The Community Safety Scrutiny Committee reviewed the Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Response Review, noting that the proposed changes aim to improve resilience and operational assurance. The committee also examined the Scrutiny Committee Performance Framework for the first quarter of 2026-27, with reports on Trading Standards' metrology activity and the Stay Safe Partnership's annual update also presented.

LFR Response Review

The committee considered a report on the Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue (LFR) Response Review, which proposes an improved response model for the service. Ryan Stacey, Assistant Chief Fire Officer, explained that the review, based on five years of incident data and operational performance, recommends a more resilient and sustainable model better aligned to current risks. The proposal includes creating 20 additional whole-time firefighter posts, establishing Grantham as a 24-hour whole-time station, and increasing crewing at seven other stations. This aims to move away from a non-compliant legacy system that relies on voluntary participation for overnight cover, which has become increasingly fragile. Councillor Alex McGonigle, Executive Councillor for Community Safety, introduced the report, highlighting that this is an investment in the service, not a reduction, and will guarantee the availability of specialist capabilities. The report noted that the existing duty system, challenged in court for not complying with working time regulations, has been managed through voluntary opt-outs for night-time cover. The proposed changes aim to remove the need for these voluntary agreements, saving approximately £900,000 annually, which will be reinvested. The committee was informed that on-call firefighters remain central to the model and their availability is strongest during evenings, nights, and weekends, which the proposal aims to better utilise. The report also detailed that specialist appliances, currently not always available at night due to crewing issues, would have guaranteed 24-hour response from two locations. The committee unanimously agreed that they had considered and scrutinised the report and its recommendations to the Executive.

Scrutiny Committee Performance Framework 2026-27 Quarter 1

The committee reviewed the performance framework for the first quarter of 2026-27. Key performance indicators (KPIs) showed that average response times to dwelling fires were within the target of 11 minutes, averaging 10 minutes and 1 second. However, response times to all other incidents, averaging 12 minutes and 30 seconds against a 15-minute target, showed a negative trend compared to previous years. Martyn Parker, Assistant Director Community Protection and Commissioning, explained that while performance remains above target, the increase is being monitored, and the upcoming Response Review Project is expected to improve appliance availability and response times.

In terms of Home Fire Safety Visits (HFSVs), 90.6% were carried out at households with vulnerable occupants, exceeding the 90% target. This represented an increase in the number of visits to vulnerable households compared to the previous year.

However, the percentage of building regulation applications responded to within 15 working days fell slightly short of the 100% target, achieving 96.2%. While this is an improvement on the previous year, it was noted that complex cases can impact timely responses. The recruitment of three new Fire Safety Inspectors is expected to strengthen capacity.

Petroleum licensing inspections for the period April 2025 to March 2026 saw 79 inspections carried out against an annual target of 101. The report noted that the target fluctuates due to site decommissioning and development.

Contextual measures indicated no fire fatalities in the quarter, a positive reduction from the previous year. However, there were 15 fire casualties, an increase from the previous year, with analysis suggesting a disproportionate number of male casualties and a significant proportion of incidents resulting from human behaviour. The report highlighted an increase in total incidents by 14% compared to the previous year, driven by a rise in false alarms and special service calls, including co-responder calls and road traffic collisions.

The Community Resilience Programme saw 443 of 561 parishes contacted, with 56 communities having completed plans. 99 community groups were signed up to the programme.

In the Safer Communities section, 102 fraud interventions were carried out. Eight new call blockers were installed, bringing the total to 88, which prevented 6,528 fraudulent calls. Forty fraud prevention presentations were delivered to 645 residents, and 467 people completed Friends Against Scams training.

For Coroners and Registrations, 70% of deaths were registered within five days, below the 90% target, although the average registration time remained below four days. The introduction of telephone registrations is expected to improve this figure. The number of open inquest cases remained below 300 at 285, and the number of inquests older than 12 months was in line with the target of 35.

Regarding volunteering, 451 voluntary and community groups received support, and 642 people were supported into volunteer opportunities. Organisations secured over £1 million in funding during the quarter.

Trading Standards - Metrology Activity 2025/26

Mark Keal, Head of Trading Standards, presented the annual overview of metrology activity. The report highlighted that 66 businesses were inspected, and 171 items of weighing and measuring equipment were tested. Of these, 29 pieces of equipment were prohibited from use, and 25 were found to be operating outside legal tolerances. The report noted a challenge in obtaining sufficient intelligence due to low levels of consumer complaints.

A project focusing on medical institutions identified that 16 out of 50 weighing instruments assessed in GP practices were non-compliant. Councillor Martin Christopher raised concerns about the potential public safety hazard this posed, particularly regarding medication dosages. Chad Saratoon, Principal Trading Standards Officer, explained that while some equipment was found to be inaccurate, others lacked the required conformity assessment markings, meaning they were not necessarily inaccurate but not suitable for trade. He also noted that a Product Safety and Metrology Bill is being considered, which may address the lack of a legal requirement for regular equipment calibration.

The Lincolnshire Average Quantity Project found all five inspected food manufacturing businesses to be fully compliant, with no products identified below legal quantity limits. Operation Flamingo, assessing businesses trading in precious metals, found 12 unsuitable scales and 7 instruments operating outside legal tolerances.

The committee expressed satisfaction with the delivery of statutory responsibilities in respect of weights and measures enforcement.

Community Safety Scrutiny Committee Work Programme

Hannah Colclough, Scrutiny Officer, presented the proposed work programme. Items for the current meeting included the LFR Response Review, the Scrutiny Committee Performance Framework, Trading Standards Metrology Activity, and the Stay Safe Partnership Annual Update. Planned items for future meetings included the Waddington Training Centre business case, an HMICFRS Inspection Update, the Target Hardening Project evaluation, grant funding to Citizens Advice Lincolnshire, Trading Standards Animal Health and Welfare activity, and the Domestic Abuse Strategy Update. The committee reviewed and agreed the work programme.

Stay Safe Partnership Annual Update

Martyn Parker presented the annual update on the Stay Safe Partnership (SSP). The partnership, comprising Lincolnshire County Council, Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue, Lincolnshire Police, Haven, Horizon, and the Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership, aims to provide preventative education to children and young people. In the 2025/26 academic year, over 113,000 students, staff, and parents engaged with SSP activity, reaching 98% of mainstream secondary schools and 88% of all government-registered schools.

Feedback from students indicated that 97% felt the learning would help them make better future decisions, with 98% finding the sessions helpful and well-delivered. The survey also revealed that students generally felt safer in their local communities than in the previous year, with notable improvements in North Kesteven, Boston, and West Lindsey. However, concerns remain regarding poorly lit areas, groups of older young people, and substance misuse.

The Keeping Safe Survey, completed by 6,427 young people, explored online safety topics. Findings indicated that 40% of secondary pupils had seen harmful online content in the past 12 months. The SSP is adapting its programme to address emerging themes such as malicious communications, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and scams.

Parental engagement included 1,409 registrations for webinars on topics including online pornography, AI, and navigating teen relationships. The webinar on AI attracted the highest number of registrations. The partnership also collaborated with Children's Services to deliver online safety education through the Solihull Parenting Programme.

The report highlighted that 18 safeguarding disclosures were made during Stay Safe interventions, with a further 31 identified by schools as a result of the programme's delivery. These disclosures related to issues including domestic abuse, grooming, assaults, and drugs.

The committee was invited to comment on the continued delivery of the Stay Safe Partnership project, and members expressed satisfaction with the report. Councillor Alex McGonigle, Executive Councillor for Community Safety, extended an invitation to committee members to observe the sessions firsthand.