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The magazine of the Fire Brigades Union > www.fbu.org.uk January/February 2009 mbers me fbu mP lobby s PSraofgerr eCsosm omn ukneiyti eisss ucaem opf agiugind ahnitcse paaftrelira Smaefnetr SFieree fpigahgtee r1s1 Also inside The damning findings the Audit Commission wanted to keep secret The emperor’s new clothes You will recall from the suit was completed the Emperor went on has seen costs rise enormously; and which fairy tale that the Emperor a procession through the city to show his nobody knows will work. But the “Emperor” was tricked by a couple subjects his new finery. And finally the (in the form of CLG) keeps on telling anyone of swindlers into paying trick was exposed by the common sense who will listen what a beautiful project a vast sum of money so of a small child who shouted that the it really is and how everything will be that they would make him Emperor was not wearing any clothes at wonderful when it is finally delivered. Of a suit of the finest cloth. The catch, said all. He had been tricked and the trick had course some people are making a lot of the tricksters, was that the cloth was worked because of the failure of any of his money out of the project, so they are happy “invisible” to anyone who was stupid or advisors to tell him he was going to end up to keep saying that everything is fine. unworthy. The Emperor was surrounded looking really, really stupid. The real question is this: At what point by grovelling, fawning and incompetent You will see on Page 12 the latest report does everyone wake up and realise that courtiers who would only ever agree with from our very own version of the Emperor’s they have been tricked? We hope that they him. So they too fell for the trick and told New Clothes. We have a project (the do before it is too late. In the meantime the the Emperor how magnificent the cloth regionalisation of controls in England) which FBU will continue to shout that the Emperor looked as it was being prepared. Once the has been subject to numerous delays; which is totally naked and is embarrassing us all. Contents eC Features ho n ew 8 Fatalities spaper s Union unmasks Audit Commission’s secret findings 11 lobby oF parliament A huge success – now tell your MP to sign the Early Day Motion 12 regional Fire controls Nearly five years late and still counting 14 back to iraq The FBU returns to Iraqi Kurdistan to reassess how to help firefighters there Regulars 4 news Cuts fightback – Tayside and Essex; Paul Mallaghan death and 8 Win highways guidance; Northern Ireland funds boost; FBU national school a cordless Essex firefighters 7 news Focus combat cuts drill/driver Buncefield investigation ends amid calls for central guidance and queries over resources see p22 16 what does … A fire investigation officer do? 18 your health Mid-life crisis 19 legal beagle Overpayments and pensions 20 day oFF Me and my hawking 22 puzzle page Your chance to win a cordless drill/driver 12 23 station cat The news they don’t want you to hear Regional controls fall even further behind 24 25-year badges pau schedule Cover piCtures: Jess hurd/reportdigital.Co.uk, stefano Cagnoni l bo x 2 FireFighter January/February 2009 lobby of Parliament – listen professional voice of firefighters – and we the Central Fire Brigades Advisory Council to the professionals demand to be heard. As a result of this (CFBAC) and Scottish CFBAC. It is now clear On behalf of the entire union, I would recent campaign we have increasingly that this was a purely political decision, like to once again thank all members heard others echo many of the concerns taken to try to undermine the Fire Brigades who attended the lobby of Parliament in we have raised. That is to be welcomed Union. The sad fact is that others within November. This was called to highlight but firefighters have the right to ask the Service went along with it precisely our concerns at the number of firefighters where some of these people were when because of that and are belatedly realising killed at work. The response was the mad rush to modernisation started. that it has left a huge gaping hole around magnificent. Over a thousand turned up One of the key mistakes made by the the issue of professional standards. to our rally and lobby of MPs. It was one of government was the abolition of the Over the past couple of years, the FBU the biggest trade union lobbies for years. structures which developed and set has demonstrated very clearly some of The FBU put others on notice. We are the standards within the service, primarily the significant gaps in the Fire and Rescue Service around issues such as flood As a result of this recent campaign we response, attacks on firefighters, firefighter fatalities and the general lack of central have increasingly heard others echo guidance on crucial operational matters. The challenge now for others within the Service is whether they are prepared to many of the concerns we have raised start to listen and engage with us. YOUR lEttERs Impressive safety pack Palestine With regard to the new FBU health and safety The West Midlands moved the resolution on pack you highlighted (What does an FBU Palestine at the last FBU Conference, so we Health & Safety rep do? Firefighter, October are pleased that this issue has been given a 2008) I am extremely impressed with the inspec- greater prominence in the Union’s activities tion checklist included in the pack. I am a watch (Firefighter, November/December 2008, ‘It’s commander and although not currently an FBU about peace, security and justice for us all). H&S rep I hold the NEBOSH general certifi- The personal accounts of Dave Chappell, cate and make my ‘skills’ available to safety reps John McGhee and Kevin Brown will hopefully locally when required. I have used checklists in bring home to people just how much suffering different contexts over recent years and have not the Palestinians endure at the hands of Israel seen a better or more thorough version. The rest on a daily basis, with tacit support from most of the pack is equally impressive. of the western Governments. The role of safety rep is something which I hope that every regional and brigade many people will look on with trepida- committee now considers affiliating tion, because the range of legislation that is to the Palestine Solidarity Campaign involved is vast and the responsibilities that (www.palestinecampaign.org) so that by using go with the role can seem immense. Anything our collective voice this grave injustice can be which simplifies the process and makes the brought to an end. rep’s role easier is to be praised, and the new This Union has always been about playing pack should certainly do that. a role in the wider trade union and political No matter how proficient and thorough the movement. Long may it continue. brigade health and safety officers and manage- dave Whatton ment systems are, the person best placed to Executive Council Member, West Midlands manage health and safety is the one at ‘the Region FBU sharp end’. get your coPy The competence and confidence that comes from extended study of health and Not getting your own copy safety, coupled with experience, cannot replace of Firefighter at home? policies or procedures but should complement Make sure you have them to allow us to achieve safe working prac- informed your brigade tices in the real world. secretary of any recent Let us encourage more and more of our change of address brothers and sisters to take on the mantle of ‘safety rep’, and give whatever assistance is n Published by the Fire Brigades Union, needed to advance their qualifications. Bradley House, 68 Coombe Road, Clive Mason Kingston upon Thames KT2 7AE. www.fbu.org.uk Hay Mills, West Midlands n Design by Edition Periodicals, 20 241– 251 Ferndale Road, London SW9 8BJ > You can obtain the new Health and Safety pack www.editionperiodicals.co.uk n Printed by Southernprint Ltd, Day off – flying falcons in from your brigade official or from John McGhee, 17–21 Factory Road, the Highlands National Officer responsible for Health, Safety and Upton Industrial Estate, Poole, Dorset BH16 5SN Welfare at FBU Head Office. January/February 2009 FireFighter 3 News january/february 2009 > Latest news > Sounding off > In brief ph o to C o u r tesy o f th e C o u r ier , d u n d ee Eddie Thomson (left), a recently retired firefighter who organised a petition against the cuts, and General Secretary Matt Wrack led hundreds of campaigners, including FBU members and officials, on a march through the streets of Broughty Ferry in November to preserve the whole-time status of Balmossie fire station Tayside saves 16 jobs – for now CuTs fIghTbaCk months of correspondence and an unoffi- decision to get rid of them immediately has cial overtime ban, the union told the Fire been rescinded. Nonetheless, they are still at T he FBU has notched up a victory in Authority in October that, failing a satisfac- risk. The review document, Towards a Safer Tayside, where officials have been tory agreement, the overtime ban would Tayside, was due to go out for public consul- able to withdraw the proposed official become official. tation in January. overtime ban after the Tayside Fire and There was also a dispute about holiday These two decisions were enough to Rescue Authority agreed to reconsider the entitlement for office-based non-operational persuade the Union to call off the action. removal of 16 frontline firefighter posts from uniformed FBU members in which the Executive council member for Scotland Balmossie Fire Station in Broughty Ferry. fire authority had refused to implement an Roddy Robertson told Firefighter: “I’m It was back in January 2008, just days arbitration recommendation. pleased we have at last got a resolution. But before a meeting of the Tayside Fire and This recommendation is now to be we still have great concerns about the review Rescue Board, that FBU officials were implemented. The 16 firefighter posts will be document. We have won a battle but we told that the posts were to be lost. After discussed as part of a brigade review, so the have yet to win the war.” 4 FireFighter January/February 2009 sounding off! Two years for man whose Mike Wood Vice-Chair car killed a firefighter Passive Fire Protection Federation Fire safety disconnect am an whdoasne gderirv ianTg w caoursked the death dave Cory NAcocvoermdibnegr ,t oM tehres eLyivseidrpe oFoirle D aanildy RPeossctu ine Service has threatened to challenge the of Hertfordshire firefighter Paul local water supplier, United Utilities, in court Mallaghan has been jailed for two after “fire crews had complained about the years. The Union said the sentence opened lacklustre water pressure coming from the up the debate about sentencing policy for company’s hydrants”. The Post reports that causing death on the roads and highlighted United Utilities has apparently refused to the need for central guidance to protect increase the pressure and Merseyside Fire Paul Mallaghan’s funeral firefighters at work on highways. has drawn up plans to force the company to Paul Hing, 61, who crashed into a vehicle working night shifts. do more. on fire on a motorway hard shoulder, was Hertfordshire FBU Brigade Secretary Although crews say they could cope found guilty of causing the death of Paul Tony Smith said the accident showed the with a domestic fire, there are fears a larger industrial inferno would stretch resources, Mallaghan, a 46-year-old watch commander, need for national guidance on safe systems already under pressure from integrated risk who was tackling the fire on the hard of work on highways. “This will fuel the management plans and the threat of regional shoulder of the A1(M) near Stevenage last debate about whether the sentencing for control rooms. It’s not good news. But the June. He was wearing high visibility clothing. taking a life on the roads is adequate,” added implications are also clear for the wider Hing hit the car on which he was working. A FBU regional secretary Adrian Clarke. aspects of fire protection. All fire protection second firefighter was injured along with a “It also ought to remind everyone what a measures need to work together because Highways Agency officer. desperately dangerous job firefighters often circumstances may not unfold as expected The prosecutor said a passing motorist have to do, and the very real and varied when fire breaks out. If the water supply is had seen Hing’s Volkswagen Golf move dangers they face in the performance of vulnerable, it could affect firefighting and any from the outside to the inside lane and their duties.” sprinklers systems installed. It’s not just the front, firefighting end then to the hard shoulder. Hing had failed The sentence came shortly after more we need to worry about. Firefighters take it to negotiate the bend as he approached than 1,000 firefighters lobbied MPs about the on trust that a building they enter will have Junction 8, either through tiredness or increasing number of firefighters being killed because he was distracted. He had been on duty and called for better safeguards. The luxury apartment development Pacific Wharf fbu helps secure funds boost lacked even the most basic fire norThern Ireland pau McGimpsey, (left) Minister protection, making it a death The FBU has welcomed l faith oanf dH Peaulbthli,c S Soacfieatly S, teorlvdi ctehse trap for people living there the announcement /pa ph Northern Ireland Assembly. adequate built-in fire protection, to maintain that Northern Ireland oto Jim Barbour, FBU its stability under fire so people can get out s Fire and Rescue Service will executive council member safely and they can get in. receive £168 million over for Northern Ireland, said: But the case of Pacific Wharf in London the next 10 years to replace “This is something that we showed what a dangerous assumption this 26 fire stations, including have been lobbying for over is. The luxury apartment development was the purchase of 22 new sites, the last year. I have person- recently in the news, having been found to and refurbish a further 10. ally spoken to the Minister lack even the most basic fire protection, The funding includes concerned, together with making it a death trap for people living there. Although inspectors had passed the flats as £30 million towards a highest need. a cross-section of leading having been constructed properly, there was new public sector training Eleven frontline fire politicians, to help secure no effective fire compartmentalisation, which college at Desertcreat near appliances will be replaced this new funding.” could have risked the whole building. Cookstown, which is being each year as part of an agreed The Union had worked There are general issues about fire safety developed by the NI Fire and rolling fleet replacement with NIFRS on this issue, awareness, from product manufacturers Rescue Service, the Police programme and all fire which would bring “mutual and engineers to designers, contractors and Service of Northern Ireland appliances will be equipped advantage”, he said, adding: inspectors. The fire safety community needs and the NI Prison Service. with “modern mobile data “The additional monies to work together as a single entity. And it’s £26 million of the £168 technology including satellite achieved, in a hostile important to take the wider perspectives million will be invested navigation so that firefighters financial climate, will allow into account. Surely it’s critical if we cannot as a community place sufficient faith in the in the current three-year have access to critical risk for a range of station refur- water supply? Joined up fire safety is what budget period, completing a information at incidents to bishments and rebuilds, as we should be concerned about, but right now new fire station in Armagh enable them to carry out well as fleet procurement there is a serious disconnect. and providing four new life saving work in modern, and a complete control room stations in areas of the reliable vehicles,” Michael ‘state of the art’ IT upgrade.” > More: http://pfpf.org January/February 2009 FireFighter 5 nEws In brief no evidence C h r is r Grampian Fire Authority has ad drawn back from dismissing b u to support rn Kevin Ogilvy, a firefighter for two /pa pho tdheec aFdBeUs. ,K aefvteinr ihnatedr pveunt toionn w beyig ht tos – aged 47, he was 22 stone and essex cuts no longer reached the required fitness standards for a man under 48. Instead of giving him time to lose weight and get fitter, Grampian decided to fire him. The CuTs fIghTbaCk FBU protested that this was not fair treatment, and the authority e ssex Fire Authority’s integrated risk manage- has now agreed to give him three ment plan for 2009-2012 does not provide months to reach the required sufficient information to demonstrate a case fitness level. At the time of writing, for reducing emergency response resources, says Kevin had lost three stone and the Union. was within an ace of reaching the required fitness level. Unless it can show such evidence, the FBU recommends that the authority should defer any Gay and lesbian Executive deliberation on reductions in emergency response Council Member stewart Brown capacity or capability. Essex firefighters at work has been re-elected to office “Any reduction in the overall number of unopposed. He said: “I am delighted that I have been given community-based, operational firefighters The FBU says that the authority’s slogan – “the the chance to represent lGBt would detrimentally impact on the resilience right people in the right place at the right time” members for the next four years and capacity of maintaining effective emergency – is fine on paper, but “the right people cannot on the ruling body of the FBU. I response,” said the Union. be in two places at the same time, so alternative look forward to progressing many It called on the fire authority “to maintain crewing of the specialist appliances will inevitably important issues that affect us, existing staffing levels to ensure we have specialist compound the appliance availability problems.” including the newly announced and highly trained fire service personnel, continu- The Union response, delivered at a meeting duty to promote sexual ally crewing all emergency response appliances.” with the Fire Authority in December, came as local orientation in the workplace.” The FBU is highly critical of the idea of “jump- communities started to consider the implications The campaign to re-open crewing” of specialist appliances. A crew of two of cuts. In Thurrock, councillors called for the Radlett Fire Station in Hertfordshire firefighters could take off on one appliance to plan to be deferred, to “enable further consultation was taken to parliament on 25 deal with a call, but if another call came in there and clarification of important issues that will have November by local MP James would be an appliance but no crew. The appliance, consequence for fire cover in Thurrock.” Councillor Clappison. He highlighted local say some Essex firefighters, would be “the Marie Carl Morris told his colleagues: “We need assur- residents’ concerns about slower attendance times to their area and Celeste of the Essex Fire Service”. ances that people in Thurrock will be safe.” said that “Hertfordshire county council needs to listen to local enlightening, inspirational, invaluable residents.” Ahead of a Westminster debate on fire services, local campaigner Jane Sheridan had written to the MP, outlining the naTIonal sChool m ar strong arguments in favour of “enlightening”, tin Jen re-opening the retained station. “inspirational” and kin “Before it is too late, debate the “invaluable” were son easy, cost-effective reinstatement of Radlett Fire Station.” among the comments from students at the FBU’s National Paul Greenfield, a retained School (right) at Wortley Hall in FBU member from Clay Cross, November. Derbyshire, has written to More than 40 people, from lay Firefighter to thank FBU East Midlands regional secretary members to branch, divisional Dave limer for his advice and for and brigade officials, attended the putting him in touch with Mark school where they heard speeches Ferron, Derbyshire FBU Chair, who from Matt Wrack, FBU General Paul also thanked for representing Secretary, John McDonnell MP him “in a very kind, thoughtful and Sarah Messenger of the and professional manner” at a employers’ side of the National grievance meeting over an alleged Joint Council. Workshops overpayment. “with Mark’s help included local bargaining, the we had a successful outcome. I NJC and the Grey Book; dealing am now reaching the end of my with modernisation in the fire 32-year career, but it is reassuring to know that the FBU is here for all service; organising; and tackling members,” wrote Paul Greenfield. the far right. 6 FireFighter January/February 2009 nEws FOCUs buncefield investigation ends amid calls for central guidance and queries over resources Aftermath of the Buncefield explosion I nvestigators into the Buncefield explosion head count if required; early considera- The report stated: “The priority for and blaze of 11 December 2005 have tion of the type, quantity and duration of major hazard sites such as Buncefield is ended their work by reiterating calls on deployment of national resources; the in improving measures for prevention the department for Communities and Local introduction of earpieces for radios to of loss of containment and escalation of Government (CLG) to assess national-level enable communication while wearing a an incipient major incident. However, arrangements to provide, fund and maintain helmet; and consideration of a national improving the arrangements to prevent fires emergency response equipment, such as system of incident command support teams and explosions in no way lessens the need high-volume pumps, firefighting foam and that could be deployed during a catastrophic to have effective emergency planning and specialist pollution containment equipment or protracted incident. response arrangements in the rare event of a to tackle major incidents at high-hazard The independent Buncefield investiga- major incident.” industrial sites. tion board, which was chaired by Lord The fires at Buncefield were extinguished Investigators called on CLG and Newton of Braintree and directed by the in three days, but the overall fire response devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales Health and Safety Commission, further lasted 26 days and 642 fire appliances were and Northern Ireland to ensure fire and recommended that the Civil Contingencies moved to the incident. rescue authorities across the UK “review Secretariat review guidance to responders to the availability of materials and equipment “ensure appropriate scales of response and Harmful toxins nationally and determine if they are suffi- resources are provided, at local, regional or The FBU is concerned that the risks associ- cient to respond to and manage major national levels” for an incident at a COMAH ated with COMAH sites are properly taken incidents”. (control of major accident hazards) site. into account by integrated risk management The report by the Buncefield Major This national guidance to local authorities plans (IRMPs) in order to protect firefighter Incident Investigation Board into the largest should “address the competencies required and public safety. peace-time explosion in Europe, which runs for emergency planners, and be clear on The Union will also seek to ensure that to more than 500 pages, also recommended the resources that may be demanded for an the health of the many FBU members from that CLG, in cooperation with the Civil effective emergency planning function” and across the country who – along with local Contingencies Secretariat and equivalent it should be “periodically updated in the residents – were potentially exposed to administrations, “put into effect where it is light of new knowledge of handling major harmful toxins while attending the incident practical to do so as soon as possible” the emergencies”. is monitored carefully over the longer term. recommendations in the Hertfordshire Fire The report also highlighted the welfare Criminal proceedings have been and Rescue Service report into the lessons needs of responders and recommended that commenced against Total UK Ltd, learned from the fire at the Hertfordshire local authorities gave “due consideration” to Hertfordshire Oil Storage Ltd; British Oil Storage Depot. them, including “arrangements to provide Pipeline Agency Ltd; TAV Engineering Ltd; food and drink and toilet and washing facili- and Motherwell Control Systems 2003 Ltd national system ties, on all shifts. following an investigation by the Health The 2006 Hertfordshire report called for, This will also need to include guidance and Safety Executive and the Environment among other things, a national system on rest breaks and the provision of accom- Agency. The initial court date is 23 January to maintain an accurate record of all fire modation for responders from outside of the at West Hertfordshire Magistrates Court in responders at the scene to enable a rapid local area.” Watford. January/February 2009 FireFighter 7 FBU CAMPAiGn saFER FIREFIGHtERs, saFER COMMUnItIEs union unmasks audit Commission’s secret findings The Audit Commission found failures in training, poor risk assessments and shortages in crewing levels in brigades across England. But it kept the findings secret – and gave the green light to all brigades. The Union had to make Freedom of Information requests for the truth to come out. S ome integrated risk management plans (IRMPs), and partic- been cancelled while others are using inadequate methods and mate- ular risk assessments, have been inadequate and some so bad rials. Furthermore, crewing levels were not high enough in Greater as to have compromised firefighter safety. Training for emer- Manchester, Cambridgeshire, West Sussex, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire gency response is insufficient. There is not enough training and Somerset. These are the findings of spot checks carried out in 2006 for incident command, not enough time spent on realistic “hot fire” for the Audit Commission on most English fire and rescue services, and training, and not enough specialist training in safety-critical areas kept secret until Labour Research Department, commissioned by the such as breathing apparatus and building construction. Courses have FBU, put in a Freedom of Information requests for them. toP secret risk analysis NorThAMPToNShirE hErTFordShirE were not available at some of the stations Audit Commission score: Well/Well Audit Commission score: Well/Well visited and there was insufficient informa- But spot checks found: Various sources But spot checks found: The use of tion to identify appliances that do not meet confirmed that there are a number of risk geographical mobilising creates a potential the response standards. assessments being carried out within the risk to crews who attend incidents outside Service outside of any formal process of their normal working area. It was identi- hAMPShirE fied that currently, crews may respond to Audit Commission score: Strongly/ WArWiCkShirE incidents without available risk information Strongly Audit Commission score: Well/Adequately on site specific risks and therefore may be But spot checks found: There is no over- But spot checks found: WFRS have experi- at risk in the initial stages of an incident. arching risk management policy consoli- enced some difficulties in fully resourcing dating the assessment of existing and FSEC [Fire Service Emergency Cover], and EAST SUSSEx potential risk within the communities of it is currently operating with three year old Audit Commission score: Strongly/Well Hampshire data. As a result, WFRS is yet to develop a But spot checks found: There is no over- full risk profile of Warwickshire and FSEC arching risk management policy consoli- GloUCESTErShirE has not been available to contribute to the dating the assessment of existing and Audit Commission score: Well/Well IRMP process until recently. potential risk within the communities of But spot checks found: There is no over- East Sussex. arching risk management policy consoli- ShroPShirE dating the assessment of existing and Audit Commission score: Strongly/Well oxFordShirE potential risk within the communities of But spot checks found: At present the FRA Audit Commission score: Well/Well Gloucestershire. is not able to complete a comprehensive But spot checks found: Station plans assessment of all risk that exists within the showing areas of ‘high risk’ and areas county…. where response standards cannot be met 8 FireFighter January/February 2009 FBU CAMPAiGn saFER FIREFIGHtERs, saFER COMMUnItIEs toP secret oPerational PreParedness hUMBErSidE operational staff expressed their concerns WEST SUSSEx Audit Commission score: Well/well due to the fact that they are no longer able Audit Commission score: Well/Well But spot checks found: Currently only to experience realistic hot fire training … But spot checks found: The monitoring HFRA staff undertaking phase one training Hydrants are subjected to an annual inspec- of crews and incident commanders with participate in “HOT” fire training. Whilst tion, however as a result of staff shortages regard to operational effectiveness and the remaining operational staff are able targets are not being met. personal development is sporadic and to observe hot fire phenomena, there are uncoordinated. currently no facilities for staff to gain prac- NorFolk tical experience in a controlled environment Audit Commission score: Well/Well royAl BErkShirE … At present this type of training is currently But spot checks found: There are concerns Audit Commission score: Strongly/ not available to all operational staff and about capacity of existing [health and Strongly remains an area for improvement. safety] arrangements, the lack of safety But spot checks found: There was clear representatives and a meeting structure evidence that RBFRS is operating at signifi- GrEATEr MANChESTEr that is not as effective as it could be. There cantly below their retained duty system Audit Commission score: Strongly/ is also a perception of poor levels of near- (RDS) establishment. RBFRS’ IRMP iden- Strongly miss reporting as the figures seem too low tifies that the peak time for emergency But spot checks found: Whilst there are to reflect the realistic position incidents coincides with the peak of RDS many embedded training activities spread unavailability. across the service … deficiencies… may be SUrrEy leaving some operational staff exposed to Audit Commission score: Well/Well GloUCESTErShirE risk. But spot checks found: There was evidence Audit Commission score: Well/Well of limited training for retained staff with no But spot checks found: Only information for dErByShirE initial training courses being run for some risks within the station area or immediate Audit Commission score: Well/adequately time even though there are many vacan- surrounding area are available to crews. But spot checks found: The training depart- cies. No evidence of a structured training Watches attending incidents off their ment is not delivering consistent training programme for retained staff was found, station ground are not therefore immedi- to ensure operational competence … with one station visited creating their own ately aware of the risks. Refresher training in several areas is behind programme without reference to support schedule including breathing apparatus officers or the training department. dEvoN supervisors/positive pressure ventilation Audit Commission score: Well/Well training, emergency fire appliance driving But spot checks found: There was a lack of and annual breathing apparatus. consistency in the identification of, inspection and re-inspection of premises that fall STAFFordShirE under the Section 7 (2) (d) of the Fire and Audit Commission score: Strongly/Well Rescue Services Act 2004. The inconsisten- But spot checks found: There is little cies included the depth and frequency of evidence that post incident surveys are training for such risks. carried out and that the results of these are used to improve operational performance…. CorNWAll Audit Commission score: Well/Adequate hErTFordShirE But spot checks found: The review team Audit Commission score: Well/Well was unable to find clear evidence of how But spot checks found: Although there policies are subjected to periodic, planned is evidence that Operational Risk Critical risk assessment and review. The breathing Information is disseminated to operational apparatus and tactical firefighting (TAFF) staff, there is no formal audit system in course attended by frontline staff every place to ensure that all personnel with 18 months is not currently assessed for an operational responsibility have both individual competence meaning that whilst received and understand this information crews are refreshed in core skills, they … HFRS has had to cease using its ‘hot fire’ are not formally assessed and may not be training facility. As a consequence some competent. oASd ExPlAiNEr fire services, Kent and Medway FRS and Merseyside FRS do not have a 2007 The operational assessment of service delivery (OASD) is scored on a four- service assessment “because they achieved a score of excellent in the 2005 point scale: 1 (inadequate); 2 (adequate); 3 (performing well); 4 (performing CPA and are therefore exempt from this assessment”. According to the OASD, strongly). According to the Audit Commission, it looks at “how well a fire 11 fire services (25 per cent) were performing “strongly”; 17 fire services (38 service plans to respond to emergencies and prevent incidents,” but with per cent) were performing “well”; and no fire service was performing “inad- a very narrow focus of the number of primary fires, deaths and injuries equately”. None of the detail published in this edition of Firefighter magazine resulting from fires and the number of deliberate fires. This OASD, based on appeared in the Audit Commission’s Fire and rescue performance assessment assessments/spot checks undertaken by the Department for Communities report (January 2008), which dedicated just three pages to the OASD, out of a and Local Government for the Audit Commission, was carried out in 2006. Two total of 36 pages. January/February 2009 FireFighter 9 FBU CAMPAiGn saFER FIREFIGHtERs, saFER COMMUnItIEs toP secret emergency resPonse dUrhAM RDS crews to mobilise to incidents without ances for immediate use by operational Audit Commission score: Well/Well sufficient numbers of breathing apparatus personnel when attending incidents … There But spot checks found: Arrangements for (BA) wearers or a qualified pump operator. was insufficient evidence to substantiate that audit and review of practices relating to There is no evidence of a comprehensive all stations maintain copies of operational emergency response are not robust. There risk assessment for this procedure or risk critical information such as High Risk are examples of monitoring and collation adequate guidance detailing actions and Cards for risk sites within their station area of data but little evidence to illustrate audit adequate control measures to be adopted. for use by standby appliances. Ostensibly of policy, practice and procedure in order to fire appliances relocated to provide cover at improve performance … Whilst procedures liNColNShirE another fire station could be mobilised to are in place to ensure that any responding Audit Commission score: Well/Well an incident at a High Risk premises without appliance is crewed with at least one indi- But spot checks found: Following a review having the necessary information to hand to vidual trained in ICS [Incident Command of the risk critical information held on front deal safely and effectively with the incident. System], in some circumstances there is still line appliances, much of it was found to be the potential for an acting RDS crew manager out of date. As a consequence the decision EAST SUSSEx to respond without suitable training. was made to remove risk premises folders Audit Commission score: Strongly/Well while detailed updating is carried out … But spot checks found: ESFRS delegate NorTh yorkShirE This has resulted in front line appliances the implementation of action items arising Audit Commission score: Strongly/ in LFRS [Leicester FRS] currently having no from safety event investigations to the Strongly risk specific information on premises previ- responsible manager for the area in which But spot checks found: There is a system ously identified as posing a risk. the event took place. There is evidence for monitoring the availability of retained that there is no ongoing monitoring by the crewed appliances; however there was one WEST MidlANdS health and safety department to ensure example when the monitoring informa- Audit Commission score: Well/Well that these actions are implemented within tion was inaccurate. The recording system But spot checks found: WMFS have an agreed timescales. in use is not robust and on at least one agreed standard that the maximum number occasion changes in crewing levels had not of appliances unavailable for normal WEST SUSSEx been recorded and notified to the Control response will not exceed 15. The team Audit Commission score: Well/Well Room. If accurate crewing levels are not found evidence that this standard can be But spot checks found: The maintenance of advised or recorded additional appliances, breached during the first TRACS timeslot in adequate staffing levels at RDS stations to to augment the pre-determined attend- each day from 08:00 to 11:00 in the morning. fulfil the needs of WSFRS has been identi- ance, are not mobilised immediately. During this period additional appliances can fied as an area for improvement. Ten appli- be removed from operational availability ances off the run during the day is not an GrEATEr MANChESTEr resulting in a potential total of 18 off the run. unusual occurrence, a proportion of which Audit Commission score: Strongly/ are single appliance RDS stations. Strongly SUFFolk But spot checks found: There is evidence Audit Commission score: Adequately/ oxFordShirE that the arrangements to maintain adequate Adequately Audit Commission score: Well/Well crewing levels at stations identified within But spot checks found: There is no evidence But spot checks found: The systematic oper- the FRA’s IRMP are not being achieved. The to show that the majority of incidents ational audit or active monitoring of perform- service has identified that it will maintain attended by SFRS are subjected to any form ance on the incident ground appears to have crewing levels of five personnel on the first of debrief … Information relating to hydrant stopped two to three years ago owing to a appliance on all occasions but evidence location is not available on front line appli- shortfall in organisational capacity. shows that this level is not being attained on d athne i nlacsret tawsion yge paerrsc.entage of occasions over ave th o m pso dAuEdritB CyoSmhmirisEs ion score: Well/Adequately n/pa ph o But spot checks found: There is limited to s evidence that the arrangements to train, develop, and maintain the competence of personnel are effective … There is little evidence that the operational procedures appertaining to the mobilising of appliances to incidents with reduced crews or skills, including breathing apparatus are founded on a comprehensive risk assessment. The policy relating to turnouts and attendances allows, in exceptional circumstances, for Source: Excerpts from operational assessment of service delivery (OASD) reports obtained from Freedom of Information communications, August 2008. This is not intended as an exhaustive list. For further details see the FBU report In the Line of Duty at www.fbu.org.uk 10 FireFighter January/February 2009