5
(Cllr Jenkins entered the meeting at 10.48am).
The Chief Fire Officer presented the report regarding the response to and findings from the public consultation on the Authority’s draft Community Risk Management Plan (CRMP) and containing recommendations for the implementation of the Fire and Emergency Cover Review.
The report also sought consideration of the use of the Authority’s Reserves to defer implementation of some of the CRMP proposals and to approve the draft CRMP for publication.
The Chief Fire Officer introduced the item and explained the importance of reaching a decision on this matter as there was still a budget gap of £2.137m outstanding for the two following financial years. A number of options had been identified as set out in the report and the Chief Fire Officer recommended Option 2 as the preferred approach.
An amendment proposed by Cllr Kenyon to support Option 3 was discussed and rejected. Following a further amendment proposed by Cllr Vickery it was resolved as follows:
RESOLVED that:
(1) following detailed consideration of the responses to the consultation on the draft Community Risk Management Plan, the Authority’s updated financial position and having regard to additional discussions with Members, staff and representative bodies it is proposed that:-
(a) there be no change to the existing fire engines at Bewdley, Broadway, Whitchurch and Kingsland; and
(b) there be no change to the second fire engines at Kidderminster, Evesham, Leominster, Bromyard and Ross-on-Wye;
(c) Option 2 of the additional proposals (as illustrated in appendix 1 and 2 of this report) be approved, namely:
(i) the second whole-time fire engines at Hereford and Worcester fire stations be changed to the Day Duty crewing system (12 hours permanently crewed and 12 hours retained duty system crewed in each 24 hours), the Chief Fire Officer to determine the exact hours of crewing following consultation with relevant staff;
(ii) there be no change to the second retained duty fire engine at Redditch;
(iii) subject to (2) below the Service aim to have five firefighters on all first fire engines whenever possible but agrees that standard crewing for all fire engines be four firefighters;
(iv) the second fire engines at Ledbury and Tenbury fire stations be removed from the Service’s fleet of fire engines; and
(2) Up to £0.8m of reserves in total (£0.3m general reserves and £0.5m from the budget reduction earmarked reserve) be used to maintain five firefighters on all wholetime based first fire engines (except those at Hereford and Worcester) on as many occasions as possible for an initial period of two years (2015/16 and 2016/17) and that the position be reviewed thereafter;
(3) The Authority requests the Chief Fire Officer to work with Elected Members, operational colleagues and trade unions to investigate the feasibility of introducing Day Crewing Plus for the second wholetimne fire engines at Hereford and Worcester and report back to the Authority within 6 to 12 months;
(4) The Community Risk Management Plan be amended to reflect the above decisions and the Chief Fire Officer be authorised to publish the document with any further minor amendments as may be necessary;
(5) Changes to fire cover as agreed be implemented in a timescale and manner at the discretion of the Chief Fire Officer in consultation with the Chairman of the Authority; and
(6) The arrangements for any reduction of the number of staff to be employed as a result of the above changes to fire cover, be considered by the Chief Fire Officer and a report be brought back to the Authority if necessary.