This meeting of Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes Fire Authority was scheduled to consider a wide range of topics relating to the service, its staff and the community it serves. This included approving an extension to the current Automatic Fire Alarm pilot, noting reports on staff issues and the adoption of the Community Risk Management Plan for 2025-2030. The most significant items scheduled for discussion were:

Community Risk Management Plan 2025-2030

The meeting was scheduled to consider the adoption of the Community Risk Management Plan (CRMP) for 2025-2030. This plan is a requirement of the Fire and Rescue National Framework for England, published by the Home Office in May 2018, to which the Authority must have regard when carrying out its functions. It replaces the previous Public Safety Plan.

This is a high-level strategic document that sets out the Service's objectives over the next five years. The supporting document provided to attendees states that the plan aims to explain:

how [Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service] plan to mitigate identified risks and improve community safety by aligning available resources with key objectives and use them in the most efficient way.

The Plan contains three strategic objectives supported by three strategic enablers. Each of these strategic objectives and enablers has a corresponding strategy:

Strategic Objectives

• Reducing risk and keeping our community safe (Prevention Strategy)
• Protecting people from risk in the built environment (Protection Strategy)
• Responding quickly and effectively to emergencies (Response and Resilience Strategy)

Strategic Enablers

• An inclusive, healthy and engaged workforce (People Strategy)
• Making the most of our finances and assets (Finance and Assets Strategy)
• Optimising our technology and data (Digital, Data and Technology Strategy)

Response Standard and Resourcing

The supporting document states that Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service will be changing the way it defines its response standard, stating that it will now aim:

to uphold an average response time of 10 minutes. This means the first pump will reach the scene within an average of 10 minutes for all incidents.

The plan also proposes reviewing and optimising its On-Call pumps and specialist vehicles to ensure that the service can meet its risks and response standard. The supporting document states that this will involve:

exploring opportunities to increase efficiency and effectiveness.

This review will involve considering a range of options for enhancing the resilience and capacity of the service, including:

• Pooling On-Call resources to improve appliance availability across larger areas.
• Smaller specialist appliances in remote rural locations.
• Moving difficult-to-crew rural appliances to urban areas.
• Re-balancing resources in favour of more Wholetime/Day-Crewed provision.

Consultation

The supporting document explains that BFRS undertook extensive consultation as part of the CRMP planning process, noting that this included:

• Workshops and discussions with its own staff.
• Five focus groups with residents across Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes.
• A formal, open questionnaire distributed across the community, which included questions on every area of the CRMP, as well as a section allowing free-text comments.

Consultation on Response Times

Respondents to the consultation were asked to share their views on the need to refine the emergency response time standard. The supporting document states that:

More than half (55%) of questionnaire respondents agreed that there is a need to refine BFRS’s emergency response standard.

The supporting document also states that focus group participants were:

mostly supportive of the proposed change to BFRS’s emergency response standard in principle...

The questionnaire asked whether respondents agreed with the new 10-minute average response standard. It states that:

more than three-in-five questionnaire respondents (63%) agreed.

The supporting document states that focus group participants were generally in favour of a 10-minute average response time, considering it:

an appropriate and fair time to set as it is easy to remember and would provide peace of mind to members of the public in an emergency.

Consultation on Resourcing

The questionnaire asked whether respondents agreed with BFRS’ proposal to maintain at least the same number of Wholetime and Day-Crewed appliances. The supporting document states that:

over four-in-five questionnaire respondents (83%) agreed.

The questionnaire also asked whether respondents agreed with the proposal to assess On-Call resources. The supporting document states that:

almost four-in-five questionnaire respondents (78%) agreed.

Consultation on The Plan Overall

Questionnaire respondents were asked to share their views on the draft CRMP document. The supporting document states that:

Over three-in-five questionnaire respondents (63%) agreed that the draft CRMP 2025-2030 is clear and easy to understand.

It states that:

Three-in-five questionnaire respondents (60%) agreed that BFRS’s proposed CRMP 2025-2030 has helped them to better understand how BFRS works.

It also states that:

Most [consultation] feedback was less positive, however. Respondents shared concerns around the CRMP’s lack of detail and accountability measures; BFRS’s recent inspection failures; and the wording of the consultation questions. A particular worry was that the Plan’s emphasis on efficiency is an attempt to disguise the potential for future service reductions.

The supporting document states that the attendees were scheduled to be asked to approve the final Community Risk Management Plan for 2025-2030.

Extend the period of the BFRS Automatic Fire Alarm pilot

The meeting was scheduled to consider extending the existing pilot scheme relating to the Service's response to Automatic Fire Alarms (AFAs) until 12 February 2025. This is to allow the results of the recently concluded public consultation on the proposed permanent changes to AFA response to be presented to the February meeting of the Fire Authority.

The supporting document provided to attendees states that the pilot has:

seen a 47% drop in attendance at false alarms in non-domestic premises.

The supporting document explains that should the Fire Authority accept the results and recommendations of the AFA public consultation:

the AFA pilot will move seamlessly into business as usual for AFA response.

People Strategy 2020-2025 - Year four update

The meeting was scheduled to note the final annual report for the People Strategy 2020-2025. This strategy was approved in 2020, and sets out a framework for:

engaging and developing employees of Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service

The strategy has five key areas:

• Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI)
• Employee Engagement
• Organisational Development and Resourcing
• Training, Learning and Development
• Employee Health and Wellbeing

The supporting document states that there has been:

notable progress made in all key areas.

This includes:

• The launch of the new Promise, Values and Behaviours.
• The recruitment of a dedicated People and Culture Officer and a Director of Human Resources and Organisational Development.
• The establishment of a dedicated Culture Board.
• The implementation of a 12-month Recruitment Plan.

The report also highlights the Service's recent recognition for its commitment to EDI, stating that it was:

awarded the Gold Standard by ENEI which highlights the excellent work carried out to develop [the Service] as an employer of choice.

HMICFRS

The supporting document for this item provides details of a number of steps taken by the service in response to the criticisms it received from His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services in its 2023 report.

The supporting document states that:

Following the Independent Culture Review of London Fire Brigade Culture by Nazir Afzal OBE in November 2022 and subsequent news articles into allegations at South Wales and Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Services, the service reviewed what was in place for employees and what actions needed to be taken.

The supporting document also notes that the Service has invested in developing a range of staff networks to support inclusion, these include:

• Race, Ethnicity, Religion and Belief Network
• Women’s Network
• Wellness, Accessibility, Neurodiversity and Disability Network
• Family, Parenthood and Carers Network
• LGBTQ+ & Gender Identity Network
• Men’s Network

The report also highlights the work that the Service has done to support the White Ribbon campaign, stating that:

This year’s campaign will focus on the role of allyship and how men and boys can speak up in support of women and girls.

Health, Safety and Wellbeing Annual Report 2023-24

The meeting was scheduled to note the Health, Safety and Wellbeing Annual Report for 2023/24. This report provides a summary of the Service’s Health & Safety performance for the previous financial year, as well as detailing the work the Service has done to protect firefighters from contaminants, in line with the recommendations made by the Fire Brigades Union (FBU).

The report highlights the significant investment made in training over the last financial year, noting that:

As part of the ongoing commitment to ensure all staff are afforded the best opportunity to perform their role as safely as they can the Service invested over £42k in H & S related training.

This included staff from supervisory/team leader to senior managers, directors and members of the Fire Authority.

Protecting Against Contaminants

The report provides detail on the work the Service is doing to address the issue of contaminants management, highlighting:

• The issuing of dedicated Personal Protective Equipment Bins at every operational station.
• The issuing of advice on specialist medical codes for staff to give to their GP practice, identifying them as workers at greater risk.
• The completion of draft Contaminants Zoning Plans for all stations.
• The trialling of shower gel at every operational station.
• The creation of a new draft exposure recording form for use by staff.

His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) - Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service (BFRS) 2023-2025 Update

This item provides an update on the progress the Service has made in addressing the causes of concern and recommendations identified in the HMICFRS report published in October 2023.

The report states that HMICFRS have now closed the Cause of Concern relating to Prevention, finding that:

Substantial improvements have been made in identifying and prioritising those most at risk of fire and other emergencies.

The report also states that HMICFRS have noted good progress in relation to the Cause of Concern for Protection, and are:

assured that improvements are sustainable and understood and accepted by everyone in the service.

HMICFRS will be undertaking a virtual revisit in January 2025 to assess the Protection service further.

The report notes that HMICFRS have found that the Service has:

made good progress in promoting EDI.

HMICFRS will continue to monitor the progress made by the Service.

Member Update on the Fire Brigades Union Improvements Agenda 2024

This item provides an update on the progress that the Service has made in addressing the requirements set out in the 2024 FBU Improvements Agenda. This Agenda was initially presented to the Fire Authority on 6 December 2023, and sets out 10 key areas that the FBU believes the Service should address to help improve and enhance its service.

The report notes that the Agenda was:

developed and presented to the Fire Authority by the FBU Brigade Secretary as a more localised interpretation of the national FBU Firefighter Manifesto, which advocates for better funding, higher national response and crewing standards, and a fair say for its members through a new advisory body.

The report highlights a number of achievements in response to the Agenda, including:

• Significant progress in implementing DECON policies and improving PPE management through a dedicated contaminants project.
• The review of recruitment and retention strategies to ensure the Service is able to attract, recruit and retain more On-Call staff on a range of tailored employment contracts.
• The enhancement of capabilities for dealing with rural firefighting and extreme weather events.
• The implementation of a Culture Board and Active Bystander training.

The report states that the Service has also agreed to a number of the FBU’s requests, including:

• Scheduling NJC joint industrial relations training.
• Permanently adopting Grey Book overtime rates for daytime bank rates.
• Increasing training budgets for transformational initiatives.
• Prioritising and implementing facility improvements to support ED&I goals.

The report concludes by stating that:

The constructive dialogue and challenge from the FBU will continue to play a vital role in shaping these improvements, ensuring that the voices of their members are heard and their needs are met wherever possible.