The Chief Fire Officers’ Association The professional voice of the UK fire and rescue service Delivering Operational Fitness Within The Fire Service 5 th July 2007 Des Prichard – Human Resource Director

The Chief Fire Officers’ Association The professional voice of the UK fire and rescue service FORA Community Membership HR Director CFOA Board HR Executive Board HR Strategic Committee EM NI WM Scotlan d NE NW E SE Londo n SW Wales Y&H Equality & Diversity Employee relations Strategic HR Employee developmen t Employee resourcing COSLA, DCLG, LGA, LGEO, NI Welsh Assembly, Scottish Executive Centre for Excellence CFOA HR communication structure

The Chief Fire Officers’ Association The professional voice of the UK fire and rescue service Relationship structure CFOA BOARDHR DirectorHR (Executive) BOARD Work Stream Heads Key Stakeholders HR (Strategic) Committee Regional Representation CFOA Membership Employee Development Equality & Diversity Employee relations Employee Resourcing Strategic HR

The Chief Fire Officers’ Association The professional voice of the UK fire and rescue service Operational Fitness - Overview What is the role of FireFit? –Promote and communicate the fitness and health agenda within the Fire and Rescue Service in an effort to maximise the wellbeing and efficiency of the Service. –To ensure fit and able Firefighters and support staff

The Chief Fire Officers’ Association The professional voice of the UK fire and rescue service Celebrating Success Through expertise and partnership –Fitness tests –Pre selection exercise programmes –Sharing best practice - Occupational health –Equality & Diversity agenda – Positive action days –Identification of effective exercise equipment ….. CFOA -Thank you

The Chief Fire Officers’ Association The professional voice of the UK fire and rescue service Changes Firefighter Rolemap –Element FF 2.1: Proactively ensure your own health and fitness for work in line with your organisation’s Occupational Health Policy. Risk critical business – Occ fitness comparison Technological advances Mind set on physical fitness has changed –Visually impaired, diabetics, asthma sufferers How far can we push these barriers?

The Chief Fire Officers’ Association The professional voice of the UK fire and rescue service What’s next? NFST’s old standards – VO 2 Max – Shuttle run A standard that can be communicated Appropriate assessment – Cost effective –Cost of test vs. cost of not introducing an effective test

The Chief Fire Officers’ Association The professional voice of the UK fire and rescue service What’s next? Consistency & mechanism of assessment –Selection through to retirement –Objective assessment –Safe person concept The need to continuously look at improving fitness and wellbeing of all staff –Support mechanisms –Healthy living

The Chief Fire Officers’ Association The professional voice of the UK fire and rescue service Summary Celebrate success Setting a standard on fitness selection Fitness assessment over a career Cost effective fitness assessment EVIDENCE BASED SOLUTIONS