Community Fire Safety, Risk Management Plan - Assignment Example

Running Header: Community Fire Safety First Names: Student Number: Institution: Course Number: Course Name: Assignment Due Date: Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 Introduction 3 The fire management procedures 3 Prevention and response programmes 4 Level of conformity 5 Areas of inconformity 6 Future action plans 7 Conclusion 7 Introduction In the past view decades, cases of fire related incidences have been a major cause of worry in the United Kingdom. The accidents have been common across the country and more specifically in the city of London. The national policy is a government policy framework which describes what is expected of the Fire and Rescue Service in mitigating and managing fire accidents. The national policy framework also discusses the role of the local authority towards supporting the major stakeholders in order to curb the frequent occurrence of fire both at commercial and residential areas. The main agenda for the assessment paper is to study and take a critical view of the fire mitigation procedures and the key responsibilities of the national policy framework in reducing fire accidents. The assessment will particularly refer to two major documents that have been developed for implementing this government agenda. The national policy framework will be correlated with the London Safety Plan in order to determine the extent to which the two documents interconnect as provided in the Department for Communities and Local Government (2008). The fire management procedures The risk management procedures are developed by the national government. The government of the United Kingdom is charged with the responsibility of enacting rules that have to be adhered to when executing the Fire and Rescue Services. The government policies are found under the Fire and Rescue Service Act of 2004. The act clearly stipulates the policies and procedures that every stakeholder must adhere to in offering their services to the community as provided for in the Department for Communities and Local Government (2008). As part of the precautionary measure, the London Safety Policy has conformed to the national policy framework by designing an emergency plan that oversees the fires that occur in areas that are considered to be more strategic and where more loss is likely to occur incase fire breaks out. In order to achieve this, the London Safety Plan has come up with a plan that has seen the establishment of over 113 fire stations in London alone. In addition, over 271 fire fighting tanks have been distributed across these fire stations. This progress is used as part of the authority’s long-term plan that could see proper stocking of the fire stations in readiness of any eventuality. In addition the London Safety place has also conformed to the national policy framework by making sure that risk analysis is done through the risk integrated management plan is aimed at service delivery is enhanced. The Landon Safety Plan through IRMP recommendation has managed to make sure that fire fighting facilities are accessible and reliable at all times of fire. London Safety plan has also paid attention to proper distribution of fire stations across the city. The plan is also working on the long-term plan that will see adequate fire stations in the city by the year 2024. The placement of the fire stations is done in such away that the majority of the residents are assured of their safety. The London Safety Plan has developed a response plan that is used to offer support incase the station that is next to fire place is overwhelmed as outlined in the (London Safety Plan, 2010/2013). Prevention and response programmes The national framework has extensively discussed about prevention and protection as well as response. It is the responsibility of the London Safety Plan to make sure that the government’s agenda of protecting, preventing fire incidents and responding to fire accidents is respected and implemented as planned. More importantly, the London Policy Plan is more concerned with preventing accidents rather than responding. This is because the loss may be higher if the incidents are let to occur as opposed to when they are prevented from happening. As part of its effort to conform to the national framework, the London Safety Plan has come up with a plan that could see continuous updating of its technology to prevent fire from occurring as demonstrated in the Communities and Local Government (2008). Level of conformity The national policy framework is the government initiative that is aimed at making sure fire accidents are reduced in the country through proper enactment of its provisions by the local government. It is important to note however, that the London Safety Plan is under obligation to adhere to all recommendations has provided for in the national framework. The IRMP team, has developed a good guideline for the local communities and local government should follow which include: the regular production of the review which provide detailed information about risk and the outcome of the services delivered, capturing of the risks such as terrorist attacks, do a detailed consultation with the community and other stakeholders and demonstrate high level of protecting the Londoners apart from preventing and responding to risks. In addition, the local authority is also is expected to provide a plan on how the Fire and Rescue Service deliver on the objectives and undergo extensive assessment to determine its equality level. In responding to these recommendations, the Fire and Rescue Authorities, have managed to deliver great results in providing good prevention programmes and contributing greatly to the reduction of deaths that result from fire as well as reducing the number of deliberate fires. In addition, the local authority has managed to put back into the prevention programmes all what has been gained as a result of high level of efficiency. The local has also embraced the Home Fire Risk Check approach which has seen the authority make over 1.3 million visits as away of determining the risks vulnerability and encouraging city residents to install their houses with smoke and fire alarms. In addition, the authority is educating the Londoners on the importance of taking prevention measures more especially in ensuring that fire alarms and detectors are installed in their houses and are functional (London Safety Plan, 2010/2013). Areas of inconformity Inconformity refers to the degree in which the local authority has deviated or has not been able to comply with the national framework. First, and foremost, the local authority is expected to divine its local vicinity from the neighboring local authorities so as to make sure that there is no interference on the other local authorities’ plans. However, up to the present the local authority has not been able achieve this and therefore the authority is not able to comply with the policy on IRMP. This means that the authority is yet to jointly work with its neighbors in order to achieve a common goal. Second, fire prevention in the local community still remains the biggest challenge for the authority. The Fire and Rescue services are yet to be stepped up in order to influence the responses by different groups in order to support the authority in service delivery to the community. A good example is the inability of the local authority and the general community to take care of the special groups who still live in risk prone areas. These groups include the elderly, the disabled, the minority ethnic groups, the poor, the drug addicts and those people who also commit crime to the society. This is because these groups of people have continued to cause a great challenge to local community in implementing its programmes. Finally, deliberate fires seem to persist in the local authority. This is because the local authority has failed to partner with other stakeholders in the community through a Local Area Agreements (LAA) in order to eradicate the arsonists who continued to cause fire from the community as provided in the Department for Communities and Local Government (2008). Future action plans As part of the local authority is plan to ensure that they are efficient and reliable in delivering their services to the community, there is need to take into account a number of considerations. First, there is need for the Fire and Rescue Authorities to continue seek to eliminate those individuals who commit crimes and support those that are less privileged in the community like the elderly, disabled and the ethnic minorities. This poses great opportunities for improving the authority’s programmes. Second, deliberate fires, have continued to persist even though there is a determine fight by the authority to reduce it to its minimum. This is explains as to why the local authority must try and work with local community reduce the incidences of deliberate fires that are caused by arsonists. The Local Area Agreements (LAA), allows for partnering with the area for the common objective. There is also need for the local authority to appreciate and support the campaign, “Fire Kills.” This is to ensure that thee public is always aware and alert with matters that pertain fire accidents. Finally, there is also need to recognize that fire protection strategies play a very important role in risk reduction. Therefore all people, expertise, other groups associated in fire protections, local authorities and building regulating bodies need to be coordinated in protecting fires Department for Communities and Local Government (2008). Conclusion In conclusion, the Integrated Risk Management Plan (IRMP) is a key part of this plan as required by the NF. As the title rightfully suggests, it lays down the organization’s risk management plans. However, before such strategies can be arrived at, the organization must first and foremost carry out a risk assessment. As we have seen, the basic principle of the National Framework is that it offers freedom to the local authorities to design their fire safety guidelines as they see fit, that is, as informed by the realities in the areas in question. Still, these contextually-informed regulations should abide by the guidelines offered in the national framework. References Department for Communities and Local Government, May 2008, Fire and Rescue Service National Framework 2008–11, London. London Fire Brigade 2010, London Safety Plan 2010/2013, London. Read More