Issue - meetings

Fire and Rescue Services are facing a changing demand. Sir Ken Knight’s national review of efficiencies and operations in fire and rescue authorities in England (‘Facing the Future’, May 2013) set out that Fire and Rescue Services must adapt to provide more effective and efficient services. In particular it identified that the biggest opportunities lie in wider transformative structural and collaborative approaches, requiring ambition and leadership to achieve this. The review advocated that authorities should not wait for national action before fully exploiting the large number of opportunities already within their grasp.

SFRS has established a long term plan, the Public Safety Plan 2011-2020. The service proposes to update and develop the Public Safety Plan to ensure it takes account of new information including the census data and intelligence regarding the changing environment, national and local demands. 

Reviewing the plan at this point enables the Service to ensure the plan reflects the impacts of the revised Medium Term Financial Plan can be taken into account.  The increasing financial pressures faced by public services emphasise the need to consider alternative models of delivery and operation to support the broadening range of activities delivered by fire and rescue services. This is in keeping with the emphasis on partnership and public service transformation. 

[The decisions on this item can be called in by the Communities Select Committee]

1.         That a review of the Public Safety Plan 2011- 2020 be endorsed.

2.         An updated draft Public Safety Plan be agreed by Cabinet in October 2014, prior to public consultation.

Reasons for Decisions:

SFRS continues to modernise and adapt to changing demands and the community risk profile. With central government considering Sir Ken Knight’s Review, the increasing challenges around public spending, transformational collaborative working opportunities and our Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP) targets, it is the right time to develop the PSP further.

[The decisions on this item can be called in by the Communities Select Committee]

The Cabinet Associate for Fire and Police Services was invited to present this report and began by congratulating the Chief Fire Officer and his staff for their professional approach at this difficult time – this was endorsed by the Cabinet.

She said that all Fire and Rescue Services were facing a changing demand and must adapt to provide more effective and efficient services.

After extensive consultation in 2010, Surrey Fire and Rescue Service had established a long term plan, the Public Safety Plan 2011-2020, which the service proposed to update and develop to ensure it took account of new information including the census data and intelligence regarding the changing environment, national and local demands. 

She considered that Surrey County Council was at the forefront of planning for the future and commended the revised recommendations (tabled at the meeting) to Members.

RESOLVED:

1.         That a review of the Public Safety Plan 2011- 2020 be endorsed.

2.         An updated draft Public Safety Plan be agreed by Cabinet in October 2014, prior to public consultation.

Reasons for Decisions:

SFRS continues to modernise and adapt to changing demands and the community risk profile. With central government considering Sir Ken Knight’s Review, the increasing challenges around public spending, transformational collaborative working opportunities and our Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP) targets, it is the right time to develop the PSP further.