Quality and Standards - Cheshire Fire and Rescue - Case Study Example

Name : xxxxxxxxxxx Institution : xxxxxxxxxxx Title : Quality & Standards - Cheshire fire & Rescue Tutor : xxxxxxxxxxx Course : xxxxxxxxxxx @2010 Table of Contents Title : Quality & Standards - Cheshire fire & Rescue 1 Table of Contents 2 Abstract 3 Introduction 4 Methodology 4 Cheshire fire and rescue service integrated risk management plan. 4 QA systems that relate to the key strategic objectives set out in the current IRMP projections for Cheshire fire and rescue service 7 Validity and benefits of the quality assurance (QA) systems for Cheshire fire and rescue service post government change 10 Application of the recommended QA systems to ensure consistent proof of quality enhancement within the organisation 13 Conclusion 14 Bibliography 15 Abstract The UK government through use of the fire and 2004 rescue service act and the fire and rescue national framework has required all fire and rescue authorities in the UK to come up with an integrated risk management plan that will aid in reduction of hazards form risks and other emergencies in their regions. Integrated risk management plans are also supposed to establish the targets the fire authorities have set themselves, and the standards they will use, in the framework of their legislative duty to secure constant improvement and attain best value for the funding offered by the local council. Introduction Cheshire fire and rescue service is the legislative fire and rescue service for the Cheshire country, comprising the unitary authorities of Cheshire West, Chester and Cheshire East and Warrington and Halton and has 24 fire stations. The service has more than 980 staff and serves a population of approximately 984, 3000. The service is committed to assisting all people and businesses in Cheshire County by offering information and advice issues related to fire safety and legislation thus minimizing injuries, damage and deaths resulting form fires and other emergencies. Methodology This report has been compiled using data obtained from the Cheshire fire and rescue integrated risk management plan and how this plan improves safety of local communities form fire risks and other emergencies. I have also used information form the organisations corporate plan and the proposals that will enhance the Service to deliver quality services within the changing business and economic environment. Cheshire fire and rescue service integrated risk management plan. Cheshire fire and rescue service continues to make considerable progress in safeguarding local societies, with reductions in the figures of injures and deaths from house fires. These improvements have been attained in spite of the service undergoing duration of main change in 2009 which entailed appointment of new chair and new chief fire officer of Cheshire fire authority. This authority has the responsibility of delivering an efficient fire and rescue service on behalf of Cheshire West, Cheshire East, Warrington and Halton. Additionally, the Service has had to begin making preparations for the inescapable budget restrictions it is likely to face as a result of the economic financial crisis. Cheshire fire and rescue service has guidelines assist individuals to conduct fire risk assessment at both residential and commercial buildings and identify the universal fire precautions that should be put in place. The guidelines are designed in such a manner that the responsible person, with limited experience or formal training, must be capable of conducting a fire risk assessment and ensure that they are complying with the requirements of Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 ( Great Britain Parliament, 2006). Cheshire fire and rescue has created an integrated risk management plan aimed at improving the safety of the public from fire risks, minimizing the number of emergency events and saving lives across Cheshire. Integrated risk management planning is an assessment of all risks to injury and life to the society and results in a long term plan that makes the Cheshire fire and rescue more responsive to the identified needs of the local community. This implies that we target our resources in order to prevent fire incidents from occurring, whilst ensuring that the resources are in the appropriate location to best safeguard the community. This procedure is conducted by every fire and rescue service in United Kingdom to make sure that local plans are driven to meet the needs of local communities. Our integrated risk management plan takes into account the economic, commercial, heritage and environmental concerns of Warrington, Cheshire, and Halton. This will mean a safer society. The plan evaluates the local needs and develops measures that need to be put in place to lessen the number of deaths and injuries resulting form fires and other emergencies. An integrated risk management plan will reduce injuries, save more lives and protect the environment and property (Kandola, & Rabsbash 2007). Currently, majority of fastest responses form Cheshire fire and rescue service are aimed at industrial locations. In real sense, there have been no deaths resulting form fire in industries in Cheshire for the past ten years but in the same duration more than 100 individuals have perished in home fires and this is the reason why there is a need for Cheshire fire and rescue service to rethink its activities so that it is more responsive to local requirements. There are several corporate proposals in Cheshire fire and rescue service. Equality and diversity is a major theme for Cheshire and the authority is making progress so as to achieve levels three and four of the local government equality standard within one year and six months. The environment is another considerable corporate challenge for Cheshire fire authority .Improvements to the services premises will be focused on schemes that support environmental objectives like replacement window programme. Another proposal is shared service since the current economic environment is a key drive for effectiveness across public services and this implies an actual emphasis on sharing of services. The service has already increased capacity of internet connection via a joint project with ICT team which reinforces Cheshire West, Cheshire East and Chester councils. In the next year, the Cheshire fire Authority will survey further chances for increased collaboration and shared office services at both regional and local level. Development of service staff is fundamental issue in Cheshire fire and rescue service corporate plan. The service is implementing a novel computerized human resource system that will enhance quality information is accessible by support workforce planning and improves effectiveness of analysis and production of research reports. An additional key priority for the year 2010/2011 will be offering and planning the support requires by human resources to enhance majority of the operational projects in the integrated risk management plan. QA systems that relate to the key strategic objectives set out in the current IRMP projections for Cheshire fire and rescue service The national framework establishes the expectations of government for service delivery and what is needed of fire and rescue authorities to meet these anticipations. The government has the responsibility under the 2004 fire and rescue service act to develop a framework and the fire and rescue authorities are supposed to work in accordance with this framework. The approach of Cheshire fire and rescue service in assessment of risk entails identification of principal risks to property, the environment and property which need emergency response. These risks involve home fires, fires on hospitals, schools and business buildings and major floods, chemical risks, fires and other events where fire and rescue service has the role of a category one responder within the 2004 Civil Contingencies Act. According to Dennett, (2009), the service assesses numerous risks in accordance to the degree of hazard they pose, so that impartial response strategies and standards to minimize that hazard to local societies are developed. The service ensures that levels of resources are assessed so as to deliver efficient money value which is balanced against risk to public protection and projects future trends as well as integrating them into the process of risk assessment. Cheshire fire and rescue service monitors and reviews standards and outcomes to make sure that they stay robust for purpose. The outcome of this work satisfies the requirements of the National Framework for the Fire and rescue service 2008/ 11 and represents national best practice regulation. Cheshire fire and rescue service continues to improve and adapt its response to changing hazards facing local societies, and it is crucial that every person involved has a constant and clear vision of what this fire organisation is trying to accomplish. Our organizational objectives are to recognize risks facing communities and make sure that resources and plans are in place to respond to fire emergencies, offer an efficient, resilient and flexible response to emergency events, and protect property and life via detailed risk analysis and assessment (Cote, 2006) Other significant objectives of the service is the use of inclusive communication and consultation to include local communities in development of services that meet their needs and ensure value for money and make best investment in fore line services. The responsibilities of the fire authority are to make sure that there is an effective and efficient fire and rescue service to safeguard Cheshire communities. Nevertheless, there a variety of national, international and regional factors which influence the capability of the service to deliver local needs. In future planning, the service uses numerous tools to actively assess and monitor the potential influence and impact of major issues and their probable impact on resources. These methods entail development of a strategic intelligence review, which records the shifting hazard profile of the service and moves the creation of novel policies and allocation of resources. The report is fed by a wide range of external and internal sources from a variety of intelligence networks and tools. Likewise, a comprehensive and sophisticated analysis of external economic, political, technological, environmental, social and legislative drivers is utilized in mapping of external challenges. The intelligence gathering and identification of risk procedures efficiently capture an evolving and comprehensive risk profile, utilizing statistical evidence, to generate a risk profile that highlights our planning (Great Britain: Department for communities and local government, 2006). Validity and benefits of the quality assurance (QA) systems for Cheshire fire and rescue service post government change A continuing economic slow down as a result of globalization and the continuing global financial crisis could pose a prolonged social impact which can result to more fire incidents in empty business premises. The economic effect is also a major issue in forcing public authorities to be more innovative in their service delivery and explore potential collaboration and shared services across regional and local boundaries. Continuing concerns on threat of terrorism and impact of change in climate are also major external factors which have direct impact on the Cheshire fire and rescue resources and planning. The expectations and challenge s across equalities and diversity remain a great precedence for the service via the national equality and diversity strategy and accomplishment of nationwide recruitment targets. New equipments and facilities to meet the increased rescue work of the service especially those related to water rescue, severe weather conditions and flooding continues to be a major issue. Since is no availability of military back up, Cheshire fire and rescue service has to come up with contingency plans to make sure that it is able to deliver fire and rescue services when influence by external incidents such as industrial action or flu pandemics. The service is actively engaging with the government and other partners at regional, local and national levels to make sure that there are appropriate structures put in place to address and mitigate these risks (Great Britain parliament, 2009). Cheshire fire and rescue service has incorporated business continuity in its integrated risk management plan. Cheshire fire and rescue service responsibility for business continuity has been shifted to planning, policy and resilience with operational support and the risk team assumed the leading role. A new policy has been created which is supported by business continuity management protocol and guidance document to help managers in the creation of business continuity plans. This also reinforces the commitment of the service to achieve its responsibility under the 2004 Civil Contingencies Act concerning delivery of its core services. The midi appliances and midi concept has been introduced as a portion of the services integrated risk management plan with the aim of offering an optional emergency response ability to handle small scale incidents like rubbish fires, where there isn’t threat to property or life. Hirschler (2008) argues that this concept is aimed at enabling our structural appliances to be more readily accessible for most severe, life threatening fire incidents like property fires and road collisions fires. This concept also has extra benefits of enhancing teams dealing with structural appliances to deliver crucial community protection work so as to lessen risk to societies across Cheshire. Cheshire fire and rescue service has developed the enhanced strategic reserve aimed at offering a flexible and dynamic response to unforeseeable or rare incidents where increased demand prompt an interior response form the service to require increased availability of resource therefore offer sufficient response to increased hazard. At times, the enhanced strategic event reserve is used to support key foreseeable activities which need extra resources to deliver these resource intensive incidents. Such incidents may also entail extreme weather conditions and regional, national or international emerging incidents. The occupational health, safety and welfare system consist of a team of staff members who advise and support members of the fire authority, managers and employees on aspects of safety, welfare and health while at work. The team explores, recognizes and identifies the legal needs arising form novel and amended legislation so as to guarantee compliance with the fire service. Cheshire fire and rescue service is engaged in numerous projects that are being created as a portion of the national framework by the government such as integrated personal development system, new dimension, and regional control centers. According to Wallington, (2008), Cheshire fire and rescue service is working to make sure that these projects address main issues, sustainable, deliver worth for finances and maintain accountability. Our central role in our organisation like the local resilience forum has resulted to the development and subsistence of the community risk register that identifies highlights and evaluates potential risks and initiates plans to minimize and respond to these hazards. Likewise, our task on North West fire and the rescue regional management board ensures capacity building and coordination across regional fire and rescue service in several areas. As a consequence, the service is well placed to pursue an expanding central role in several programmes for civil protection, safety and national resilience involving a central role in flood management. Application of the recommended QA systems to ensure consistent proof of quality enhancement within the organisation Like other civic bodies, Cheshire fire and rescue service anticipates that future years will be accompanied with finance challenges as the government responds to financial crisis and tries to address the degree of public debt. While the service will sustain its well developed principle of truly incorporated service and financial planning, it is clear that there is unbalanced level of ambiguity inherent in present plans. An action plan is generated yearly and prioritized in line with objectives established in the integrated risk management plan. In order to improve future planning and limit the effect of troughs and peaks of finances, the authority generates a medium term financial plan which offers a strategic monetary view of our plans against the amount of money we are likely to receive from government grants. As a consequence of sound monetary management, the service will be on a strong position to cope with the current monetary challenges and able to deal with costs of major incidents. In order to improve standards during the year 2010/ 2011 we will be working to bring in line our financial systems and final accounts to the identified international financial reporting standards. Conclusion Cheshire Fire and rescue service continues to make significant progress in protecting local communities form fire risks and other emergencies with major reductions in the number of deaths and injuries from industrial and house fires. Through the adoption of the integrated risk management plan, the service has been able to recognize, evaluate and assess fire risks and also allocation of resources in fire fighting and risk management. The service has also used quality assurance systems in assessment of risks which also ensure that the services delivered in compliance with the national framework for the fire and rescue service. Bibliography Wallington, N, 2008, One hundred years of the British fire engine, Jeremy Mills, London. Great Britain Parliament, 2006, Fire and rescue service: Fourth report of session 2005- 06, The Stationery Office, UK. Dennett, M, 2009, Fire attack: an integrated strategy, Jeremy mills, London. Cote, A, 2006, Organizing fire and rescue services, Jones & Bartlett, New York. Great Britain: Department for communities and local government, 2006, Fire safety risk assessement: theatres, cinemas and similar premises, The Stationery Office, UK. Great Britain parliament, 2009, New Dimension, enhancing the fire and rescue services capacity to respond, The stationery office, UK. Hirschler, M, 2008, Fire hazard and fire risk assessment, Jones & Bartlett, New York. Kandola, B, & Rabsbash D, 2007, Evaluation of fire safety, John Wiley and Sons, New York. Read More