions to resolve community issues with our continued work with the Area Based Leadership Teams. In Huddersfield we carried out joint community visits to address anti-social issues in Ashbrow and Crosland Moor. A clean-up operation is planned with partners in Dewsbury Moor, with supporting fire prevention advice to be delivered at the local mosques. Following a number of primary fires, prevention visits to tackle arson are on-going in the Heckmondwike and Robertown areas of Cleckheaton. Actual Rescues Kirklees District is above the target for actual rescues by 14.4% with 143 rescues recorded for this period. From the 143 rescues 9% were from the dwelling fires, 36% from RTC and the remaining 55% classed as minor rescues. Total Activity The total number of incidents attended across Kirklees is 4.7% above the target figure set. This increase has mainly been seen in the 3 performance indicators of Arson, Non-Domestic Fires and Malicious false alarms. The District Team will continue to monitor trends and target resources based on intelligence and the variety of data sets/mapping systems to further reduce the activity over the coming year. Non-Domestic Fires. The number of non-domestic building fires is 23.4% above the target set for Kirklees for 2015/16. A working group has been established with the aim of preventing fires and managing the on-going issues often experienced with these sites. Work to tackle these issues is also progressed through the Kirklees Area Based Leadership Teams. Non-domestic buildings identified at risk from fire in Kirklees are visited by prevention staff and operational crews. During these visits fire prevention advice is given and risk information is collated. Operational Risk Visits. Kirklees District is 3.9% outside the revised target set for operational risk visits. The decision to cease the ORV programme on 5 December 2016 meant the crews were only carrying out inspections in certain circumstances, including: Post fire operational risk visits Operational liaison visits generated by Operational risk team 55

40 . Operational risk visit minor issues (Fire safety follow up visits). Malicious False Alarms. The number of malicious false alarms is 16.0% above the target set with a total of 58 incidents. The Kirklees District Team will continue to deliver education programmes to schools and community groups and also will work with partners and organisations to reduce malicious false alarm. Control staff continue to challenge suspected malicious calls and prevention staff visit premises where repetitive malicious calls have been received. Summary Overall Kirklees District has performed well against the challenging performance targets set. We have seen a reduction in the number of dwelling fires and the subsequent fire related injuries. This reduction is a result of the on-going fire prevention work carried out by operational crews and prevention staff. Looking forward, we have more prevention work to do around the areas of arson and non-domestic building fires. We will endeavour to do this by working with partners to develop innovative ideas and solutions through the Area Based Leadership Teams and aligning our existing partnerships to support the safe and well programme. 56

41 KIRKLEES DISTRICT ACTION PLAN DELIVER A PROACTIVE COMMUNITY SAFETY PROGRAMME We will: Ensure the authority s statutory fire protection duties are discharged efficiently and effectively in order to reduce the risk of fire and the effects of fire should it occur Our action: Carry out 850 Operational Risk Visits to reflect the themes outlined within the WYFRS risk based inspection programme Prior to the suspension of the ORV process, Kirklees crews completed 566 Operational Risk Visits. These inspections and the data collected will contribute to the safety of personnel when dealing with incidents at commercial premises as well supporting the safety of the public. Work with partners to reduce the risk of fires, road traffic incidents, other emergencies and enhance community well-being Continue to revisit and undertake Operational Risk Visits at sites previously categorized as Very High, High, and Medium risk Develop an initiative to target domestic properties above commercial properties Deliver a points total of 47,910 by carrying out Home Fire Safety Checks across the District, targeting the most vulnerable members of the community Utilise new demographic data (Exeter data) to deliver a more targeted approach to Home Fire Safety Checks Support the transition of Home Fire Safety Check visits to a prevention strategy that reflects the Safe and Well principles Crews continue to revisit the very high and high risk sites within Kirklees with an emphasis on learning and understanding the hazards associated with their local risks. Assurance of crew s knowledge and understanding is assessed as part of the PMV process. Prevention staff carried out joint visits with Kirklees Housing Solutions to a number of domestic properties above commercial properties in Raventhorpe. A number of properties required further interventions from Housing Solutions and other partner agencies such as Environmental Health. The work around this particular objective continues. The number of HFSC for this reporting period has exceeded the set target by 10%. The total points achieved is The District Prevention Manager has explored the potential for using the Exeter Data with the Data Team. At present we are awaiting the updated version of this data. Kirklees Prevention formed a partnership with the West Yorkshire Police on a crime prevention initiative. Training was delivered to crews across Kirklees and a referall process was developed. The District Team also supported the Safer Communities public consultation process. Deliver a targeted and sustained risk reduction initiative in Dewsbury West Ward An action plan was developed to tackle the on-going risks and issues within this particular ward. Work continues with partners through the Area Leadership Delivery Group to address issues on the Pilgrim Estate. Further develop the friendship and partnership arrangements with local Dementia support groups 57 A number of fire safety talks have been delivered to the local dementia support groups including the dementia cafes. Work is ongoing with partner agencies in setting up partnerships with Making Space Support Services. Local crews attended the Dementia Lindley multi-agency event.

42 Develop a partnership with Kirklees Children s Services Work with partner agencies to deliver fire prevention advice to asylum and migrant communities within Kirklees Kirklees Children Services had undergone a restructure and work is ongoing in relation to developing this partnership. The Prevention Team delivered a number of induction sessions to Syrian refugees with the assistance of an interpreter. The District Prevention Assistant now attends the Asylum & Refugee Working Group with partners from Police, Kirklees Council and Kirklees Neighbourhood Housing. Work is ongoing with partners to support the asylum and migrant communities across the district. Continue to support the Kirklees Road Safety Partnership and deliver education programs aimed at improving the awareness of road safety issues The District Team continues to support the Kirklees Road Safety Partnership. A number of events were held within Kirklees during National Road Safety Week in November. Two Road Safety videos commissioned by the partnership will be lauched in October The videos will focus on distractions and drug/drink driving. Explore the opportunities for a prevention liaison role working in partnership within Kirklees Council and Kirklees Neighborhood Housing Following the submission of a business case and a selection process a Watch Manager was seconded into the Safer Kirklees Team. This is a joint role working with Kirklees Council and Kirklees Neighbourhood Housing. DELIVER A PROFESSIONAL AND RESILIENT EMERGENCY RESPONSE SERVICE We will: Work with blue-light partners and other agencies to provide a safe and effective emergency response Our action: Deliver and evaluate the Emergency First Responder pilot scheme across the nominated Retained Duty System stations The pilot scheme is running at Skelmanthorpe, Ilkley and Featherstone fire stations with positive feedback from the volunteers and Yorkshire Ambulance Service (YAS). The pilot scheme was suspended during late April and early May due to a change in YAS operating model. The Project Team are in the process of evaluating the scheme and the outcomes of this evaluation will be reported to the Fire Authority. Organise a joint exercise with emergency service partners at Syngenta, Huddersfield The District Team coordinated two joint agency exercises at the Syngenta site during 2016/17. The exercise scenarios were based around a gas release and involved 10 pumps with supporting resources. Organise a District exercise involving emergency service partners and the five Kirklees Retained Duty System stations This District exercise was performed on the 4 th May. The exercise scenario was a road traffic collision involving a number of casualties and vehicles. Crews from the Kirklees RDS stations attending with support from Yorkshire Ambulance Service. 58

43 Ensure emergency response is dynamic and resilient reflecting changes to the level of risk and demand Implement IRMP initiatives and recommendations from the National Resilience review that involve fire stations within Kirklees Contribute to the review into the availability of appliances at Retained Duty System stations and make recommendations for improvements No action taken during this reporting period in relation to this objective. Staff from the Kirklees District Team have supported and contributed to the RDS review. A Kirklees RDS Watch Commander worked with the Operations Team to progress this objective. Continuously improve our emergency response by learning from ours and others experiences Continue to monitor the quality of risk information by identifying and rectifying common errors and learning from best practice The District Team and Local Retained Support Officers have received further training from the Operational Risk Management Team. The quality of ORV is subject to audit as part of the PMV process. Assure the knowledge and understanding of crews following recent changes to the Incident Command System and Breathing Apparatus procedures A series of five pump exercises to test command & control and breathing apparatus procedures was carried out during October and November. Continue to encourage employees to use the debrief outcomes facility to share their experiences with others, and ensure that common themes are shared Complete the project evaluation for the new Dewsbury Fire Station The District Team continue to encourage staff to complete debrief outcome reports for incidents of note within Kirklees. The Assistant District Commander is responsible for monitoring this learning process. The project evaluation for the new Dewsbury Fire Station is now complete. The report was submitted for approval to the Project Sponsor on the 26 th September PROVIDE A SAFE SKILLED WORKFORCE THAT SERVES THE NEEDS OF A DIVERSE COMMUNITY We will: Promote the health, safety and well-being of all employees Our action: Support employees to maintain their fitness and welfare. Monitor absences and implement effective measures to promote attendance in line with the new Absence and Attendance Policy Ensure the availability of Welfare Officers to support the rehabilitation of employees All operational staff completed the 6 monthly fitness assessments during this reporting period. Kirklees managers have been proactive in monitoring sickness in line with the current Absence and Attendance Policy. The target set for total sickness per employee has been exceeded during this reporting period. The welfare office role has been utilised in Kirklees on a number of occasions to support employees with a variety of issues. Kirklees managers have attended welfare training to support them with this role. Provide training and development to maintain a skilled and flexible workforce Align Retained Duty System training across Kirklees to facilitate scenario based exercises with whole-time crews Develop an inter-station training programme based on the training to risk methodology 59 The primary training period for Kirklees RDS Stations is now Wednesday night. The alignment of RDS training facilitates regular joined training sessions between stations with sustained support from the District Team. A series of scenario based exercise was delivered by the District Team and the feedback received from crews was very positive. A bi-annual inter-station training programme based on training to risk is now in place. The training is coordinated by the District Team with the responsibility of organising the training delegated to local crews.

44 Assess the command and leadership skills of supervisory commanders as part of the Performance Management Visit programme Undertake a comprehensive review of the quality of information recorded in the electronic maintenance of competence records at all fire stations in the District The District Team have used a formative approach to assess the command and leadership skills of supervisory commanders. This is delivered through professional discussion and feedback on exercise performance. This formative approach during the PMV contributes to the development of supervisory commanders. Station Commanders continue to audit the maintenance of competence records and provide feedback to crews. The District Team carry out a sample audit as part of the PMV process. Create an environment that enables our staff to develop and embrace organisational and cultural change Start to implement the recommendations of the Command, Leadership, and Management project including restructuring of the District Team Communicate organisational and cultural expectations Monitor the level of awareness regarding fairness, dignity and respect policies and implement arrangements to improve this Ensure that managers communicate organisational and cultural change as part of their routine communication with staff No action taken in relation to this objective during this reporting period. Additional forums for communicating organisational and cultural expectations are developing within Kirklees. These developments include the introduction of weekly briefings for Station Commanders; Supervisory Commander and Local Retained Support Officer meetings with the District Commander. The aim of these additional forums is to improve the communication across the district and the organisation. The Diversity & Inclusion Team have visited staff at various work locations in Kirklees. The purpose of these visits was to ascertain employee s knowledge and understanding of dignity and respect policies. During this reporting period managers from Kirklees have kept staff up to date on the following areas of potential change: Command, Leadership and Management Programme; Safer Communities Programme and IRMP proposals. 60

45 Performance Monitoring Report - 12 Jun :10:13 - Sourced from Performance Management Information System DEFINITIONS LEEDS LOCAL AUTHORITY (DRRT) - PERFORMANCE MONITORING SYSTEM ACTUAL DATA (Baseline Years) Performance from the baseline year. 2009/10 is used as a baseline 3 YEAR AVG TARGET (Previous 3 Years) Average performance from the previous 3 financial years, used as the target for this current year TOTAL SO FAR (Current Year) AGAINST TARGET SO FAR (Current Year) END OF YEAR PROJECTION (Current Year) Cumulative total for current year so far Comparison of activity so far against the target Red (outside 10% of target), Amber (within 10% of target), Green (target achieved or exceeded) Projected value at the end of the financial year based on Total So Far and the number of days remaining ACTUAL DATA (2009/10 3 YEAR AVG TARGET (2013/16) TOTAL SO FAR (2016/17) [values to 31 Mar :59:59] AGAINST 3 YEAR AVG (2016/17) END OF YEAR PROJECTION (2016/17) Arson % 2143 Actual Rescues % 239 Total Activity % 8350 Dwelling Fires % 429 Non-Domestic Building Fires % 218 Prevalence of False Alarms % 4327 Fire Related Injuries % 66 Road Traffic Collisions % 184 No. of Operational Risk Visits (IN) % 1283 Malicious False Alarms % 128 No. of Home Fire Safety Check Points (IN) % COMMENTS RELATING TO PERFORMANCE INDICATORS 61

46 Leeds District Performance Monitoring Report 1 st September st March 2017 The District performance in the following areas either meets or exceeds the set target: Actual Rescues. Leeds District exceeded the target set for actual rescues by some 12.8 %. Actual rescues include those that are fire related, rescue post road traffic collision and the remainder are miscellaneous; these range from releasing children s heads from railings, rescues from height (usually roofs or trees) to assisting YAS to gain entry to a house where an individual has collapsed. Dwelling Fires. Leeds District has exceeded performance against this challenging target by some 8.1%. A targeted approach to Home Fire Safety Checks and working closely with partners with regards to rented accommodation and the most vulnerable in society has delivered effective performance. Leeds District now have a Watch Manager seconded across both Adult Social Care and Leeds & York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, this secondment produces high quality referrals for the most vulnerable in the local community. Prevalence of False Alarms. Leeds District exceeded performance against the target set for false alarms by 0.9%. Work continues with Fire Protection on identified premises where issues arise. A positive working relationship with LCC has resulted in a prompt response when problems have been identified; persistent offenders are now charged and this action has driven down this figure. Fire Related Injuries. Leeds District has pleasingly exceeded this challenging target by 5.7%. These tragic, infrequent events are always fully investigated; the findings in general are that these individuals are known to other agencies and that in general WYFRS have not visited. Fatal fires and all other significant fires receive intensive follow up prevention campaigns; the campaigns promote fire safety in the home, together with a strengthening of all partnership support and referrals. We are continually developing our partnership with LCC that sees three seconded members of Housing Leeds working directly with Prevention staff throughout the city. In addition we now have a WYFRS uniformed member of staff seconded across both LCC Adult Social Care and the Leeds & York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. Leeds District suffered just one accidental fire death in 2016/17, one too many but still a very positive performance. Road Traffic Collisions. Satisfyingly, Leeds District performance against this target has been exceeded by some 16.7%. Throughout the district there has been a significant reduction in the number of road traffic collisions [RTC`s] attended. The close working relationship with key partners continues to be effective. Leeds District are a key stakeholder at the Leeds Safer Roads group. Furthermore, there have been events run throughout the year targeting those most at risk of being involved in RTC`s. BRAKE Road Safety week this year will run from the November. Leeds District in conjunction with LCC and West Yorkshire Police will be hosting an event during this week. Home Fire Safety Check Points. Leeds District exceeded this target by some 5.5% achieving a final yearend total of 114,564 points. Operational crews and Prevention staff both contribute to this challenging target. This excellent work 62

47 continues to see performance against dwelling fires exceed the very challenging target. Performance in the following areas are outside of the target set: Arson. Leeds District has failed to achieve performance against the target set for arson by 8.5%. The continued work of the Prevention Teams and Operational Crews has historically seen the number of such incidents reduce. We will continue to work with our partner agencies including the anti-social behaviour team and West Yorkshire Police to try to reduce the number of arson incidents. In addition, we have attended in excess of 100 deliberate incidents within Leeds prisons, this equates to approximately 5.0% of all arson incidents in Leeds District. We have a member of staff who is seconded in to the Wetherby Young Offenders Institute and working alongside partners to tackle this emerging issue. We are also working closely with the WYFRS Youth Intervention Team to deliver programmes to marginalised young people who may be at risk of engaging in anti-social behaviour and deliberate fire setting. Total Activity. Leeds District has marginally failed to achieve the target set for total activity level by just 1.7%. Our Operational Crews and Prevention Teams continue to work hard and adopt a proactive approach in order for us to achieve this target. We proactively monitor trends and target resources using data sets and mapping systems in order to reduce total activity. Non-Domestic Building Fires. Leeds District has failed significantly to achieve this challenging target by some 32.1%. HM Prison Service has seen a significant rise in fire related incidents which directly impacted on this target. My District Prevention Manager and I are working closely with HM prison staff and we are actively endeavouring to increase our performance against this indicator. Prison incidents this year exceeded 100 and effectively prevented us achieving this target. We are committed to tackling these issues and have seconded a Watch Commander into Wetherby YOI to explore methods of reducing incidents of this nature; WYFRS have been positively received by HM Prison Service. Operational Risk Visits. Leeds District has marginally failed to achieve performance against this forecasted target by some 6.6% as operational crews fight to balance their increasing workloads. This target and the brigade performance against it has recently been reviewed along with the ORV process in general, crews terminated visits when instructed to do so. Malicious False Alarms. Leeds District has marginally failed to achieve performance against this target by 2.4%. The Prevention Team and Operational Crews conduct annual Year 5 talks and more focused presentations around the bonfire period where this issue continues to be addressed. Control staff call challenge and endeavour to deter this type of anti-social behaviour. Summary Overall the performance of Leeds District continues to be high, particularly in light of the new increasingly challenging targets. The current economic climate and reduced operational 63

48 resources provide a continuous challenge to all Leeds District staff, however, we are not complacent; a great deal of work is being delivered to improve performance across all areas. The key to success continues to be the work carried out with our partners, the continuous challenge is to improve this level of performance as WYFRS`s structure significantly changes. Moving forward we are exploring new ways of working with the community to explore the health agenda. We have initiated a new concept of Safe and Well visits and begun formally training frontline crews. 64

49 LEEDS DISTRICT ACTION PLAN West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service DELIVER A PROACTIVE COMMUNITY SAFETY PROGRAMME We will: Our action: Progress: Ensure the authority s statutory fire protection duties are discharged efficiently and effectively in order to reduce the risk of fire and the effects of fire should it occur Work with partners to reduce the risk of fires, road traffic incidents, other emergencies and enhance community well-being Carry out the planned 2,060 Operational Risk Visits in line with the WYFRS Risk Based Inspection Programme Target Operational Risk Visits to reflect the themes outlined within the WYFRS Risk Based Inspection Programme Continue to revisit and undertake Operational Risk Visits at sites previously categorized as Very High, High, and Medium risk including timber framed buildings Deliver a point s total of 108,600 by carrying out Home Fire Safety Checks (HFSCs) across the district, targeting the most vulnerable members of the community Deliver a targeted and planned Home Fire Safety Check Programme in Moortown and Cookridge station areas prior to scheduled station closures Deliver a targeted and planned Home Fire Safety Check Programme in Rawdon prior to change in duty system Continue to develop strategic working relationships with Leeds Adult Social Care and Leeds and York NHS Foundation Trust through the secondment of Watch Manager B`s (WMBs) into those organisations. We have established a steering group to drive this piece of work and ensure that priories are delivering against an agreed muti agency business plan Continue to work with Leeds City Council Housing Standards team to target private rented accommodation within Leeds to deliver Home Fire Safety Checks and raise housing standards Deliver planned campaigns throughout the year including Chief Fire Officers Association (CFOA) Water Safety and Drowning Prevention week, CFOA Road Safety Week, Stanningley Safety Rangers, CFOA Older Persons Week and BRAKE Road Safety Week. We will take these opportunities to deliver key safety messages to target audiences Continue to build on success from previous years by working with key partners to deliver a planned prevention campaign over Bonfire Period 65 Operational crews completed 1283 visits and the Risk Based Inspection Programme was suspended pending a full review Operational crews have visited several schools and residential care premises during the first half of 2016/17. The remainder of visits have predominantly been to factories, warehouses and timber framed construction projects Operational crews risk inspections were suspended in December 2016 pending a full review of the programme Leeds District has established robust partnerships which allow us to target those that are most vulnerable from fire and deliver our Home Fire Safety Programme. We delivered over target a total of points Action currently not started, planning permission not granted, under review This action is now complete Leeds District now has one member of staff seconded who works across both Adult Social Care and the Mental Health Trust. This secondment allows us to deliver a joined up MA approach to working with vulnerable adults and reducing the risk of fire in our local community We are currently working with the Housing Standards team to target private rented properties in Armely and Holbeck to make tenants safer and improve property conditions. In addition, the Housing Standards team are supporting us with the introduction of Safe and Well visits Safety Rangers and CFOA older person s week events have been delivered. BRAKE road safety event delivered in November 2016 and CFOA Water Safety and Drowning Awareness event was delivered in April 2017 for Water Safety Week 2016 Bonfire Plan successfully delivered, we witnessed an upturn in verbal and physical assaults on crews

50 Strengthen links with Housing Leeds by seconding three full time members of staff to work for WYFRS delivering a structured programme of preventative work within Housing Leeds housing stock Continue to strengthen our Partnership arrangements with Safer Leeds and the Domestic Violence Breakthrough projects. We will continue to be a part of the multiagency Front Door Project and contribute to improving service delivery of this programme through attendance at the operational steering group We will explore piloting new and innovative forms of assistive technology in conjunction with Housing Leeds to reduce risk to those most vulnerable, this year we will undertake a trial of the Innohome Stovegaurd Device We are consulting with partners across different health organisations including Public Health to develop a Leeds based Safe and Well Visit. We will pilot a safe and well visit and evaluate its effectiveness and outcomes We will link in with the central youth training team and explore new ways of delivering youth based intervention within Leeds Continue to develop and strengthen the breadth of meaningful partnerships in order to identify those most vulnerable from fire to generate high risk quality referrals We will build upon existing Serious Incident Review processes locally. Following a serious incident or fire fatality an element of the review process will be to attend coroner s court and ensure a holistic approach to identifying and implementing learning outcomes is adopted We will actively support the River Side Safety Group and endeavour to reduce loss of life in the river Aire This action is successful and ongoing, we have monthly performance meeting s to review the progress of this partnership We continue to be a virtual partner of the Front Door Safeguarding Hub. Numbers of referrals for Home Fire Safety Checks are more manageable for WYFRS and are sent through to us based on a risk assessed approach. In addition, delivering Home Fire Safety Checks to victims of domestic violence is now core business for operational staff Currently progressing this, Housing Leeds have been working with the manufacturer to explore linking it to smart telecare systems. Three occupiers have been identified as suitable for piloting the new technology, some teething problems have been encountered We have established a multiagency stakeholder group to develop all aspects of the Leeds Safe and Well Visit. We have co designed a new visit that is currently being piloted in Garforth and Otley station areas. Staff involved in the pilot have received training from external agencies. Pilots now completed and evaluated We have delivered Fire Fit Olympics in Leeds in addition to the Get Started With Boxing programme. We are exploring linking in with Wetherby YOI to deliver bespoke youth interventions within the prison and potentially at Killingbeck fire station We continue to work closely with Housing providers, public sector agencies and third sector agencies. This work is supported and driven by the secondment business plan that identifies relevant agencies to work with to reduce risk This year we have had one fatal accidental dwelling fire caused by emollient creams in close proximity to a heat source. We completed the serious incident review process and are continuing to learn lessons from incidents of this nature Leeds White watch will have a specialist prevention water safety reference from the 1 st November They will work closely with different agencies and engage with members of the public to try and reduce the number of people drowning in the river Aire, ongoing DELIVER A PROFESSIONAL AND RESILIENT EMERGENCY RESPONSE SERVICE We will: Work with blue-light partners and other agencies to provide a safe and effective emergency response Our action: Continue to exchange information with other blue-light responders within local tactical, operational and strategic groups and pre-planned exercise Explore opportunities to improve cross-border emergency response arrangements Embed the Joint Emergency Services Interoperability Programme (JESIP) into emergency response arrangements Deliver key multi-agency (MA) training exercises including water rescue training with West Yorkshire Police, District wide best practise 66 Ongoing locally and at a brigade level, all Leeds District larger scale exercises feature other blue-light responders and supporting agencies IRMP team lead on this topic Integrated in to training and exercising All delivered effectively across the district, well received by operational crews

51 road traffic collision training exercises, training to risk in the river Aire for local water crews Ensure emergency response is dynamic and resilient reflecting changes to the level of risk and demand Deliver a MA district exercise, focusing on fire engineering solutions in high rise buildings working closely with Unite student accommodation provider Deliver a multi-agency exercise with Leeds Hospital Trust designed to test operational resilience and interoperability Deliver a multi-agency white board exercise with Leeds Emergency Planning team designed to test operational resilience and MA interoperability Forge closer links with Leeds City Council (LCC) & Leeds Hospital Trust to secure realistic off site training venues that improve the exposure and effectiveness of operational crews in line with the Leeds District Training Strategy Work closely with Leeds Bradford International Airport to maintain and improve operation knowledge and response throughout the district Maintain and develop a close working partnership with the Leeds Resilience Group (LRG) Work with partner agencies to develop and deliver a local response plans for all significant local events Support and take an active role in LCC event delivery groups, Safety Advisory Groups (SAG) and Safety Advisor Assurance Groups (SAAG) Introduce the Day Crewing shift system at Rawdon fire station Suspend the Command Leadership and Management (CLM) pilots running throughout Leeds District pending formal negotiation Develop an off-site performance management visit programme that focuses on training to risk Develop and maintain the Leeds District Training and Development Strategy Develop and circulate bespoke response plans for Timber Framed buildings whilst in their vulnerable construction phase Introduce a Combined Aerial Rescue Pump at Leeds Fire Station Support the introduction of Breathing Apparatus Telemetry and embed new breathing apparatus operational procedures Implement selected options from the new Efficiencies Research Programme Postponed pending repairs to high level glazing, alternative venue established, smoke shaft awareness and high-rise buildings will be focused upon Completed at the LGI Accident and Emergency site Completed off site at St James hospital Ongoing partnership working that continues to deliver practical off station sites LBIA featured in the Leeds District PMV whiteboard scenario to increase awareness and understanding of all frontline crews ongoing training continues for local crews Ongoing positive working relationship Ongoing and completed successfully Ongoing and effective engagement feeds WYFRS response plans Completed August 2016 Suspended, negotiations stalled Utilising St James site and working closely in conjunction with the Hospital Trust Now completed and shared across the brigade Ongoing within the Leeds District Complete and now on the run at Leeds Op`s ADC`s delivering realistic training to risk across the district, numerous practical exercises planned and completed Ownership at Strategic Management level 67

52 Continuously improve our emergency response by learning from ours and others experiences Improve the quality of risk information by identifying and rectifying common errors and learning from best practice Support and feedback to LRG, SAG and SAAG debriefs after delivery of specific events or response plans Provide a training to risk strategy in line with the Management of Risk Information Policy and Firefighter Safety Strategy Identify and communicate District or Brigade learning encountered as part of the Performance Management Visit strategy Provide constructive feedback regarding MDT updates and the new Systel system ORV reference to one ADC, training and awareness now providing a more focussed consistent approach Process established and delivers MA learning in Leeds Ongoing and embedded in Leeds District Ongoing and embedded Continues to prove challenging Actively attend and support the Safer Leeds Executive Group PROVIDE A SAFE SKILLED WORKFORCE THAT SERVES THE NEEDS OF A DIVERSE COMMUNITY Ongoing attendance We will: Promote the health, safety and well-being of all employees Provide training and development to maintain a skilled and flexible workforce Our action: Support employees to maintain their fitness, welfare and mental health- Continue to monitor absences and implement effective measures to promote attendance in line with the Absence and Attendance Policy Ensure the availability of Welfare Officers to support the rehabilitation of employees Undertake a new upcoming Your Voice Staff Survey, collating information about staff perceptions and experiences of working for WYFRS Deliver a local Training and Development Strategy that focuses upon training to risk involving external partners Review and provide new and challenging operational scenarios as part of the Performance Management Visit (PMV) programme. This involves sourcing and providing realistic offsite training locations with a focus on command and control as well as specific training areas. We will work with partner agencies including Leeds City Council to identify suitable venues Suspend development of the Watch Manager role in line with Command Leadership and Management and the new methods of working pilots pending formal negotiation Maintain the equipment and skills held within district to allow local, regional and national deployment of national assets The District is continuing to support its employees with their fitness and welfare. This includes assisting employees to recover from absence and return to full operational duties. The Team is continuing to provide early support via Welfare Officers The District Team has effective sickness monitoring arrangements in place. The District Team also continues to encourage absent employees to perform modified duties when practical All Leeds District Officers provide the Welfare Officer role and we have a number of Level 2 welfare officers. They are actively involved in supporting a number of employees and aiding their rehabilitation Completed, action plans and brigade outcomes are being delivered Ongoing and effective at every practical opportunity Leeds District use off site venues and live fire scenarios to embed and reward best practice tactical applications by front line crews. The PMV practical offers an opportunity for the Wm or Cm to demonstrate Command and Control practically whilst being observed by District Staff Completed and stalled pending further negotiations Ongoing and currently developing HVP resilience at Cookridge fire station., completed and Cookridge upskilled to deploy the HVP 68

53 Deliver continued professional development sessions to all station based staff on prevention topics and issues Ongoing via the District ADPM, Prevention ADC`s and DPM / Prevention PMV Create an environment that enables our staff to develop and embrace organisational and cultural change Suspend development of all Command Leadership and Management pilots pending formal negotiation, continue to promote effective cultural change Communicate organisational and cultural expectations throughout the district via the PMV strategy Monitor the level of awareness regarding fairness, dignity and respect policies and implement arrangements to improve this Ensure that managers discuss organisational and cultural change as part of the Personal Development Review process Deliver equalities training to all staff Pilots have now terminated Ongoing and continuous work in progress Ongoing, awareness levels are good E -PDR process under review and promoting more professional discussion and performance monitoring Ongoing 69

54 Performance Monitoring Report - 12 Jun :10:33 - Sourced from Performance Management Information System DEFINITIONS WAKEFIELD LOCAL AUTHORITY (DRRT) - PERFORMANCE MONITORING SYSTEM ACTUAL DATA (Baseline Years) Performance from the baseline year. 2009/10 is used as a baseline 3 YEAR AVG TARGET (Previous 3 Years) Average performance from the previous 3 financial years, used as the target for this current year TOTAL SO FAR (Current Year) AGAINST TARGET SO FAR (Current Year) END OF YEAR PROJECTION (Current Year) Cumulative total for current year so far Comparison of activity so far against the target Red (outside 10% of target), Amber (within 10% of target), Green (target achieved or exceeded) Projected value at the end of the financial year based on Total So Far and the number of days remaining ACTUAL DATA (2009/10 3 YEAR AVG TARGET (2013/16) TOTAL SO FAR (2016/17) [values to 31 Mar :59:59] AGAINST 3 YEAR AVG (2016/17) END OF YEAR PROJECTION (2016/17) Arson % 815 Actual Rescues % 114 Total Activity % 2868 Dwelling Fires % 153 Non-Domestic Building Fires % 54 Prevalence of False Alarms % 1134 Fire Related Injuries % 23 Road Traffic Collisions % 91 No. of Operational Risk Visits (IN) % 606 Malicious False Alarms % 24 No. of Home Fire Safety Check Points (IN) % COMMENTS RELATING TO PERFORMANCE INDICATORS 71

55 Wakefield District Performance Report from 1 st April st March 2017 The District performance in the following areas either meets or exceeds the target: Non Domestic Building Fires Wakefield District has exceeded the challenging target set by 3.6% with 54 incidents recorded for the year. Incidents have been recorded across the district however analysis shows 10 of the total incidents occurred within HM Prisons and interventions have been implemented to tackle this trend. The Operational Risk Visit programmes have given us the opportunity to offer advice to businesses to reduce the risk of fire occurring within nondomestic properties. Prevalence of False Alarms Wakefield District has beaten the target set by 5.2% with 1134 incidents recorded for the year. Many of the false alarm incidents have been attributed to sheltered housing, hospitals and businesses within the district. Stations continue to work in collaboration with Fire Protection Inspectors and partners to drive down unwanted fire signals and target premises with a high number of calls which result in false alarms. Fire Related Injuries The target for fire related injuries has been exceeded by a massive 28.1%, equating to a total of 23 incidents. Unfortunately two incidents have resulted in 3 fatalities during the year, one was careless disposal of smoking materials and the other deliberate arson related. In the main the remaining incidents have been accidental fires and attributed to cooking, faulty electrical appliances and careless disposal of smoking materials. Station based personnel and district prevention staff are actively engaging with partners and local community based groups in identifying vulnerable people and reinforcing fire and road safety messages through our home visit programme, which is in the process of evolving from the traditional home fire safety check to incorporate additional elements in a new safe and well check. Road Traffic Collisions (RTC) It has been really pleasing to see the district exceed its RTC target by 7.1%, with 91 incidents attended. Incidents have been spread across the district with pockets of hotspots visible. The implementation of the South Kirkby Arson and RTC Hub is assisting in engaging with local communities to raise awareness of road related incidents whilst forging better working relationships with local partners. Having secured an additional years funding for the Hub, the project officer is able to build on the successes achieved in the first year and expand the learning to cross border working. Working in conjunction with the 5 Local Authority Road Safety Teams Wakefield continues to support local and national initiatives. Sharing of best practice and joint delivery of objectives continues to be a priority for the group. 72

56 Malicious False Alarms The reduction in malicious false alarm calls within the district is pleasing, exceeding the target by 4%, equating to 24 incidents for the year. We continue to engage with local schools and colleges to deliver educational programmes focused on raising awareness of fire safety and the impacts and consequences of inappropriate behaviour. Home Fire Safety Check Points Wakefield District has exceeded the target set for the number of HFSC points by 1.2% equating to a total of points. Planned interventions and targeted work with partners has assisted in reaching the most vulnerable in the community. Local knowledge held by operational crews has also been instrumental in helping reach these high risk individuals. Performance in the following areas is outside of the target set: Arson Arson within the district finished at 7.0% above the target for the finiancial year, with 815 incidents recorded against a target of 762. There has been a reduction of 65 incidents compared to 2015/16. The majority of the incidents have been secondary fires involving loose refuse, outdoor grassland/crops, wheelie bins and vehicles. Vehicle fires have seen a slight increase when compared to the same period in 2015/16. Interventions are planned; and working closely with partners in the district will be crucial in ensuring this trend is reversed. In addition, the South Kirkby Hub is assisting in enhancing arson awareness and education within the district. The delivery is supported by a range of bespoke products including the interactive fire awareness package. The hub has been successful in helping reduce arson within the South East and Wakefield Rural wards by 13%. A database of the derelict sites maintained by the district is also supporting the reduction of the incidents year on year. Operational staff are regularly reviewing these sites and better information sharing arrangements are currently being implemented helping ensure early intervention / prevention. Actual Rescues Actual rescues finished 3.6% above target for the financial year with 4 incidents above the set target of 110. The vast majority of incidents were Special Service Calls specifically those categorised as Road Traffic Collisions and Other which includes rescue of people from heights, stair lifts and flood water. Total Activity Wakefield District finished the year 4.9% above the set target with a total of 2868 incidents attended. Resources within the district have been prioritised in line with risk reduction areas. Partnership engagement has been crucial in the development and implementation of initiatives. Proactive measures contributing to the reduction in incidents include engaging with local schools and colleges and the communities. 73

57 Dwelling Fires Wakefield District finished the year with 153 dwelling fire incidents, 4.1% above the set target of 147. Dwelling fires are spread across the district with Wakefield, Castleford and Pontefract showing a higher number of incidents compared to the other areas. A large proportion of the incidents have been cooking related. Cooking and kitchen safety is reinforced during HFSC visits and during local community engagement events / initiatives. Operational Risk Visits (ORV) Wakefield District fell short of the set target by 8.2% with a total of 606 visits undertaken. Wakefield District was on track to achieve the set annual target however the targets were removed part way through the year. Thereafter, the operational staff have focused primarily on the top risks within the district. Summary Overall the performance in Wakefield District over the last year has been really pleasing with most areas exceeding the target with the remainder areas finishing within 10% of the target. Strong partnership work in the area has supported this achievement in helping raise awareness of fire and road safety. We will not be complacent with our success but will strive to enhance the learning from this year. Our focus over the next year is to start embedding the safe and well visits within our core delivery focusing on the most vulnerable in our community. Operational staff will be supported to enhance our service provision to the communities by identifying and working with local communities and partners. 74

58 WAKEFIELD DISTRICT ACTION PLAN DELIVER A PROACTIVE COMMUNITY SAFETY PROGRAMME We will: Our action: Progress: Ensure the authority s statutory fire protection duties are discharged efficiently and effectively in order to reduce the risk of fire and the effects of fire should it occur Carry out 990 planned Operational Risk Visits and collect safety critical risk information in line with the WYFRS Risk Based Inspection Programme. The programme of operational risk visits has progressed well with operational staff focussed on the highest risk premises within their station area. Changes to the ORV strategy has resulted in a reduced number of visits whilst a new framework for delivery is implemented. Develop the Houses of Multiple Occupancy (HMO) partnership with the local authority to identify high risk premises and undertake appropriate interventions to reduce the likelihood of fire. District prevention has been working closely with the local authority to develop the partnership regarding HMO s, progress has not met expectations due to conflicting priorities. New objectives are being explored to support a partnership approach for this objective. Communication with private sector organisations has been undertaken but also not met requirements and new avenues for development are being explored regarding raising awareness of fire safety in HMO s for the community. Continue to revisit and undertake Operational Risk Visits at sites previously categorised as Very High, High, and Medium risk. Crews have undertaken visits across their respective turnout areas as well as neighbouring areas where they are part of the Pre Dertermined Attendance. The district Performance Management Visit focusses on operational risk visits that have been undertaken at the highest risk premises in the district. Crews are assessed on their understanding of the premises and the risks they present. Currently the standard of information presented by crews during the PMVs is very good demonstrating quality visits are being undertaken at the higher risk premises. Work with partners to reduce the risk of fires, road traffic incidents, other emergencies and enhance community well-being Continue to monitor and work alongside partners to reduce the attendance at persistent false alarms from Automatic Fire Alarm Systems. Deliver a points total of 36,990 by carrying out Home Fire Safety Checks across the district, targeting the most vulnerable members of the community. Our attendance at false alarm incidents is regularly monitored and our stations are working closely with fire protection and commercial companies in helping drive down false alarm occurrences. The overall results for the last 12 months has seen a healthy reduction in the number of false alarms attended. District operational and prevention personnel have achieved the set target. They are now focused on the introduction of the safe and well programme targeting and working with the most vulnerable members of the community. Utilise local authority data alongside the Exeter data set to target those most at risk from fire and other emergencies and deliver appropriate interventions. The Exeter data set has been used as part of targeted interventions within the district. Central prevention team have supported the district regarding scrutiny and interpretation of the data which has assisted us in working alongside partners and foccussing on the most vulnerable. Develop a sustainable partnership with the West Wakefield Vanguard and identify opportunities for risk reduction and enhanced community well-being through the partnership. 75 Joint collaborative opportunities have been explored and good progress made with partners in identifying and working with the most vulnerable in our district. The partnership has opened up more opportunities and enhanced

59 the working relationships with third sector organisations. Support the development and delivery of the WYFRS Health Collaboration Programme, identifying local opportunities for collaborative working with Public Health and supporting the delivery of targeted well-being interventions to the most vulnerable. Good links have been developed at a local level with partners in public health, CCG, local authority and the third sector. District prevention has been successful in working with all relevant partners in developing a single point of contact to support the the programme. Evaluations for the district pilots have been positive, with good feedback from both staff involved and partners. The mental health pathway has now been rolled out to wider services in the District via CCG. Develop stronger links with care homes and domiciliary care providers utilising the Wakefield Care Home Vanguard to target the most vulnerable in the community. District prevention continues to be a key partner in local Quality Intelligence Group meetings with partners such as CQC, Adult Safeguarding and the Police. Intelligence gathered is shared helping inform future interventions programmes. The district is currently piloting the adopt a care home scheme in Pontefract with an aspiration for a wider roll out. Working closely with Fire Protection, opportunities for involvement in the Perfect Ward App are currently being explored. The App was commissioned via Wakefield Safeguarding Adults Board. Work with the Community Safety Partnership (CSP) and the Police to deliver targeted interventions for the South East and Wakefield Rural wards through the newly established Arson and Road Traffic Collision Hub based at South Kirkby Fire Station. Wakefield has been working closely with CSP and the police in the implementation of the Hub action plan. Due to early successes Wakefield has secured an additional years funding. A range of bespoke interventions are currently being delivered including the Biker Down programme (as part of the Ride Safe initiative), with the view of rolling out the programme across the County over the next financial year. Continue to lead and support the five West Yorkshire authorities in actively promoting road safety and the reduction of road related incidents. Wakefield District continues to represent WYFRS at the West Yorkshire and Yorkshire and Humber Road Safety partnership meetings. The district works closely with partners in developing and delivering risk reduction interventions whilst supporting local and national initiatives. Sharing of resource and best practice continues to be a priority for the group going forward. Strengthen links with local Victim Support, Domestic Abuse Services and Early Help Hubs through the delivery of training and collaborative interventions to support the most vulnerable in the community. Good working relationships have been developed with victim support and domestic abuse services. Progress has been made with working with EHHs in reaching the most vulnerable in the community. Domestic abuse awareness training has been delivered to all operational staff within the district by specialists in the area. The Wakefield team took a lead roll in the White Ribbon Campaign where all Wakefield crews championed End Violence Against Women. Work with partners to develop our existing youth intervention Choice Programme and to implement new intervention programmes within the priority areas of the district. Youth interventions team are actively engaged with the delivery of the programme, Wakefield District have assisted in extending the delivery to include support for young people with sensory impariements. The Hub project is also actively engaging with young people to help drive down arson related issues. Working with partners continue delivery of focused risk reduction interventions within the Eastern European community across the district. 76 Links have been established through the HMO working group focusing on the Eastern European communities living in HMOs. New links are being developed with the community engagement team within the local authority in

60 working with the Eastern European and new emerging communities. A proactive initiative was undertaken with partners post Brexit to ease growing tensions within local communities. Actively engage and take part in national campaigns in conjunction with partners supported by operational and prevention personnel whilst maximising the use of social and local media. Further develop the Night Owl interactive blog / social media intervention with Police partners to deliver focused safety messages. DELIVER A PROFESSIONAL AND RESILIENT EMERGENCY RESPONSE SERVICE A number of partnership campaigns have been delivered and supported by the district. Key campaigns include; Water Safety Week exercise publicising the partnership and commitment of the local authority in introducing throwlines at strategic sites within the district, summer safety events, TISPOL Project Edward, Bonfire and Christmas safety. Delivery of focused safety messages have been undertaken through the Night Owl interactive blog. Discussions are underway in exploring opportunities for the utilisiation of night owl as part of wider district campaigns. We will: Our action: Progress: Work with blue-light partners and other agencies to provide a safe and effective emergency response Continue to support and develop partnership working with other blue-light responders in particular the Castleford, Pontefract and South Kirkby crews. Collaboration with West Yorkshire Police continues at both Pontefract and Castleford fire stations. Police colleagues have undertaken awareness training sessions at both Pontefract and Castleford FS and further collaborative training is planned. South Kirkby have been collaborating on RTC reduction and joint delivery of interventions. Develop stronger links with South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue border fire stations through the South Kirkby crews to support the delivery of West Yorkshire Tactical Ventilation training and familiarisation. Links with the district team in South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue have developed and a number of joint training sessions have been undertaken between crews at South Kirkby. Joint training with local SY crews continues focusing on Positive Pressure Ventilation techniques and also road traffic collision exercises. Undertake joint exercises with Wakefield Emergency Planning team to enhance the joint response capability at large incidents within the district. Collaboration with Wakefield Emergency Planning continues to develop.the partnership have been involved in a number of exercises during the past 12 months, the most notable being a large scale train derailment scenario at Healey Mills rail yard. Embed the knowledge and understanding of the Command Unit and Enhanced Logistics Support (ELS) capability at Pontefract Fire Station through a scheduled training and exercising programme with local crews and partner agencies. Training has taken place with Wakefield Emergency Planning team and West Yorkshire Police. Crews have attended ELS training exercises to enhance capability. WYFRS officer training with the ELS crews is well underway and exercises are expanding to include other FRS s. Embed the swift water rescue capability at the new Ossett Fire Station through the continual exercising and assessment of the crews utilising local authority sites and water awareness trained personnel. Ossett crews are undertaking development training with district officers and their water rescue peer group. Training venues local to Ossett are being risk assessed to support further training for skills development. Support the delivery of the Emergency First Responder (EFR) pilot at Featherstone Fire Station. The EFR pilot continues at Featherstone with a number of serious incidents having now been attended. Featherstone personnel are very positive regarding the pilot and district officers continue to support the delivery of the trial. 77

61 Ensure emergency response is dynamic and resilient reflecting changes to the level of risk and demand Support the delivery and opening of the new Ossett Fire Station and the transition of the operational capability to the new site. The new Ossett FS has been completed ahead of schedule and under budget. The Go-Live date was achieved on the 5th October and crews have been operating from the new fire station with only minor snagging issues identified. Continue to improve the availability of the Retained Duty System crewed fire appliance at Featherstone, to be achieved through targeted support of existing personnel and the recruitment of new personnel when required. Recruitment has been undertaken at Featherstone in order to support the establishment. Availability of the fire engine remains good which is also supporting the delivery of the EFR pilot. Further campaigns are planned to support the staffing level and availability of the fire engine. Implement the approved IRMP changes at Wakefield Fire Station following the completion of the Ossett Fire Station project. The IRMP interventions were implemented in October following the opening of the new Ossett FS. Wakefield FS now operates as a single pump station utilising a CARP with a resilience fire engine capability. Support the delivery of the Command Leadership and Management (CLM) programme and implement required changes to enhance service delivery. Wakefield District has delivered the management outcomes from the trial undertaken during The District team continue to support the current CLM programme and have delivered training to station personnel to enhance capability and embed new processes. Continuously improve our emergency response by learning from ours and others experiences Continue to improve the quality of Operational Risk Information through the continued training and development of personnel and assurance consultations with support departments and other districts. Continue to provide feedback and requirements for future updates to the new Mobile Data Terminals and the Systel START mobilising system. Ongoing development and support of training interventions has taken place across the district in support of the ORV programme. Following temporary cessation of the ORV programme Wakefiled have focussed on visits and training at the highest risk premises across the district and have maintained a register of visits undertaken to support future audit requirements. Adoption of the new MDT hardware and the latest iteration of the LEGO software has gone well. Crews continue to feedback information to support development and delivery of the system. Wakefield Command Team are closely linked with the New Control project team and South Kirkby FS have been fundamental in the role out and subsequent updates of the MDT software and have provided constructive feedback during the delivery of the solution. Continue monitoring the submission of Incident Debrief Outcomes forms from district based personnel to ensure they share their experiences with others, and that learning opportunities / issues are captured. District training staff continue to monitor submissions and required interventions / suggestions are delivered. Command support is a particular focus now that the command unit function is live at both Pontefract and Featherstone FS. PROVIDE A SAFE SKILLED WORKFORCE THAT SERVES THE NEEDS OF A DIVERSE COMMUNITY We will: Our action: Progress: 78

62 Promote the health, safety and well-being of all employees Monitor absences and implement effective measures to promote attendance in line with the Absence and Attendance Policy. Continue developing the district Welfare Officer provision to enhance the rehabilitation and support of employees. The establishment of a lead HR officer within the district has enhanced monitoring of absences. Closer links with the central HR function has developed and positive results have been realised. A new electronic monitoring system has been developed by the Wakefield Command Team in consultation with OHSU to improve welfare monitoring. Enhanced training for managers has been implemented. Requests have been received from partner agencies regarding the approach taken within the district for welfare as we are seen as delivering best practise. Continue to develop and monitor inter-agency information sharing to better assist with health and safety of personnel. Attendance at the Wakefield workforce programme has supported managers in understanding best practice and where we feature amongst partners regarding the delivery of health, safety and welfare, Wakefield District are now established as a key partner within the Workforce development programme for the district. Provide training and development to maintain a skilled and flexible workforce Continue supporting personnel to maintain their fitness and welfare through the application of the published fitness programme. Review and modify the District Performance Management Visits (PMV) utilising suitable IT solutions to enhance data capture and evidence based assessment. All personnel within Wakefield district have access to the fitness equipment and are encouraged to utilise the facilities to support fitness and wellbeing. Personnel who have not achieved the required fitness standards have allocated welfare officers supporting their individual requirements and a robust programme is established to monitor progress. Wakefield has modified the PMV process in order to close the assessment loop and feedback development areas to the watches. The individual watches are then reassessed by the Station Commanders and the outcomes recorded for audit by senior managers. Current hardware trials are underway to support dynamic recording of information during the PMV. Deliver the objectives detailed in the 2016/17 Wakefield District Training and Development Strategy. A comprehensive training strategy has been delivered by the district training officer and a number of training exercises completed at identified risks across the area. Ferrybridge power station and Healey Mills Rail Yard have been utilised for the training of crews in realistic operational incidents. Maintain the equipment and skills held within district to allow local, regional and national deployment of national assets. Increased focus in the standard of operational equipment has identified a number of minor issues that have been addressed. Crews are now regularly assessed by visiting officers and during PMVs in basic operations of equipment and the standard of readiness for deployment. A comprehensive update of the Command Unit hardware has been managed by the district team which has increased capability supporting national requirements. Create an environment that enables our staff to develop and embrace organisational and cultural change Undertake targeted Continuous Professional Development training to ensure all personnel are aware of and implement the Authority s Equality Framework in their service delivery. Individual watch command team meetings have taken place with the District Commander. These meetings are focussed on the equality framework with specific reference to the role of the manager in the workplace. Commanders in Wakefield have cascaded this input to their individual watches. A programme of training has been planned by the district team and delivered by Corporate diversity personnel. Continue to communicate and raise awareness of our Equality and Diversity duties to assist in effectively meeting the needs of our diverse communities. 79 The PMV timetable has a specific session where the District team discuss topical points with the watch and assess their understanding of equality duties within the community. The prevention element of the PMV focusses on specific intervention projects where the watches focus on the most vulnerable / minority groups within our community to reduce risk and

63 increase wellbeing. Ensure continued communication, support and training is available for the district personnel in order to support the change programmes that will be implemented through 2016/17. The IRMP programme within Wakefield district has delivered numerous changes that have required appropriate support from the district command team. The relocation of the Command Units to Pontefract and Featherstone has required comprehensive training for the crews which has been completed and the units are now fully operational.continued consultation with stakeholders has ensured a smooth transition into the new Ossett FS and has supported the staffing changes at Wakefield FS 80

64 OFFICIAL Attacks on Firefighters Working Group - Update Community Safety Committee Date: 30 June 2017 Submitted By: Dave Walton - Deputy Chief Fire Officer Agenda Item: 8 Purpose To inform the Community Safety Committee of the progress of the Attacks on Firefighters working group in its task of identifying and implementing measures to reduce the risks to Firefighters from attacks whilst they are undertaking response duties by; 1. Maximising community engagement to prevent attacks happening in the first place. 2. When attacks do occur, introducing procedures which best ensure firefighter safety during the attack. 3. Adopt procedures, equipment and partnership working to maximise opportunities to bring the offender to justice when attacks occur. Recommendations That the Community Safety Committee note the contents of this paper and support the measures suggested by the group. Summary The Attacks on Firefighters Working Group was formed immediately following the January meeting of this Committee. The groups purpose was to work with partners e.g. WYP, local councils and social housing providers, to identify effective means to prevent attacks on Firefighters from occurring, respond to attacks in the most effective way to ensure Firefighter safety when they do occur, and ensure effective action is taken against the perpetrators. Community Safety Committee provided direct support to the group as Councillor Joanne Dodds sits on the group. Local Government (Access to information) Act 1972 Exemption Category: Contact Officer: None Dave Walton Deputy Chief Fire Officer e:dave.walton@westyorksfire.gov.uk Background papers open to inspection: None Annexes: None 81

65 1 Introduction 1.1 The Attacks on Firefighters Working Group was formed, on the instruction of the Community Safety Committee immediately following its meeting on 20 January This followed consideration of reports from officers in relation to the issues encountered by crews over the Bonfire Night period of The three objectives of the group being to: Make recommendations to improve training, policy, procedures, equipment and partnership working to ensure that: Where possible attacks on FF s are prevented. When attacks do occur crews react to those attacks in a way that minimises the risk they face. Where attacks occur we effectively identify the perpetrators and work effectively with partners to ensure they are brought to justice. 2 Information 2.1 The working group was formed immediately following the January meeting of the Community Safety Committee. The working group is co-chaired by Mark Dixon, Head of the Occupational Health and Safety department and Martin Speed, District Commander from Bradford District. 2.2 The scope of the working group was to investigate methods regarding training, policy, procedures and partnership working that will seek to improve the safety of FF s from the risks associated with attacks on them whilst they are undertaking response duties. 2.3 Specifically the group had objectives to review and make recommendations to improve: Community engagement in the areas where most attacks tend to occur, to form effective partnerships which minimise the risk of attacks in those areas. Operational policies and procedures to ensure they encourage actions and behaviour at operational incidents which will minimise the risk of an attack on crews. Communication with local media outlets to ensure that we work in partnership with them to use media reporting in the most effective way to help prevent attacks from occurring. Training for FF s, CC s and WC s in conflict management. Equipment for crews & appliances to first minimise the risks of and from attacks and second help identify offenders when attacks occur e.g. use of body worn cameras to help identify attackers. Partnership working with other agencies e.g. West Yorkshire Police (WYP) & Housing Associations to ensure that where offenders are identified then positive, concerted effort is made to ensure action is taken against them. 2.4 At its first meeting on February 1 st the group laid out five work streams to help achieve its objectives. These work streams being: Partnership Working and Community Engagement Legal and Prosecution Technology and Equipment Policy, Procedures and Training Communication and Campaigns 82

66 2.5 The working group includes representatives from various internal WYFRS departments and has liaised with, and been advised by, various officers within WYP, Housing Associations and Local Authority community workers. 2.6 Following discussions both within and outside of this working group a number of specific ideas to either stop attacks on FFs from happening or responding better to those attacks when they do occur have been explored. These ideas are discussed in below. 2.7 Discussions with WYP, and other organisations who use them, have indicated that body worn cameras can play a significant part in reducing attacks on staff. These discussions indicate strongly that the use of body worn videos should be considered by WYFRS for the protection of its staff from attacks. 2.8 Discussions with WYP have also indicated that threat awareness training, delivered by WYP specialist officers, will equip WYFRS staff to recognise human behaviours which indicate an attack is imminent and to defuse and / or deflect that attack if it does occur. A trial of this training has been arranged for specific stations, which historically have suffered high levels of attacks on FFs. 2.9 Following liaison with WYP it has become apparent that current reporting procedures are not adequate for ensuring a swift and appropriate response from our partners to an attack on FFs. A more efficient system of reporting of attacks has been discussed with WYP whereby immediately following an attack, as soon as the crew had reached a place of safety, a crew would complete a reporting form to record evidence in a way which best enables our partners to effectively deal with the attacker/s The large majority of attacks on fire-fighters occur in the Districts of Bradford and Leeds and a large proportion of these occurs around the bonfire period. Extensive WYP / WYFRS plans are put in place for the bonfire period. Discussions are already taking place with our partners in WYP around this year s bonfire period. WYP and WYFRS agree that the plans for this bonfire period should be finalised well ahead of the bonfire period Meetings and discussions with social housing providers and community workers as well as with WYP indicate that a partnership approach is required to minimise attacks on FFs and other workers. This applies to all Districts. Efforts should be targeted to areas of highest risk and should utilise whichever partners are most effective in those areas An internal survey of a number of watches on fire stations, carried out by members of the working group, indicates that staff would like to see a clear and joined up approach to the reporting of attacks on FFs. It would be very helpful if this approach was agreed between WYFRS and WYP Recommendations: 1. A memorandum of understanding be agreed between WYFRS and WYP around attacks on FFs. This MOU will outline what action WYFRS can expect WYP to take following an attack on one of our staff. In return WYFRS will undertake to gather and present evidence to WYP at a timescale and in a format which allows WYP and the CPS to effectively pursue and prosecute the person/s who have carried out the attack. 2. WYFRS make changes to Policy, specifically Operational Procedure 24 (Public Disorder), to ensure that attacks on staff are properly recorded and passed on to WYP in a way that maximises the chances of prosecuting the perpetrator of the attack. Specifically, WYFRS to adopt an Attacks on Firefighters reporting form which ensures attacks are recorded immediately following an attack and evidence is captured in a way which is most effective for WYP and the CPS. 3. District Commanders contact their West Yorkshire Police counterpart to ensure that local arrangements are in place to minimise attacks in areas / neighbourhoods of particular 83

67 concern. These measures may include, among others, key individual networks and direct community action involving WYFRS, WYP, Local Authority or third sector employees / volunteers. 4. WYFRA authorise WYFRS senior management to consider a trial of the use of body worn cameras in particular station areas in West Yorkshire, subject to a full business case being submitted to WYFRS Executive Committee detailing: costings; benefits; lessons learnt from other Authorities; and consultation with representative bodies 5. WYFRS to invest in threat assessment training delivered by WYP specialist staff, with the aim of equipping WYFRS operational staff with the skills to recognise the threat of violence from a member of the public and to defuse the situation where this threat becomes apparent. 6. Bradford and Leeds Districts to agree their Bonfire Plans with WYP and their respective Councils by 30 th Sept to ensure bonfire period prevention and response arrangements in both Districts are joined up between organisations and sufficient to meet the needs of the period. 7. WYFRS and WYP agree a media strategy and policy for appropriately responding to attacks on fire-fighters and how and when they are reported in the media. 3 Financial Implications The cost of the cameras for the trial period can be met from within existing budgets. If body worn cameras were to be rolled out to all firefighters this would need to be submitted as a capital bid for 2018/19 which will be subject to approval. Once training requirements have been determined these will be subject to financial review. 4 Human Resources and Diversity Implications 4.1 The overall premise of the paper is firefighter security which is of course in line with our HR policies and core values. Moreover, the proposed in this report demonstrate due regard to our duty to foster good relations in the community (Equality Act, 2010). Any trials will involve an Equality Analysis and the relevant specialists will be consulted throughout. 5 Health and Safety Implications 5.1 The working group has generated a number of recommendations (e.g. memorandum of understanding between WYFRS and the Police on response to violence, changing WYFRS policy on public disorder response, improved partnership arrangements, trial of body worn cameras, delivery of threat assessment training, early forming of preventative plans for the bonfire period, WYP and WYFRS to develop a media strategy) that, if approved, could contribute to FF safety 6 Service Plan Links 6.1 Provide a safe skilled workforce that serves the needs of a diverse community. 84

68 7 Conclusions 7.1 The need for Firefighter safety is at the heart of all response activities undertaken by WYFRS. The Attacks on Firefighters Working Group was tasked with investigating ways to improve Firefighter safety, specifically in regard to violence against Firefighters whilst they are undertaking response duties. 7.2 The group will target three specific areas those being - preventing attacks, responding to attacks in the most effective way to maintain Firefighter safety whilst attacks are occurring, and introducing procedures, equipment and partnership working to ensure the person responsible for an attack is identified and dealt with through prosecution or other sanctions. 7.3 The working group believes that the seven recommendations above will have a significant positive impact on the level and numbers of those attacks. 85

69 OFFICIAL Service Delivery 'Spotlight On' Case Studies Community Safety Committee Date: 21 July 2017 Submitted By: Director of Service Delivery Agenda Item: 9 Purpose To update Members on an example of how the service delivers quality community initiatives and engages with community groups across the districts Recommendations That Members of the Community Safety Committee note the content of this report Summary This reports brings to the attention of Members an initiative within Calderdale which supports the service ambition of Making West Yorkshire Safer Local Government (Access to information) Act 1972 Exemption Category: Contact Officer: None Chris Kirby, Area Manager Fire Safety Background papers open to inspection: None T: E: chris.kirby@westyorksfire.gov.uk Annexes: Annex 1 Spotlight On Calderdale Bike Library 87

70 1 Introduction 1.1 The Fire Authority is committed to meeting the needs of West Yorkshire s diverse communities. Members are aware that we aim to direct resources particularly towards the most vulnerable groups or individuals. If we can have a positive impact on the lifestyle of people across West Yorkshire then this will support them to stay healthy and reduce the demand on public services. 2 Information 2.1 The spotlight on delivers a case study of an innovative partnership scheme operating in Calderdale. It supports some key objectives from across a range of public services which include road safety, healthy lifestyles, tackling child obesity and environmentally friendly methods of commuting. 2.2 With the development of the new ways of working within the Safer Communities Prevention Strategy and the increased emphasis on quality community engagement (which increases the public confidence of the service and also increases opportunities to deliver key safety and prevention messages and showcase the service as an employer of choice to underrepresented groups), this is an excellent example of partnership working within the local community. 3 Financial Implications 3.1 This initiative has received funding support and any commitment from WYFRS can be achieved within the existing revenue budgets. 4 Equality and Diversity Implications 4.1 The spotlight on demonstrates an increasing commitment to engage across communities through effective partnership working. It also demonstrates how we can foster good relationships across communities groups, which is a key requirement of the Public Sector Equality Duty. 5 Health and Safety Implications 5.1 The bike ability team deliver health checks on all the donated bicycles and also deliver health and safety briefings to anyone who takes a bike on loan in addition to requiring them to sign that they have received the briefing. 6 Service Plan Links 6.1 The spotlight on case study provides an example of how the service is meeting the following priority: Delivery of a proactive fire prevention and protection programme. 7 Conclusions 7.1 This reports brings to the attention of Members an initiative within Calderdale which supports the service ambition of Making West Yorkshire Safer. Service Delivery 'Spotlight On' Case Studies Page 2 of 2 88

71 Annex 1 Spotlight on the Calderdale Bike Library What the need was and how we identified it Physical inactivity is a major concern for Public Health England. Statistics suggest that around 18% of year six children and 27% of adults are obese in Calderdale. Obesity often leads to longer-term medical conditions and increases the demand on health and social care resources. Encouraging people to include active travel as part of a daily routine is a simple, way for people to live healthier lifestyles. Walking, cycling and using public transport are good examples of sustainable and more environmentally friendly ways of commuting. The West Yorkshire Local Transport Plan highlights how walking and cycling instead of driving helps to reduce emissions. It also draws attention to how road safety issues unfortunately discourage physical activities like walking and cycling and this is therefore a concern. The Calderdale District Team enjoys very close partnerships with the Calderdale MBC Health and Improvements Team and local road safety groups. Together we are working to promote healthy lifestyles and to improve road safety across the District. A key objective of the partnership is to encourage people to walk and cycle more often. One of the partnership initiatives is to introduce a Bike Library scheme across Calderdale. What we did and the difference we made Earlier this year the CMBC Health and Improvements Team and the Calderdale District Team submitted a bid to Yorkshire Bank PLC to set up a bike library. The bid was successful and Yorkshire Bank PLC is providing 9k to support the scheme. The scheme has received lots of interest and communities were encouraged to donate any unwanted or unused cycles to their local Fire Station. The response to this has been fantastic, and Calderdale s Fire Stations have received over 150 cycles. The Bikeability Team has serviced these cycles and procured a sufficient stock of cycle helmets. Calderdale Active Lifestyles and the District Team formally launched on the scheme at Halifax Fire Station, on 18 th April. Two bike libraries are now operating from Halifax and Illingworth Fire Stations and are supporting the Welcome to Yorkshire and Active Calderdale agendas. The scheme is using Fire Stations as donation pick-up, and repair centres. Bicycles are now loaned out by Halifax and Illingworth Fire Station on the first Saturday of each month. 89

72 Annex 1 Access to the service is available to all Calderdale residents, and is provided via a portal on the Calderdale MBC website. The Bikeability Team is administering the scheme, ensuring that all bicycles are maintained, and providing a safety pack with all bicycle loans. The Bikeability Team make contact with those loaning bicycles one month after commencement of the loan. People can either return the cycle, or extend the loan period. The Bikeability Team also use this opportunity to discuss how much use the cycle has received, and whether it has made a difference to the person s lifestyle. The scheme currently has 50 bicycles loaned out. Those loaning the cycles include two ladies groups from the Park ward. The scheme provides an excellent conduit to promote healthy lifestyles and road safety. It provides affordable access to cycles accompanied with bike safety advice, a repair service, and an opportunity to offer Bikeability courses. Keys to our success This scheme is underpinned by buy in from all stakeholders and partners. Funding was also dependent upon demonstrating an innovative, but sustainable scheme. The Bikeability Team is also fundamental to how the scheme operates. They maintain the cycles and provide essential safety advice prior to people loaning them. Communicating the potential benefits of the scheme was also important. This includes the wider impacts upon health, emissions and road safety. What next? The scheme will be closely monitored and any feedback from beneficiaries will be communicated to relevant stakeholders. The Health Improvements Team and Road Safety Partnership will also evaluate the impact of the scheme. Pending positive feedback and evaluation, the partnership may seek to expand the scheme to the whole of Calderdale and to apply for further funding. The intension is to use local schools as satellite donation centres, with a regular collection service. The Calderdale District Team is also exploring scope to introduce a cycle bus scheme with local schools. This is currently receiving lots of support and is likely to be introduced at a later date. 90

73 Annex 1 Picture taken during the launch of the scheme at Halifax Fire Station present are members of Calderdale District Team, representatives of CMBC, Calderdale & Huddersfield Foundation Trust, Fire Authority Member Bryan Smith, and the Mayor of Calderdale Howard Blagbrough. Picture of Holly Lynch MP loaning a bike from the Bikeability Team. 91

74 Annex 1 One of Calderdale s local schools taking advantage of the Bike Library 92