Agenda item

The Community Risk Management Plan 2022-26 has been developed, providing data and analysis on key fire and rescue related risks, and information on how Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service will work with communities to address and mitigate those risks.? The purpose of the report is to raise awareness of a public consultation on the Plan which opens on 5 January 2022 and closes on 16 February 2022 and to provide an opportunity for feedback from Local Area Council into the process.? 

The report provided information on the public consultation and details of the draft Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service (NFRS) Community Risk Management Plan (CRMP). Paul Hedley, Chief Fire Officer provided a power point presentation, a copy of which would be attached to the signed minutes and made available with the papers for this meeting on the Council’s website. It was explained that it was a statutory requirement under the Fire Service National Framework Document (NFD) for each Fire and Rescue Authority to have a CRMP. The NFD detailed how each authority should discharge its functions, with the most relevant aspects to the CRMP highlighted as “identify and assess the full range of foreseeable fire and rescue related risks in their area” and “be accountable to communities for the service they provide”.   

A wide-ranging public consultation exercise was now underway on the draft of the CRMP. Members were advised that each plan must reflect up to date risk analyses; demonstrate how prevention, protection and response activities would best be used wholistically to best prevent and mitigate the impact of identified risks on its communities. Separate strategies were in place for emergency response, protection and prevention which sat beneath the CRMP which all identified how strands of delivery complement and help risk reduction. The CRMP must also cover a minimum three-year time span, reflect effective consultation throughout its development and be easily accessible and publicly available.  

Reassurance was provided that this was not a plan set in stone and would be flexible in order to respond not only to new and emerging risks but also unforeseen circumstances and impact. An annual update would take place where achievements and performance would be looked at along with what was needed for the forthcoming year, in order to assess if any changes to risk or service delivery models were required. If anything in this update required further public consultation, then this would be undertaken. A range of partners, including a specialist risk modelling company had also been involved in the production of the CRMP which had included providing simulation models to predict what the impact of potential changes on community risk and resilience would look like. This allowed greater confidence that these were defined and communicated across the area and how resources would be matched.   

The purpose of the CRMP was to provide assurance that the right resources were in the right places to respond effectively to the risks within Northumberland. It was important that communities understood the process undertaken to analyse risk. It was explained that risk was a combination of the likelihood and consequence of a hazardous event and the NFRS had a duty to work with communities and partners to minimise or prevent the likelihood of these happening. In the last ten years there had been a 21% reduction in incidents attended, with 10 incident types identified as responsible for 90% of the events. It was explained that there was a corelation between outdoor fires and crime deprivation and good work was underway with Northumbria Police to work collaboratively with partners to reduce these risks.  

Data was provided on incidents of dwelling fires and information was provided on what was currently done to reduce this risk and what was planned to further reduce incidents of this nature. Emerging risks were also identified and with the significant strain and challenge put on the service in responding to the pandemic and recent storms there was a need to ensure that the service would be able to meet future demands on the service. The Council’s corporate plan was also used to look at how future development might impact on the service or increase risk to ascertain if any changes would be required in order to provide assurance of a suitable response.  

The consultation would be wide ranging with sessions previously provided at all Local Area Councils, North Northumberland being the last along with a significant media and social media campaign providing links to the consultation document.

Following questions and comments from members, the following information was provided:

·       Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service was the National lead in the UK for wildfires and were aware of the opinions of prescribed burning but advocated for the management of the fuel, through prescribed burning, grazing, or cutting to ensure small fires did not grow into larger fires and actively monitoring.

·       Covid had impacted prevention activity regarding schools, but activity had started again in schools, young driver education and the fire Cadets.

The Chair thanked the Officers for their attendance and presentation, advising that their work was much appreciated. 

RESOLVED that the information be noted.