Murphy, P

English

Nottingham Trent Institutional Repository (IRep)

Snapshot• The aim of Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service’s (NFRS) Fire CoverReview was to look at where the county’s fire and rescue resources arecurrently located and consider whether these need to be reconfigured orredeployed to best serve the region.• Under the Integrated Risk Management Planning process, fireauthorities are expected to map the level of risk to communities andreconfigure their services accordingly.• Authorities may face legal or technical challenges when they choose toredeploy their services.  This often results in an inquiry to determinewhether the right decisions have been taken and to ensure they havebeen based on robust data.• Staff from Nottingham Business School, part of Nottingham TrentUniversity, were appointed as independent consultants to scrutinise theprocesses and methodology undertaken by NFRS. • NTU’s consultants were able to demonstrate that NFRS’s Fire CoverReview was based on valid, robust data and intelligently processed andanalysed on the latest up-to-date computer systems and models.ChallengeFire Authorities are required to produce Integrated Risk Management Plans(IRMPs) as part of the National Fire and Rescue Service PerformanceFramework.  These plans should integrate all aspects of service delivery,including fire cover and fire safety, and lead to improved community safetyand more productive use of fire service resources.  IRMPs require Fire and Rescue Services to strike an appropriate andreasonable balance between the key activities of prevention, protection andemergency response rather than relying on generic response times andnational standards and benchmarks of the past for their assessment of theoptimum deployment of their resources.  All Fire Cover Reviews arising out of the IRMP process have to be based upona comprehensive and contemporary local risk assessment.Nott ingham Bus iness  Schoolwork ing wi thNott inghamshi re  F i reand Rescue  Serv ice   SolutionStaff from the Emergency Services Research Unit at NTU were appointed asindependent consultants to “scrutinise and validate the processes andmethodology undertaken and applied by Nottinghamshire Fire and RescueService” in order to prepare the evidential base for the Fire Cover Reviewprocess.The objective of this consultancy was to assure the Fire and Rescue Authoritythat the evidential basis used by the fire service for the initial stages of the FireCover Review was as comprehensive, appropriate and robust as wasreasonably possible, taking into account the objectives of the Review – thedata and intelligence, analytical tools and information currently available tothe Service.Benefits and outcomes• The data sets used by NRFS were predominantly derived from governmentapproved and nationally recognised systems for risk mapping and profiling.From these data sets, it should be possible to derive robust future profilesand forecasts for the future deployment of the Service’s resources.• Nottingham Business School provided an interim report on the datacollection, analytical systems and computer modelling to the authority,when the evidential base and initial conclusions of the services review werepresented to the board.• A working party of the Authority then considered the findings andconclusions of the review and developed three alternative options for thefuture county-wide deployment of the Authority’s resources.• These three options were then considered at a board meeting when afurther consultant’s report on the evidential base was submitted byNottingham Business School.• The Authority will now undertake a public consultation exercise into theirproposals.• NTU was able to demonstrate that the data gathered by NFRS wasappropriate to meet the Fire Cover Review’s aims and objectives.  Itprovided confidence to the Fire Authority that their considerations areunderpinned by a robust and reliable evidential base.• From their unique and independent position, NTU was able to identify anumber of lessons or good practices that can be drawn from the approachthat NFRS has taken with its Fire Cover Review.The context• The Nottinghamshire Fire Cover Review 2010 project was originallyestablished to help deliver the Authority’s Creating Safer CommunitiesStrategic Plan.• In addition to combating fires, local fire and rescue services in the UKare now expected to respond to major traffic accidents; chemical,biological, radiological and nuclear exposures; severe weatherconditions which endanger life; explosions and collapsed structures;and the rescue of people trapped in buildings, vehicles, by machineryor in water.• The Fire and Rescue Act 2004 redefined the roles and functions of theFire and Rescue Services to reflect their broader role.  IRMPs cameabout because of the new statutory framework.• As part of the IRMP process the government provided each fire andrescue service with a suite of software called the Fire ServiceEmergency Cover (FSEC) toolkit.  This toolkit allows each fire service toundertake a risk-based assessment of their area using a commonapproach that has been thoroughly tested and independentlyvalidated.• In 2010 the new Fire Minister, Bob Neill, confirmed that the coalitiongovernment would retain the Integrated Risk Management Planningprocess as this “provides a sound basis to allow for the provision oflocal services driven by the local agenda and based on local risks andthe needs of the local community”.The company• Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service (NFRS) looks after more thanone million people who live, work, visit or travel throughNottinghamshire every day.  • A team of over 1,000 people support this work from a variety oflocations, including the fire stations, the NFRS headquarters, NRFStraining and development centre, the Community Safety Centre andthe driver training school and workshop. • NRFS is run by the Nottinghamshire and City of Nottingham FireAuthority and the local councillors who are elected to its variouscommittees.• Much of NFRS’s work is carried out in partnership with otherorganisations who are working towards similar aims.  The organisationhas close links with local authorities, other emergency services and thevoluntary and charity sector.Nottingham Trent University• NTU is one of the top new universities in the UK. (The Complete University Guide, 2013)• 94% of our graduates* from full-time undergraduate courses areemployed or engaged in further study six months after leaving. *of those available for work (DHLE survey 2010-11).• 97% of our postgraduates* (including full and part-time taught andresearch students) are employed or engaged in further study sixmonths after leaving.  *of those available for work (DHLE survey 2010-11).• NTU is in the top ten British universities for the number of studentstaking year-long work placements.  (HESA 2010-11)• NTU is among the top 25% of UK universities for investment in itsfacilities.  £130 million has been invested since 2004.• In the latest Research Assessment Exercise (2008), 74% of ourresearch was ranked as internationally recognised, with 8% of ourresearch considered world leading. “NBS gave us independent scrutiny and advice knowing both the local and national contexts.They completely understood the history, culture and antecedence of NFRS and provided theknowledge and expertise while working seamlessly with our project team.”Frank Swann, Chief Fire Officer, Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service6163/7/10/12For more information on how NTU could work with your business contact us on +44 (0)115 848 8163, by email at business.info@ntu.ac.uk, or visit www.ntu.ac.uk/business.Nottingham Trent UniversityBurton StreetNottingham NG1 4BUPlease note that whilst the University has taken all reasonable steps to ensure the accuracy of the content within this leaflet at the time of printing, the University reserves the rightto remove, vary or amend the content of the leaflet at any time.  For avoidance of doubt, the information provided within the content of this leaflet is for guidance purposes.© Nottingham Trent University and may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form in whole or part without the prior written consent of Nottingham Trent University.This information can be made available in alternative formats.

Working with Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service

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