Agenda item
Minutes:
Jason Thelwell, the Chief Fire Officer and Chief Executive of Bucks Fire and Rescue Service was in attendance to present to Members on the work of the Fire Service. Mr Thelwell was introduced by Councillor Rouse, Chairman of the Bucks Milton Keynes Fire Authority (BMKFA), who provided some context to the presentation. The BMKFA had set three priorities for the Fire Service over the last year, namely:
- To increase the whole establishment of the Service, thanks to additional funding obtained when Cllr L Clarke was Chairman of the BMKFA.
- To ensure that it moved to a sustainable financial footing, to enable it to invest and continue to transform the Service for the benefit of residents in Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes.
- To demonstrate continued improvement in the protection and service provided to residents. This included addresses the areas of improvement that HM Inspectorate had set out in 2021.
The following key points were highlighted during the presentation:
- The Vision – making Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes the safest areas in England in which to live, work and travel.
- Incidents attended in Buckinghamshire (excluding co-responders) in 2022/23.
- Data on accidental dwelling fires per 1,000 dwellings, which was significantly below the England average.
- Data and information on fire related fatalities and injuries at accidental dwelling fires.
- Data on the Home Fire Safety Visits (HFSV) undertaken.
- Information on road traffic accidents attended.
- Information on the workforce, noting that it was the intention to have a wholetime strength of 300 staff within the next 2 months.
- Financial Information on the precept flexibility (which had allowed for a £5 per year increase in Council tax for a Band D property), Urban Search and Rescue team (USAR) team funding (which thanks to local MPs lobbying the Minister had seen funding agreed for the next 2 years with an additional bid made to the Treasury), on pay inflation and future issues which included that a White Paper for reform of the Fire Service was ‘imminent’, looking at the culture of the Fire Service, and on collaboration across the Thames Valley.
Thanks were expressed by Members for the hard work of the Fire Service and its staff for all that they did to protect and keep the public safe. Details of the question / answer session to the Chief Fire Officer and Councillor Rouse were as follows:
(i) That the increase in Council tax would raise an additional £2-3m that would help to recruit more staff.
(ii) Details were provided of how the Fire Service had responded to austerity and a reduction in staff numbers from 2010. Largely due to the positive approach, flexibility and different working practices adopted by staff, it had been possible to maintain the number of Fire Engines that the Service operated.
(iii) Details were provided on apprenticeships that were offered in all departments of the Fire Service.
(iv) That the Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes Fire Service had one of the lowest precepts in the country (3rd or 4th lowest out of over 45 Fire Services).
(v) That while the Fire Service regularly held exercises with HS2, e.g. for the USAR team to be able to respond to fire/safety emergencies in the long rail tunnels being built through the Chilterns, however, no additional funding was provided by HS2.
(vi) That the Fire Service would be updating the Community Risk Management Plan to be able to respond to events such as 19 July last year (hottest day of the year) and was investing in equipment to be able to respond to events such as fighting wildfires.
(vii) Information was provided on what the Fire Service was doing to identify and root out bullying, harassment, intimidation and other poor workplace practices and behaviours, including what was being done to respond to the recent HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services report. Anyone who had an issue was advised to report it to the Fire Service. The Deputy Chief Fire Officer had been fortnightly meetings over the past 5 years with the Head of HR to discuss every grievance and disciplinary issue that had been raised. If instances of bullying and harassment were found then staff would be sacked, as had happened in the past, as it was stated that there was no place for such behaviours in the modern Fire Service or in any workplace. Enhance DBS checks were also made of all front-line staff, including fire fighters, which had resulted in some applications to join the Fire Service being rejected, or information reported to other Fire Services if it was felt that was required.
(viii) That the public should contact their local Fire Station or Aylesbury if they were aware of a vulnerable resident who they believe would benefit from a HFSV.
(ix) That it was likely that the White Paper would raise issues such as operational independence, a College of Fire for the advancement of staff and a Fire Standards Board to raise standards within Services, which were all seen as positive measures.
(x) Councillor Rouse commented on a likely proposal in the White Paper for oversight of Fire Services to move from local Fire Authorities to Police and Crime Commissioners. The Fire Authority and the LGA had both responded to a consultation that the case for this change was not strong enough, and that oversight should remain locally with Fire Authorities.
The Chairman expressed thanks to the Chief Fire Officer for his presentation and responding to Members’ questions. The Chief Fire Officer thanked Members for their continued support for the work of the Fire Service and his staff.