Foreword
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How to
Contact Us
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INTRODUCTION
Integrated
Risk Management - What is it?
Setting
the Scene
The
Authority
Reasons
for Change
The
Framework of Affordability
External
Limitations
Core
Principles
Individual
Responsibilities
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PLANNING FOR CHANGE
Supporting
the Government’s Vision
Process/Methodology
Electronic
Government
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ANALYSIS
The
Social Dimension of Fire
Fatal
Fires
School
Fires
Commercial
& Industrial Property
Other
Fires ___________________________________
PREVENTION & PROTECTION
Community
Fire Safety
Sprinklers
Arson
Strategy
Working
with Partners
Fire
Victim Support Scheme
Fire
Safety Enforcement
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EMERGENCY RESPONSE
Assessment
of Risk-Current Response Arrangements
New
Emergency Response Standards
Flexible
Station Response System
Crew
Level Maintenance Team
Response
to AFAs
Incident
Command
Types
of Appliances
Aerial
Appliances
Special
Appliances
Mobilising
Response
to Secondary Fires
Section
2 & 12 Arrangements
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RESCUE
Specialist
Rescue
Merseyside
Resilience
Non
Fire Emergencies (Special Services)
Co-responder
Scheme
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BUSINESS CONTINUITY
Helping
Business
Emergency
Planning
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HUMAN RESOURCES
Our
People
Our
Commitment to Diversity
Health
& Safety
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REGIONAL ISSUES
Collaboration
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FINANCIAL RISK MANAGEMENT
Financial
Implications
Capital
Assets
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PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT
Measuring
Performance
Station
Locality Managers
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CONSULTATION
Consultation
and Communications
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ACTION
PLAN
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APPENDICES
Example
of Lifestyle Data
Bibliography
Abbreviation
& Glossary of Terms
Making Life Safer For You
The new “Fire and Rescue Service” is really in the spotlight at the moment, and this plan is the reason why. We are embarking upon major change and this document highlights why we are changing and what these changes mean.
The main aim is really very simple: to reduce dramatically the number of people who have to go through the nightmare of seeing their home, community facility or business being destroyed by fire, or, worse still, have families shattered by serious injury or worse.
Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service will be changing the way it works to help you reduce those risks and will be working with many partners, traditional and new, to help you to be safer at home and work. Our highly professional Fire and Rescue Service has always been good at learning new skills, and they are working hard to be ready for new risks and threats which are so different to those of a generation ago.
In the past, it may have felt that a public service was done to you. It’s improved to being done for you, but the real target of the Fire and Rescue Service is to provide a risk reduction approach which is done with you.
Part of this process is understanding exactly where the risks, especially to life, really are, and make sure that the resources we have are targeted on the right places.
You may not be aware that the standards which affect fire cover for your community were set over fifty years ago, and you’ll know very well how much has changed in that time.
A lot of professional skill and years of experience has already gone into this plan, but what’s essential to make the plans as good as humanly possible is your opinion. A public service worthy of the name must take on board your thoughts and ideas, and there will be plenty of opportunities to find out more and say what you think. If you’d like to know more, have a look at our website at www.merseyfire.gov.uk or why not invite someone from your Fire and Rescue Service to have a chat to your group or neighbourhood.
The hard work is well worthwhile because it is, literally, a lifesaver, and the Fire and Rescue Service is determined to work with you to make a dramatic difference to risk reduction and make life safer for the community they serve.
Thank you for taking the time and trouble to read our Integrated Risk Management Plan.
Peter Corcoran
Chair
I am very proud to be the Chief Fire Officer of Merseyside’s Fire and Rescue Service, especially at such an exciting time when we are shaping the future of this vital public service. Merseyside is a vibrant and diverse area and one of the most exciting challenges in leading Merseyside’s Fire and Rescue Service is to ensure that we engage with all parts of the community, and that we recognise and respond to their differing needs and aspirations. We are a world leader in our approach to service delivery and community safety. Our goal is to constantly provide the best possible service and we are here to protect our community.
Change, our ability to identify the need for it and to adapt to it organisationally and individually, is key to our continued success. This IRMP is all about setting out foundations for a better Fire and Rescue Service of the future. Everyone stands to gain from reform - the public, the Service and the individuals who work in it.
Two key elements are essential to the successful introduction of the IRMP. Firstly the ability to properly analyse risk patterns in the Merseyside area and, in tandem with this analysis, the ability of the Fire Authority to exercise greater strategic control and flexibility with regard to the use of its staff and resources.
This will allow for a sustained, risk-based focus on the most vulnerable in our communities with concern for life risk replacing the outdated property risk model that has over the years inhibited the Fire Authority’s ability to properly target resources at those most in need.
The emphasis within the development of our plan is on providing local leadership and widening the focus of what we aim to achieve. We will improve our quality of service, our flexibility of service and we will embrace continuous improvement, through being a learning organisation.
This plan sets out what we already know about the risks which people across Merseyside face, about who is most at risk from fire in particular and about how effective our world leading approaches are in responding to those risks. We are also looking at those areas where we are not using our resources effectively at the moment.
I am committed to making sure if you are facing an emergency, Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service will be there to help you with an effective and safe response: 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
We are all aware of the increased threat from a range of disasters other than fire, including flooding, road accidents, terrorism, etc. We are, therefore, making substantial investment to improve our resilience and our ability to respond to a wider range of emergencies than ever before. The first additional vehicles and equipment are already in place in our fire stations and more will come into service over the coming years.
This plan sets out a phased approach to improving our services – a fast evolution, not a revolution -because we need to strike a balance between immediate changes and longer term improvements that need further development. We will be developing and expanding our community safety and fire safety enforcement work before making any substantial changes to the way we deliver our emergency response. However, it does identify some ways in which we can use our equipment and our trained and professional staff more effectively.
Tony McGuirk
Chief Fire Officer
If you would like to obtain further information about any of the aspects contained
in this Plan, please contact us using one of the methods shown below.
IRMP Team
Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service
Headquarters
Bridle Road
Bootle
Merseyside
L30 4YD
Telephone: 0151 296 4000
Fax: 0151 296 4333
Email: consult@merseyfire.gov.uk
Website: www.merseyfire.gov.uk
Fire Service Direct: 0800 731 5958