Agenda item

That the presentation be received.

The Chairman welcomed and introduced Mr Simon Smith, Chief Fire Officer, Dawn Docx, Deputy Chief Fire Officer, and Councillor Meirick Lloyd Davies, Chair of the North Wales Fire and Rescue Authority.  He invited them to give a presentation on the North Wales Fire & Rescue Authority and Service consultation document on proposed improvement objectives for 2014-15 and beyond. 

The Chief Fire Officer gave an overview of the following proposed improvement objectives:

• To help keep people and communities safe by preventing deaths and injuries from accidental fires in living accommodation.

• To ensure that North Wales got the best possible level of service within

      financial constraints, use a variety of management solutions to

      optimise fire and rescue cover in the area.

• To implement a 3 year financial plan for 2014/15 to 2016/17 that funds the current level of service, but that aims to limit the cost of doing so to the equivalent of an extra £1 per year per head of population.

The Chairman thanked Mr. Smith for his presentation and invited Members to raise questions.

Councillor Paul Shotton sought further information on the collaborative approach taken between the North Wales Fire & Rescue Authority and the Council in relation to Home Safe checks.  He congratulated the Chief Fire Officer on the success of the Phoenix project and referred to the problem of arson and the need for early intervention to educate young children on the subject of safety.  The Chief Fire Officer responded to the matters raised and commented on the close collaborative work undertaken between the North Wales Fire & Rescue Authority and other public sector organisations, the shared use of protocols and range of other interventions.   He advised that the Authority was committed to increasing collaboration wherever possible.

The Chief Executive commented that he had two roles at the meeting as he was also the Clerk to the North Wales Fire and Rescue Authority.  He referred to the collaborative work undertaken between the Council and the North Wales Fire & Rescue Authority regarding people at risk.   He went on to comment on the unprecedented challenges and demands on services and referred to the similarities between the North Wales Fire & Rescue Authority and the Council with regard to budget pressures and the need for a balanced risk assessment and a responsible approach to tackling these “big issues”.

During discussion Members raised questions and concerns around strike action, and home safety checks.  The Chief Fire Officer responded to the comments made and referred to the contingency plans in place to address current and future strike action and the rolling programme to provide home safety measures. 

In response to a question from Councillor Ray Hughes concerning school visits the Deputy Chief Fire Officer advised that the North Wales Fire & Rescue Authority employed educationalists to provide a rolling programme of fire safety awareness raising events in all primary and secondary schools.

Councillor Robin Guest congratulated the Chief Fire Officer on the reduction in the number of fires in the area and the steady decline in the number of people being injured by fire.

   The Chairman thanked Mr. Simon Smith and Dawn Docx for their detailed and informative responses to Members’ questions.

RESOLVED:

That the presentation be received.