FIRE & RESCUE COMMUNITY FIRE SAFETY STRATEGY

Transcription

1 Adopted by Louth County Council on 17/2/14 LOUTH COUNTY COUNCIL FIRE & RESCUE COMMUNITY FIRE SAFETY

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3 FOREWORD 3 I wish to acknowledge and welcome the decision of the members of Louth County Council to adopt this first Community Fire Safety strategy. I want to thank the Director of Service and Chief Fire Officer for developing this Strategy which is the first of its type in the state. All of us have been touched by fire tragedies in the home and I hope that this Strategy ultimately will save lives in this County. Declan Breathnach Cathaoirleach

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5 A word from... 5 Joe McGuinness The development of the new Five Group Duty System (5GDS) Roster System provided a perfect opportunity and resource to concentrate on fire prevention measures. The development of this strategy has been a challenge and indeed the implementation will be a further challenge to the Senior Officers and Crews. I am confident however that they will succeed in this regard and I look forward to bringing details of improved performance and reductions in fatalities to future Council reports. Joe McGuinness Director of Housing and Emergency Services Eamon Woulfe The rollout of a comprehensive Community Fire Safety programme will put Louth at the forefront in the delivery of a modern fire service. It will allow crews the opportunity to target the risk from fire to the Louth public in a much more proactive way. It should lead to an improved culture of fire safety in the home and build on the reputation that the fire service already has in Louth. Eamon Woulfe Chief Fire Officer

6 NTRODUCTION

7 This document sets out Louth County Council s Community Fire Safety strategy and programme over the next 5 years. Community Fire Safety means promoting fire safety in the community, including in the home whether in houses or apartments. This policy document will give the background to this initiative and will set out the Community Fire Safety objectives, actions and desired outcomes. This new fire safety service will complement the existing services provided by Louth County Council to protect communities from fire. These include the fire certification and inspection of new buildings, existing building inspection and enforcement and dangerous substances licensing. The new programme will be planned and delivered in consultation with agencies and community groups who could assist with targeting the most vulnerable groups.

8 02 Why Focus on Community Fire Safety? The safety and welfare of the citizens of Louth is a primary focus of Louth County Council. Almost all fire fatalities and injuries occur in houses and flats. Experience in the United Kingdom (UK) and elsewhere has shown that robust Community Fire Safety programmes are the most effective means to deal with this problem. Community Fire Safety can be a key component to address the balance between fire service response and prevention. With the introduction of the 5 Group Duty System for Louth County Council Fire Service, there is much more time available for proactive Community Fire Safety. The daily work routines in Dundalk and Drogheda Stations have been greatly expanded and now include a large Community Fire Safety element. The original service provided comprised the Primary Schools Programme and campaigns at various times of the year, including Fire Safety Week, Halloween and Christmas. The new expanded Community Fire Safety programme will be targeted at individuals and communities most at risk from fire. This will involve assessing the risk and advising and assisting those at risk so as to reduce the risk of death and injury from fire. Principles Underlying the Strategy y Community Fire Safety has an increasingly important role in fulfilling Louth County Council Fire & Rescue s overall goal of protecting life and preventing injury/loss from fire. Therefore, it is important that Community Fire Safety is delivered within a strategic context to maximize impact. y Central to the achievement of safer communities in Co. Louth will be collaborative work with other agencies and organizations. Louth County Council Fire & Rescue will not achieve the objectives contained in this document on its own. Equally, communities will be critical contributors in the achievement of this strategy. y Community Fire Safety feeds directly into the broader Community Safety agenda. Louth County Council Fire & Rescue will avail of opportunities to contribute to this agenda and embed fire safety issues when appropriate. y Louth County Council Fire & Rescue will adopt best practice in respect to Community Fire Safety, and strive to set standards in this area of Fire Service activity. y Synergy between the different strands within the fire service is necessary to support Community Fire Safety, and provide strategic direction. Vision

9 Vision, Objectives and Outcomes 03 Communities in County Louth are safer places to live, through a reduction in the danger from fire objectives y To increase awareness of fire safety among all communities in Co. Louth. y To minimise the risks associated with fire to the most vulnerable in our communities, through targeted Community Fire Safety initiatives. y To increase the capacity of communities to take responsibility for their own safety and that of their communities in relation to fire. y To instil a culture of fire safety among young people. y To improve co-operation with organisations working with vulnerable sectors. y To improve the quality and relevance of data captured from incidents attended by Louth County Council Fire and Rescue to inform the Community Fire Safety campaign. y To increase Community Fire skills and knowledge among fire service members.

10 04 Targeted Outcomes during the life of this Strategy yreduction in the rate of fire fatalities by 10% yincrease smoke/heat alarm ownership by 10% yschools programme delivered to all schools within the County yreduction in the rate of deliberate fires by 10% yreduction in false alarms by 10% yfires reduced at peak times, e.g. Halloween and Christmas by 10%

11 05 Legislative and Policy Background Louth Local Authorities Corporate Plan states as core values the delivery of high quality service and the participation of the community in the development of effective services. These are key drivers for the Community Fire Safety campaign. Legislation is limited in relation to fire safety in dwellings. New houses are exempt from the fire safety certification process. However, they must comply with Part B of the Building Regulations, which details all fire safety requirements. Existing houses are exempted by the Fire Services Act 1981 in relation to fire safety requirements. Operational Demand Statistical Review As a backdrop to operational demand, it is worthwhile to outline in brief some of the key demographics for Co. Louth as a whole, emanating from the 2011 Census of Population data. The 2011 Census shows that the population of Co. Louth was 122,897, an increase of 10.5% on the 2006 Census. This compares to a national increase in population of 8.2%. The rural areas of Co. Louth experienced the highest rate of population increase within the County (15%), with the population of Dundalk and Drogheda increasing by 7.3% and 4.9% respectively. A succession of reports into Irish and UK Fire Services have recommended a change from the longstanding focus on fire fighting to a better balance between fire fighting, fire prevention and community fire safety. The Farrell Grant Sparks Review of Fire Services in Ireland 2002 recommended an integrated focus on hazard identification and risk assessment, prevention and mitigation as well as response. The UK Bain Report and the Fire Futures Report made similar recommendations to increase the prevention and community fire safety element. The National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management Keeping Communities Safe Framework, 2013, is the blueprint for the future direction of the Irish Fire Service to deliver consistent, effective and value for money fire services while continuing to reduce the risk from fires in communities and prioritising the safety of fire personnel in their work. In terms of age profile, 10.9% of the population in Co. Louth was aged 65 years and over. The national trend indicates an aging population, with the over 65 year age category being one of the age groups which experienced the greatest growth between 2006 and Of this cohort, 27.7% are one person households. The unemployment rate for Co. Louth according to the 2011 Census was 23.8% compared with a national average rate of 19%. Just over 94% of households in the County lived in houses or bungalows, while a further 5.6% lived in apartments, flats or bedsits. This Framework Document acknowledges that domestic fire safety is a very significant area as most fire deaths in Ireland occur in the home. Generally, it is recommended that a risk assessment methodology be used to prioritise buildings for visits based on the level of life safety risk. Due to level of fire fatalities in houses, it would be expected that they would be high priority for such visits. A risk assessment approach will be employed to prioritise particular dwellings and areas for the Community Fire Safety programme.

12 06 FIRE CALL VOLUMES An analysis of fire call volumes in Dundalk and Drogheda fire stations for a fire service review in 2007 came up with the following interesting conclusions and trends, which equally still apply and to the full county: Busiest Day Busiest Time Of Any Day Quietest Day Quietest Time of Any DAY Busiest Time Slot Overall Saturday 9 pm 10 pm Wednesday 5 am - 6 AM Saturday 9 pm 10 pm In terms of operational demand, the period under review was the five year period 2007 to This analysis of operational demand has informed the development of this strategy and the priorities contained within it. By reviewing the cumulative data over the five year period, operational trends can be identified, which provides an important context for the delivery of Community Fire Safety in the County.

13 TOTAL NUMBER OF INCIDENTS 07 The total number of incidents attended by the Fire Service in Co. Louth for the six year period was 10,422. A breakdown of this figure is provided in Table 1 below. It is clear from Figure 1 below, that the trend in recent years has been a reduction in the number of incidents, with a 20% reduction between 2007 and This is a national trend based mainly on a reduction in small outdoor fires, e.g. skip fires, rubbish fires, grass fires, car fires and bonfires. The reasons may be climatic and also may be due to better enforcement in relation to bonfires and other outdoor fires. This is not a constant trend and there are variations as shown in Table 1. TABLE 2 TOTAL NUMBER OF INCIDENTS ATTENDED BY LOUTH COUNTY COUNCIL FIRE & RESCUE PER YEAR TOTAL NUMBER OF INCIDENTS ATTENDED PER YEAR County Stations Dundalk Station Drogheda Station TOTAL FIGURE 1: TOTAL NUMBER OF INCIDENTS ATTENDED BY LOUTH COUNTY COUNCIL FIRE & RESCUE PER YEAR 2000 No. of Incidents Attended In relation to fires attended during the reference period, the emerging trend again is a decrease in the number of fires attended by the Fire Service, despite a peak in Table 2 below provides a yearly analysis of this figure.

14 FIRES ATTENDED TABLE 2 TOTAL NUMBER OF FIRES ATTENDED BY LOUTH COUNTY COUNCIL FIRE & RESCUE PER YEAR County Stations Dundalk Station Drogheda Station TOTAL NUMBER OF FIRES ATTENDED PER YEAR TOTAL The total number of fires attended during the five year period was 5,711, with an 11% decline in 2011 on 2007 levels. Figure 2 demonstrates this trend. FIGURE 2 TOTAL NUMBER OF FIRES ATTENDED BY LOUTH COUNTY COUNCIL FIRE 1200 & RESCUE PER YEAR No. of Fires Attended The above analysis reveals that operational demand has reduced in recent years. This trend is confirmed also in national data and could be due to economic and climatic factors as opposed to any other intervention. However, there remains scope for further reduction in demand on the Fire Service. Community Fire Safety can assist in maintaining, and indeed, accelerating this trend. An analysis of the prevalence of false alarms has been completed as part of this statistical review. Table 3 details the number of false alarms attended by the Fire Service in Co. Louth between 2007 and False Alarms are a source of concern as they divert resources and could ultimately delay a response to a real incident.

15 FALSE ALARMS 09 TABLE 2 TOTAL NUMBER OF FALSE ALARMS ATTENDED BY LOUTH COUNTY COUNCIL FIRE & RESCUE PER YEAR TOTAL NUMBER OF FALSE ALARMS PER YEAR County Stations Dundalk Station Drogheda Station TOTAL % of False Alarms of Total Number of Incidents 10.8% 11.9% 10.6% 11.8% 12.7% The proportion of false alarms in relation to all incidents attended for each year indicates that the level of false alarms has remained consistent over the reference period. Between 2007 and 2011, 1025 incidents were attended that were deemed false alarms, representing 11.6% of all incidents attended. Of the 1025 false alarm incidents, 22.9% were malicious, as outlined in Figure 3 below. This is 235 hoax call mobilizations out of a total of 8868 mobilizations, which is 2.6%. The corresponding percentage in the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) is 3.3%. However this is only 29% of the total number of hoax calls received by NIFRS Fire Control Centre, and the remainder are eliminated by the training of Control Centre operators in challenging calls. The remainder of false alarms are those deemed Good Intent, which includes mobilisations resulting from the activation of automatic fire alarm systems. The number of these as a percentage of total mobilisations from 2007 to 2011 is 8.9%. This is lower than the NIFRS data, where the total percentage of false alarms with good intent in the same time period, including automatic fire alarm systems activations, is 36% of total mobilisations.

16 10 FIGURE 3 DISTRIBUTION OF FALSE ALARM INCIDENTS ATTENDED BY LOUTH COUNTY COUNCIL FIRE & RESCUE ACCORDING TO CATEGORY BETWEEN 2007 & % Malicious n 77.1% Good Intent n To reduce the number of false alarms, the Community Fire Safety Strategy should focus on the good intent category in the first instance and a public information campaign aimed at reducing these incidents may achieve results. The percentage of hoax calls is smaller than the NIFRS data, and may be addressed by engagement with groups most likely to offend. Such engagement will be an element of the 5 year Community Fire Safety programme. Regarding the type of fires attended, Table 4 below shows the number of various types of fires attended per year. The percentage of each type of fire is also shown. A review of this data highlights a number of interesting trends. Of particular note is the substantial increase in Grass/Forest type fires in 2010 and 2011onwards compared to previous years, and a correspondingly significant reduction in Motor Vehicle related fires at the same time. The grass fire/forest fire increase may have been due to good weather in Spring and early Summer when these fires are most prevalent. The proportion of domestic fires vis a vis total fires has remained consistent over the period.

17 11 TABLE 4 DISTRIBUTION OF FIRES ATTENDED BY LOUTH COUNTY COUNCIL FIRE & RESCUE PER YEAR ACCORDING TO TYPE LOCATION OF FIRES ATTENDED DOMESTIC INSTITUTIONAL COMMERCIAL & INDUSTRIAL SERVICE MOTOR VEHICLES UNOCCUPIED BUILDINGS GRASS /FOREST RUBBISH OTHER % 0.8% 2.5% 0.8% 28.5% 3.6% 11.5% 33.4% 2.0% % 2.1% 2.9% 1.2% 24.6% 0.8% 16.3% 30.9% 3.4% % 0.5% 3.3% 1.0% 37.2% 2.7% 11.9% 31.2% 2.5% % 0.3% 3.1% 0.4% 13.8% 4.4% 32.9% 26.8% 2.3% % 0.2% 1.9% 0.7% 12.8% 2.2% 33.3% 29.2% 2.3% FIGURE 4 DISTRIBUTION OF FIRE INCIDENTS ATTENDED BY LOUTH COUNTY COUNCIL FIRE & RESCUE ACCORDING TO TYPE 2% 17% 1% Domestic Institutional 30% 3% Commercial & Industrial 1% Service Motor Vehicles Unoccupied Buildings 22% Grass/Fire 21% 3% Rubbish Other

18 12 As noted earlier, 5,711 fire incidents were attended by the Fire Service in Co. Louth between 2007 and Figure 4 on the previous page, outlines the cumulative figures for the period concerned, highlighting that the most common fire type attended is Rubbish related (30%) followed by Motor Vehicles and Grass/Forest fires at 22% and 21% respectively. However, given the increase in Grass/Forest type fires since 2010, this category is likely to exceed Rubbish fires as the most prevalent fire type in the County. Further analysis is required to determine the nature and location, in particular of Rubbish and Grass/Forest incidents (50% of all fires attended), which may help target Community Fire Safety initiatives in particular communities and dovetail with existing estate management/anti social behaviour initiates undertaken by the Local Authority and other agencies. Domestic Fires at 18% of total fires attended (persistently between 16-18% over the reference period), suggests scope to reduce the frequency of such incidents, and provides an important benchmark to measure the impact of Community Fire Safety initiatives into the future. Fires in Industrial & Commercial properties have remained at a consistently low level. The cause of fires for the reference period was examined. Table 5 provides a cumulative breakdown for the period as a whole. The analysis has excluded those fires where the cause was deemed unknown. TABLE 5 DISTRIBUTION OF FIRES ATTENDED BY LOUTH COUNTY COUNCIL FIRE & RESCUE ACCORDING TO CAUSE CAUSE OF FIRES ATTENDED PER YEAR (EXCLUDING UNKNOWN CASES) CHIMNEYS SMOKING MATERIALS Matches/ Lighters RUBBISH BURNING USING FUELS TO KINDLE FIRES COOKING & HEATING ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT EXPLOSIONS MALICIOUS % 0.8% 0.3% 2.1% 0.4% 3.1% 5.5% 0.2% 79.3%

19 13 FIGURE 5 DISTRIBUTION OF FIRE INCIDENTS ATTENDED BY LOUTH COUNTY COUNCIL FIRE & RESCUE ACCORDING TO CAUSE 2% 8% 2% 3% 6% Chimneys Rubbish Burning Cooking & Heating Electrical Equipment Malicious Other 79% The above examination of fire causes clearly indicates that Malicious is by far the significant cause of fires in Co. Louth. At 79.3% for the period as a whole, this represents a stark statistic. Note that this percentage is similar to the combined percentage of rubbish fires, grass/forest fires, car fires and unoccupied building fires which is 76%, indicating that up to 100% of such fires are malicious. Faults/Installation percentages, which are significant, and which would need to be addressed with prioritisation of these areas in the delivery of core fire safety messages. Table 6 provides a more detailed analysis of the distribution of the causes of fires per year, including a percentage for each cause against total number of fires for the respective year. These are not however the main priority for Community Fire Safety, which mainly targets fire deaths and injuries in the home. Of more relevance are the Chimney Fires and Electrical

20 14 TABLE 6 DISTRIBUTION OF FIRES ATTENDED BY LOUTH COUNTY COUNCIL FIRE & RESCUE PER YEAR ACCORDING TO CAUSE CAUSE OF FIRES ATTENDED PER YEAR (EXCLUDING UNKNOWN CASES) CHIMNEYS SMOKING MATERIALS MATCHES/ LIGHTERS RUBBISH BURNING USING FUELS TO KINDLE FIRES COOKING & HEATING ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT EXPLOSIONS MALICIOUS % 0.8% 0.4% 2.9% 0.3% 2.9% 6.8% 0.1% 79.6% % 0.5% 0.3% 3.9% 0.6% 2.0% 4.6% 0.2% 80.5% % 0.9% 0.1% 1.8% 0.2% 4.5% 7.9% 0.2% 73.9% % 0.7% 0.1% 0.6% 0.7% 3.3% 3.5% 0.2% % 1.2% 0.4% 0.7% 0% 2.8% 4.3% 0% 79.3% Of most relevance in the context of developing Community Fire Safety campaigns is a review of fire fatalities

21 15 A review of national statistics and local statistics provides an evidenced based review of trends. An analysis of fire fatalities in Co. Louth ( ) has also been conducted in the preparation of this Strategy. For the period concerned, there were 21 fire incidents in Co. Louth, attended by the Fire Service, in which fatalities occurred (27 fatalities in total). Nineteen of the 21 incidents where fire fatalities occurred were in houses or apartments. This confirms the normal trend in fire fatalities, in that almost all occur in the home. Table 7 shows a breakdown of the causes of fatality fires nationally over the same 13 year period. This table excludes fires where the cause was stated as unknown. Table 7 KNOWN CAUSES OF FIRE FATALITIES IN ALL COUNTIES 2000 TO 2013 Cause Number Percentage Electrical appliances (including heaters, electric blankets, toasters) % Matches, lighters % Smoking % Candles % Electric wiring 11 5% Chimney fires 8 3.7% Open fires 11 5% Chip pans 11 5% Other cooking % Solid fuel appliances 8 3.7% Gas appliances 7 3.2% Oil appliances 4 1.8% Flammable liquids 4 1.8% Rubbish/external 3 1.4% Explosion 2 1% Gas leak 1 0.5% Total %

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23 17 The patterns of occurrence of fire fatalities is further illustrated with reference to time of incident, suspected cause, seat of fire, and the presence of a smoke alarm. The results of this analysis are outlined below. common causes recorded were chip pan (3), candles (3) and cooker (2). It is evident that many of the fires that result in fatalities are preventable. Firstly causes of fire are examined. The Louth dataset is too small to draw definitive conclusions about the causes of fires. For the 21 fire incidents that resulted in fatalities, the following causes were recorded: matches/lighter, cooker, chip pan, candle, open fire, electric wiring, ignited fuel vapours and petroleum decanting. The most The national fire fatality data gives a better picture. Figure 6 illustrates the main causes of fires nationally during the period 2000 to 2013, showing the importance of targeting unsafe smoking practices. It also highlights the significance of other risk factors not evident from the Louth data, e.g. faulty electric wiring and appliances. FIGURE 6 DISTRIBUTION OF FIRE FATALITIES IN IRELAND ( ) ACCORDING TO KNOWN CAUSE Solid Fuel Appliances 9% 4% 5% 5% Other Cooker 17% 8% 5% 4% 5% 6% Open Fires Chip Pans Chimney Fires Electric Wiring Candles Smoking Matches/Lighters 32% Electrical Appliances Other

24 18 FIGURE 7 DISTRIBUTION OF FATALITY FIRE INCIDENTS ATTENDED BY LOUTH COUNTY COUNCIL FIRE & RESCUE ACCORDING TO TIME OF INCIDENT FIGURE 8 DISTRIBUTION OF HOUSE FATALITY FIRE INCIDENTS ATTENDED BY LOUTH COUNTY COUNCIL FIRE & RESCUE ACCORDING TO SEAT OF FIRE 10% 11% 16% 38% 24% 00:00-06:00 06:00-12:00 12:00-18:00 18:00-00:00 41% 32% Bedroom Kitchen Living Room Other The time of fire fatality incidents in Louth are summarized above in Figure 7, with the majority of fatal fires in the period between six am and midday. Figure 8 below outlines the seat of fires where fatalities occurred in a house/apartment setting. The most common location where fires started was the kitchen (41%), followed by living room (32%). The presence or otherwise of smoke/heat alarms in dwellings where fire fatalities occurred are presented in Figure 9. Note that on some occasions, the smoke alarms did not operate. FIGURE 9 DISTRIBUTION OF FATALITY FIRE INCIDENTS ATTENDED BY LOUTH COUNTY COUNCIL FIRE & RESCUE ACCORDING TO PRESENCE OF SMOKE ALARM 45% This would be the assumption made when delivering Community Fire Safety campaigns where occupants would be advised to close doors last thing at night and make an escape plan and ensure that they have adequate warning of fires. 55% Yes No

25 19 The following conclusions can be drawn from both local and national fire fatality data 1 By far the most common cause of fatality fires nationally is smoking, followed by electrical appliances, matches/ lighters, candles and chip pans. A smaller percentage of total fire fatalities in Louth were caused by smoking, but the larger national dataset may be more representative. See Figure 6. 2 The majority of fatality fires start in kitchens or living rooms of houses. Those that start in bedrooms appear to be mainly caused by smoking or lighting candles. See Figure 8. 3 The main risk groups identified for the delivery of Community Fire Safety campaigns in the UK are pensioners, single parents, tenants of rented accommodation, with a further indicator of alcohol use also present in many cases. The evidence from fatality fires in Louth confirms these risk groups and also suggests that there may have been an influence of addictive behaviour in certain cases. It also indicates that vulnerable non-nationals and vulnerable members of the travelling community should be included in the high risk category as they appear to have a disproportionate presence in the fatality figures. 6 The numbers of fatality fires caused by candles has increased in recent years, possibly due to their use as a décor accessory. 7 There has been a slight decline in fire fatalities nationally over the past 3 years, to less than 40 each year, which probably reflects other factors discussed earlier. 8 Fire fatalities have not occurred in caravans in Louth in the period 2000 to However, 21 fire fatalities have occurred in caravans nationally in this time period. This is the main category of fatality fire aside from houses and apartments and will therefore need to be included in the Community Fire Safety campaign. 9 Better quality data on fire fatalities is needed. Post fatality reviews will be carried out in the case of all fire fatalities in Louth, in conjunction with An Garda Siochana forensic section. 10 Fire fatalities occur in all parts of the county. Due to the location of houses in both urban areas and rural areas, any Community Fire Safety campaign should be delivered in all parts of the county. 4 The national data also supports targeting over 65s in Community Fire Safety campaigns. Of the 523 fatalities in fires in the period, a third (173) was over 65. This is much higher that the percentage of over 65s in the population (10.9% in Louth) 5 Smoke alarms were fitted in more that 50% of the Louth fatal cases. However it is possible that these were nonfunctional in a high proportion of cases. A national survey in 2006 found the average level of smoke alarm ownership to be approximately 80%, well in excess of the ownership percentage in houses where fatality fires occurred.

26 20 Implementing t Fire Safety Stra 1 Identifying the People at Risk In order to make best use of available resources and considering the number of households in Louth, it is considered that households should be targeted for advice/briefing on the matter of fire safety in the home. Likewise the fire fatality data shows a particular correlation between dwelling fire fatalities and pensioners, lone parents, and addictive behaviour. Experience in Northern Ireland and the UK also suggests that the fire fatality risk is high in private rented accommodation. On that basis households in these categories are statistically more likely to be at risk. The identification of households who are most at risk from fire will be done using two approaches. a Agency Referrals This approach is to liaise with agencies or organisations that interface with vulnerable groups and can provide sufficient information to enable the Fire Service to target specific sites. The objective would be to have a network of partner organisations based on either informal or formal agreements. The following will be contacted in this process: Non Government Organisations y Active Retirement y Youth projects y Drugs and Alcohol Forum y Volunteer Centre y Disability Groups and Advocates y Homeless Support Groups y Serious Illness support groups

27 he Community tegy 21 Statutory Service Providers The HSE in Louth provides a range of services to vulnerable groups, as follows: y Disability Services y Older People y Addiction Services y Public Health Nursing service y Mental Health Services y Social Inclusion Services The HSE has provided contact details for the Managers of each of these services in Louth. Other Statutory Providers will be encouraged also to make referrals y An Garda Siochana maintains a register of people over 65 and the Nestling Project (Good Morning Louth), DKIT has details of approx people living alone and mostly housebound. y The Probation Service can identify individuals and households who may be at risk. y The Dept of Social Protection will also be asked to highlight similar households. The information provided will be assessed to facilitate contact with vulnerable householders. Partnership Agreements will be drawn up with these agencies and organisations, where considered necessary. These agreements would describe the aims and objectives, roles and responsibilities and information sharing protocols. These agreements will clearly reflect the fire service view of the most vulnerable households from a fire safety viewpoint and it would be expected that all households selected would be vulnerable in some way. Alternatively there may be informal arrangements made. b Use of Census Data Census data combined with other available data will also be used to review potential risk areas. Firstly, census data will be analysed to identify the location of householders who come within the high risk categories, mentioned previously. These categories are as follows: y Old age pensioners (>65) y Lone parent householders y Private rented accommodation. Louth County Council will analyse the census numbers in these categories to output maps of Census Small Areas with high risk Small Areas shown coloured. These Small Areas comprise between 50 and 200 households. The threshold for high risk is where the combined percentage of the above 3 categories totals 68% or more. When a high risk Small Area is selected, all of the households in that Small Area would be targeted for the appropriate Community Fire Safety initiative. See Appendix 3 for examples of Small Area vulnerability maps. Other Risk Factors There is historic evidence of other potential high risk categories which can be analysed using census data. These are as follows: y Local authority dwellings y 1 person households y Persons with disabilities y Vulnerable Non-national householders. y Dwellings using open fires. A further important risk factor that can influence the emergency service response is the distance from the nearest fire station, in that the risk increases, the further away the household is. Historic fire incident data will provide further risk indicator information on this factor. When this is combined with the census data, further specific risk groups will be identified. The fire incident data analysed will be expanded to include additional information that may highlight risk groups or households.

28 22 Local Authority houses have not been considered as a significant risk factor by the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service due to the likelihood of mandatory fire safety measures such as smoke alarms, carbon monoxide alarms, escape windows etc. In the case of Louth there is a current installation programme of these devices which greatly enhances the safety of tenants and further upgrades may also include other fire safety improvements. The initial census analysis will examine the risk using the first three factors listed and will output high risk Small Area Maps. See Appendix 3. A threshold of identified high risk will be utilised where the combined percentage of households in one of these areas, exceeds 68%. This is the threshold used by Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service. For further high risk Small Area maps, the above high risk threshold of 68% may be lowered and more account be taken of other indicators, e.g. distance from nearest fire station. Conclusions y A major advantage of the Agency Referral approach is that individual addresses can be targeted and all of the addresses visited will have some risk factor. The agencies will provide a database of addresses for Home Fire safety Checks and other Community Fire Safety campaigns. The Census data cannot output at address level for data protection reasons. Instead, maps of high risk Small Areas would be output and all of the dwellings in such areas would require to be visited, including low risk households. y The Agency Referral approach also has the advantage that high risk households which are not identified by the census information can be targeted, e.g. drugs or alcohol addiction cases. y Individual cases proposed for Home Fire safety checks or other Community Fire Safety interventions, based on the agreed criteria, would be notified to Louth County Council Fire and Rescue using the agency referral form shown in Appendix 2. y The experience of Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service confirms the usefulness of the agency approach. Their Community Fire Safety campaigns have been underway since 2002 and census small area data have been the main method of targeting the campaigns, with only 6% of inspections based on agency referrals. Their current policy is to greatly increase the amount of agency referrals to improve the effectiveness of their CFS programmes. y Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service currently allows for self-referral, whereby members of the public can log on to their website, and receive a Home Fire safety Check or other CFS intervention. The NIFRS view is that this has not worked as intended as it does not allow the targeting of the highest risk homes. The CFS strategy in Louth will not include this. y It is envisaged that agency referrals will also be the primary method of targeting for Louth Community Fire Safety campaigns, with Census data providing a useful back-up approach.

29 23 2 Main Campaigns The Community Fire Safety Strategy will deliver a range of campaigns aimed at improving the level of safety in the home in Louth. These are as follows: a Home Fire Safety Checks (HFSCs) b Primary Schools Programme c Smoke Alarm and CO alarm Campaign d Leaflet Drops e Targeting anti-social behaviour risks f Publicity Campaigns g National and Peak Time Campaigns h Continuation of current Community Fire Safety Activities a Home Fire Safety Checks (HFSCs) Home Fire Safety Checks (HFSCs) are the main element of the new Community Fire Safety strategy. Fire service personnel call to houses and give fire safety advice to the occupants. HFSCs are in widespread use in UK fire services over the past 15 years or so and in this time there has been a reduction in fire fatalities there by over 40%. A HFSC is usually carried out by two uniformed fire service personnel. They will use a checklist to ask questions, try to identify the fire safety hazards in the house and recommend solutions. Fire safety advice will be given, fire safety leaflets handed out and smoke detectors may be provided or fitted. They will also discuss the occupant s response should a fire occur in the house. They will leave the occupier with further advice and information, to also make available to other members of the household. The Fire Service will request the occupant to sign a disclaimer. The aim of HFSCs is to reduce the numbers of fires, deaths and injuries in the home by firstly preventing fires occurring and to ensure that when fires do occur, the occupiers are given early warning, and they know how to react quickly and safely.

30 24 The results of all HFSCs will be completed on forms during the visits and will be recorded in a central database. A tablet solution with electronic data entry and recording will be used during the visits and back at the station. HFSCs may inform the operational response, should any significant areas of immediate concern be identified. To be successful, HFSCs will require a large element of partnership working with other agencies. This will involve drawing up agreements with the agencies, and them making contact with the highest risk householders and reverting to the Fire Service. To maximise the efficiency of the process, all visits will need to be scheduled in advance. Experience elsewhere has shown a very low success rate from knocking on doors. b Primary Schools Programme This involves crews delivering a standardised fire safety in the home programme to 3 rd class primary classes. This programme has been delivered by Louth County Council Fire Services (LCCFR) since 2003, initially as part of a Cross Border Project. This programme was subsequently rolled out nationally. Home fire safety messages are reinforced using cartoon characters and the children are all required to check the fire safety in their homes and complete a checklist. All schools (in County Louth currently receive this programme and this will continue. If any schools appear in the high risk small area parcels, they will receive priority attention. Although Louth County Council Housing Stock are covered by an ongoing programme to ensure they have working smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors, where deemed necessary in terms of target groups Council Housing will be included in HFSCs in terms of carrying out risk assessment and offering advice to the householder. Each visit normally takes about a half- hour. HFSCs may also identify areas of concern, which require other agencies to resolve, e.g. the HSE. Areas will be assigned to particular fire crews and training on delivering this programme will be provided to fire service staff. Crews may be assigned individual households or high risk small area parcels that have been analysed through the census methodology. The Fire Prevention Section will design an on-line HFSC form, which will be available to any member of the public to download and carry out their own home fire safety check. c Smoke/Heat Alarm and CO Alarm Campaign The installation of domestic smoke/heat alarms forms part of the Home Fire Safety Check programme. However, additional measures will be taken to increase smoke alarm ownership. Any distribution of alarms by the Local Authority will be specifically through the targeting methodology described above. For the general population, a new smoke alarm and CO alarm campaign will attempt to increase the overall level of smoke alarm and CO alarm ownership and will also expand the provision of smoke and/or CO detectors on a targeted basis. Louth County Council has already adopted a policy on the use of smoke, heat and CO alarms for domestic houses and that is the standard that will be applied. The smoke alarm/co alarm campaign will also be focus on the correct maintenance of these systems. Any Community Grants made will be dependent on compliance with the applicable standard for fire alarm systems and the installation of the required CO alarms. The installation of domestic smoke alarms forms part of the Home Fire Safety Check programme. However, additional measures will be taken to increase smoke alarm ownership. Any distribution of alarms by the

31 25 Local Authority will be specifically through the targeting methodology described above. For the general population, a new smoke alarm and CO alarm campaign will attempt to increase the overall level of smoke alarm and CO alarm ownership and will also expand the provision of smoke and/or CO detectors on a targeted basis. The importance of correct maintenance of smoke detectors and CO detectors will be an integral message in the campaign. There will be a partnership approach with Louth County Social Inclusion Unit on the rollout of the Community Smoke Alarm Scheme which funds the installation of smoke alarms in vulnerable households nationwide (excluding local authority housing). Louth County Council has already adopted a policy on the use of smoke, heat and CO alarms for domestic houses and that is the standard that will be applied. Louth County Council s own housing stock are part of an ongoing programme which will ensure they all have working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Any Community Grants made will be dependent on compliance with the applicable standard for fire alarm systems and the installation of the required CO alarms. It is intended that the CFS strategy would be reflected in future County Development Plans with regard to ensuring that all new dwellings in Louth have mains powered smoke alarms and wired-in carbon monoxide alarms. Guidance on the requirements will be available to householders involved in the planning process. d Leaflet drops Louth County Council Fire and Rescue will maintain a range of fire safety leaflets which currently are in a number of languages. The Council will further develop these leaflets into a suite of messages and will circulate appropriately. These leaflets currently include fire safety in the home, carbon monoxide awareness, fire safety for the elderly, fire safety in flats/apartments, caravan fire safety, outdoor fire safety, barbecue fire safety leaflets, etc. and crews will carry out leaflet drops in areas of greatest need. International experience has shown that in the aftermath of a fire incident, the general community are more likely to be receptive to fire safety advice. Therefore In the event of a house fire, crews will drop relevant leaflets in all houses in the environs of the fire. A targeted leaflet will be developed for this.z e Targeting anti-social behaviour risks There are a range of Community Fire Safety campaigns delivered in various parts of the UK to target arson, hoax calls and attacks on fire service personnel, with varying degrees of success. These include the Firestorm Secondary Schools Programme and the Firesetters scheme. They also deliver road safety campaigns such as the Roadsafe Roadshow and Road Accident Consequences Education (RACE) programme. The recent Cross-Border Interreg Driving Change programme included a programme of education for young people on road safety and a number of LCCFR personnel have been trained in this. It is planned to carry out a detailed assessment of these programmes with a view to introducing one of them in Louth in the latter stage of the CFS campaign cycle. These anti-social behaviour campaigns may be delivered on an area basis by fire crews in tandem with HFSC and other campaigns.

32 26 f Publicity Campaigns Through a range of outlets LCCFR will use media including radio, local press and outdoor publicity to promote the fire safety message targeting the widest possible audience. This will also be extended to include social media campaigns. g National Campaigns and Peak Incident Time Campaigns LCCFR will take part fully in national campaigns, including Fire Safety week and Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week. Where opportunities arise to address target areas/groups with other bodies they will be maximised (i.e. Bord Gais for CO awareness week, Creative Spark Dundalk for Bonfire Night campaign). LCCFR will analyse the incidence of fires during Halloween, Bonfire Night and Christmas and will try to reduce the fire threat by the use of the other programmes above on a targeted basis. Data Analysis Under the Community Fire Safety Strategy, data collection on fire incidence, fire fatalities and injuries and risk factors will be improved and this will be reflected in amendments to the Fire Report form utilised by crews. This data will inform the ongoing development of the various programmes under the Strategy. Linked to the action of data analysis, will be the instigation of post fatality reviews. Reviews will be carried out following an incident in which a fatality occurs in order to ensure maximum data is captured regarding the circumstances leading to the fatality. Such reviews will be in collaboration with any other agencies that may have been in attendance (e.g. An Garda Siochána). The CFS actions, objectives and outcomes are summarised in Table 9 opposite. h Continuation of current CFS activities LCCFR currently carries out various other community fire safety and road safety activities, which will continue in addition to the new programmes. These include leaflet drops, group visits to fire stations, preschool visits and road safety demonstrations.

33 27 TABLE 9 LOUTH COUNTY COUNCIL FIRE & RESCUE COMMUNITY IMPLEMENTATION PLAN KEY ACTION STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES OWNER EXPECTED OUTCOMES TIME HFSCs Delivery of Home Fire Safety Check programme including online HFSCs 1 Minimise fire risk to communities 2 Increase capacity of homeowner to take responsibility 3 Instil culture of fire safety among householders improve awareness of fire safety and reduce opportunity for fire to occur 4 Improve co-operation with SACFO SOs y Reduction in fatalities / injuries due to fire y Increase smoke/heat alarm ownership y Increase awareness of fire risks in the home y Reduction in the rate of false alarms y Fires reduced at peak times. Q onwards organisations 5 Increase CFS skills and knowledge among fire service members Targeted/ Leaflet Drops 1 Minimise fire risk to communities 2 Instil culture of fire safety among the community, especially SACFO SOs y Reduction in fatalities / injuries due to fire y Increase smoke/heat alarm Q onwards vulnerable groups 3 Improve co-operation with ownership y Increase awareness of CO organisations and fire safety risks y Increase awareness of difficulties false alarms cause and the costs y Promote fire safety awareness for seasonal events; Christmas, Halloween etc

34 28 KEY ACTION STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES OWNER EXPECTED OUTCOMES TIME 1 Minimise fire risk to communities SACFO y Reduction in fatalities / Q Instil culture of fire safety among SOs injuries due to fire onwards young - improve awareness y Increase smoke/heat alarm (continue of fire safety and reduce ownership prog.) opportunity for fire to occur in y Schools programme delivered child s home to all schools Primary Schools Programme y Fires reduced at peak times. Smoke/Heat Alarm and CO Alarm Campaign 1 Minimise fire risk to communities 2 Instil culture of fire safety - improve awareness of fire safety and carbon monoxide risks and reduce opportunity for fire or CO gas incident to occur 3 Improve co-operation with organisations 4 Increase CFS skills and knowledge among fire service members SACFO SOs y Reduction in fatalities / injuries due to fire y Increase CO/smoke/heat alarm ownership y Improve testing/maintenance of CO / smoke alarms Q onwards Publicity 1 Increase awareness of key fire safety messages for citizens in Louth 2 Instil culture of fire safety 3 Promote positive engagement by public with Louth County Council Fire & Rescue 4 Improved use of social media and website to promote fire safety messages SACFO SOs y Reduction in fatalities y Increase smoke/heat alarm ownership y Reduction in the rate of deliberate fires y Reduction in the rate of false alarms y Fires reduced at peak times. Q onwards

35 29 title KEY ACTION STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES OWNER EXPECTED OUTCOMES TIME SACFO y Reduction in fatalities / Q SOs injuries due to fire onwards National Campaignsdelivered locally, including Community Group education 1 Minimise fire risk to communities 2 Improve co-operation with local community organisations 3 Improve co-operation with national safety organisations 4 Promote positive engagement by public with Louth County Council Fire & Rescue y Increase in CO/smoke/heat alarm ownership y Reduction in the rate of deliberate fires y Reduction in the rate of false alarms Peak Time Campaigns 1 Minimise fire risk to communities 2 Improve co-operation with organisations 3 Ensure that data is captured and used 4 Increase CFS skills and knowledge among fire service member SACFO SOs y Reduction in fatalities / injuries due to fire y Reduction in the rate of deliberate fires y Reduction in the rate of hoax calls. y Fires reduced at peak times. y Promote fire safety awareness for seasonal events: Christmas, Halloween, etc As existing Targeting antisocial behaviour risks 1 Minimise fire risk to communities 2 Increase capacity of public to take responsibility for fire safety 3 Reduce malicious/false alarms and tertiary fire incidents (rubbish/grass fires) 4 Improve co-operation with local statutory and voluntary organisations SACFO SOs y Reduction in fatalities / injuries due to fire y Reduction in the rate of deliberate fires. y Increase awareness of difficulties false alarms cause and the costs Q onwards

36 30 KEY ACTION STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES OWNER EXPECTED OUTCOMES TIME Data Analysis 1 Improve quality and relevance of SACFO y Better information on impact Q data captured from fire incidents AO of fire incidents (fatalities and onwards & Post Fatality 2 2 Have incident data available SOs injuries) Reviews for Louth providing fatality and y Risk factor information injury statistics for house fires available for Louth house fires 3 3 Monitor impact of Home Fire Safety Checks over time Staff training on CFS 1 Ensure staff have right knowledge and skills to do CFS work SACFO AO SOs y Better delivery of CFS campaigns and consistent fire safety messages delivered Q onwards

37 31 3 TRAINING The primary method of delivery of this Strategy will be through the Home Fire Safety Check (HFSC) Campaign. This is a new activity and requires training for all personnel involved. As this type of approach is new to the Republic of Ireland, it is likely that the training will have to be sourced from outside the state, with full compliance with Dept of Finance rules. The training will likely be delivered at two levels, instructors and personnel generally. Personnel will be trained on how to conduct a HFSC and instruction and training will be also provide on the correct fitting and siting of smoke/heat/co alarms in dwellings, in compliance with BS5839: Part 6. Personnel will be trained on how to use the HFSC guidance when discussing fire safety issues with occupiers during visits and will be trained on how to complete the HFSC inspection form. It is hoped that this will be enhanced by use of IT tablets and electronic data entry.

38 32 4 Implementation All personnel will be instructed on correct procedures and precautions to observe during HFSC visits. Officers will also be trained on how to plan and arrange the visits. Any Health and Safety and Child Protection issues will also be addressed. The diagram below shows the staff structure that will be used to implement the Community Fire Safety programme. The Senior Assistant Chief Fire Officer (SACFO) Fire Prevention will liaise with the other agencies, identify the vulnerable groups and will arrange the various Community Fire Safety programmes with the fire service crews in conjunction with the SACFO Operations. The Community Fire Safety programme will mainly be delivered by whole time crews in Dundalk and Drogheda Fire Services. Appendix 1 shows the daily routine in these stations under the 5 Group Duty System, in place since 3 rd September There are 3.5 hours per day allocated to Community Fire safety and the programme will be delivered in this time slot. Retained Crews will also target and identified vulnerable households for the delivery of CFS programmes in the rest of the county.

39 33 FIRE PREVENTION AND OPERATIONS STRUCTURE DIRECTOR OF SERVICES Joe McGuinness CHIEF FIRE OFFICER Eamon Woulfe SENIOR ASSISTANT CHIEF FIRE OFFICER Joe Lumsden SENIOR ASSISTANT CHIEF FIRE OFFICER Sheila Broderick ASSISTANT CHIEF FIRE OFFICER John Cummins ASSISTANT CHIEF FIRE OFFICER Philip O Brien STATION OFFICERS 3 (County Retained) STATION OFFICERS 10 (Wholetime) FLEET MECHANIC Mark McCann SUB OFFICERS 4 (Urban Retained) FIREFIGHTERS 12 (Urban Retained) SUB OFFICERS 3 (County Retained) + FIREFIGHERS 21 (County Retained) SUB OFFICERS 10 (Wholetime) + FIREFIGHERS 35 (Wholetime) FIRE & RESCUE SERVICE OPERATIONS FIRE PREVENTION

40 34 PPENDIX 1

41 Five Group Duty System (5GDS) Daily Station Routine 35 Day Shift Mon Sun Parade, Briefs, Cleanup Operational Preparedness Operational Preparedness Station Admin & Tea Training Lunch Comm Safety Tea Personal Develop Operational Preparedness, clean up, handover Night Shift Mon Sun Parade, Briefs, Clean up Operational Preparedness Training + Retained Training Catch-up Rest break Operational Preparedness, clean up, handover

42 36 PPENDIX 2

43 Referral Form 37 LCCFR Home Fire Safety Check Agency Referral Form Agency Agency Contact Person Telephone Number If a joint visit is required, please provide contact details below: Name Telephone Relationship to client About the Person Requiring this Service Name Address Telephone Number To be completed by the Referral Agency Is the oldest person in the household over 65 years of age? Does anyone in the household have a physical/cognitive disability or long-term limiting illness affecting mobility? Does the client live alone? Does the household comprise a lone parent with children under the age of 16? There are fire safety concerns relating to this household (provide additional information). Does the property have a working smoke alarm? z By completing this form, the Agency is confirming that permission has been granted by the client for their details to be passed to LCCFR. LCCFR will not pass these details to any other third party.

44 38 PPENDIX 3

45 CSO Small Area Vulnerability Index Maps 39

46 40

47 41

48 42

49 43