1. Introduction and scene setting
CFOA FIRESA Conference March 2017
CFOA Reform and NFCC
Dave Etheridge OBE - Chief Fire Officer, Oxfordshire
CFOA President
Intro
Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. It’s really great to be here. And I must start by thanking the conference organiser’s for inviting me to speak at this year’s event – not least because it’s given me the first of what I hope will be many opportunities to visit this great country.
During my presentation, I’m going to take you through something of a whistle-stop tour of the reform we’ve seen in the UK fire and rescue service since the turn of the century. So 16-years of history compressed into about25-mins. Which is a pretty tall order. We’ll see. What it does certainly mean that I’m going to need to cover quite a lot of ground fairly quickly, and I’m conscious that we only have 5-mins allocated for Q&A at the end of the presentation. On that basis I should say that I will be available in Knowledge Lounge afterwards, and will be really happy to pick-up any points that any of you would like to discuss with me over the lunchtime period.
OK, let’s crack-on.
I’m going to divide the material I’d like to cover into 3 parts:
Part 1 - A general overview of the reform journey that the UK FRS has been on since the turn of the century – with a particular focus on our ever-growing prevention agenda;
I’m then going to focus-in on the reform programme for fire and rescue, as it’s been articulated by the, still relatively new national government, following the Conservative party winning a surprise overall majority in last year’s General Election;
And I’ll finish by saying a little about how my own professional association, CFOA, has been positioning itself to respond effectively to the latest Government reform agenda.

2. The UK Fire and Rescue Service Operating Model in 2017
Balanced Approach to Community Risk Management, through Integrated Risk Management Planning (IRMP):
Prevention – A 21st Century Revolution
Emergency Response – Locally determined standards, with networked specialist capability to provide national resilience
Protection – Risk-based audit programme of industrial and commercial buildings (c60k risk-based fire safety audits/inspections per annum)
Outcomes – Number of fires reduced by two-thirds and fire deaths and injuries halved
A REAL SUCCESS STORY!
By the time the Conservative Government came to power in 2015, the FRS operating model was looking something like this...
Service delivery model for UK FRS has evolved considerably since turn of 21st Century. We now use an integrated approach to managing risk across three function
Starting with emergency response, the Direction of travel has been away from nationally-prescribed standards to those determined locally. The national standards were put in place soon after WWII and focused on speed and weight of attack into particular sorts of areas. The fastest, heaviest response into industrial and commercial areas. You could understand what that would have been at that time (those were areas being targeted by German bombers and therefore areas that needed most protection because they were supporting Britain’s war effort). Post war experience was that almost all people were being killed and injured in residential property, away from industrial and commercial. Led to recognition that local circumstances should dictate where resources get located – with particular focus on life safety. Now have response standards which are set locally (PDA’s) to meet ‘normal’ requirements and networked specialist capability that can be accessed to deal with incidents that exceed ‘normal’ requirements.
Protection – function focused on fire safety standards in industrial and commercial buildings. Historically, fire safety officers would prescribe standards based upon ACOP’S and then inspect buildings to ensure the standards in question were being adhered to. EU directives led to a change from this approach to one better aligned with H&S enforcement practice, i.e. Building occupiers use risk assessment process to meet functional requirements associated with means of escape etc, and fire service audit to check adequacy of assessments and their findings are properly implemented (60k audits p.a.)
Prevention – by far the most significant change to operating model. Shift in focus away from minimising the consequences of emergencies, to stopping them happening in the first place. Made huge sense because from a life safety perspective, experience told us that people were very often dead before fire engines even left fire station, so upstream work needed. In terms of how the change was enable, there were a number of ingredients:
No more national response standards, so FA’s were able to take a better-balanced, more integrated approach to community risk management
Funding system was changed (perverse incentives)
Statutory duty introduced FRSA 2004
Effective local deployment of assets (HR redeployed; used data and intel to target resources but magic ingredient was the FRS BRAND.
In terms of outcomes achieved (bottom line): fires reduced by 2/3 and nos of people KSI in fires halved.
The UK FRS has a good story to tell about prevention, and I’d like to stay with that for a few minutes to say a little more

3. The Prevention Journey – Beyond Fire to ‘Safe & Well’
We had a really good prevention story to tell: we’d redeployed resources to focus attention on stopping fires from happening in the first place (670k home visits).
This led to a couple of unintended consequences:
Morale of operational staff
Argument that if less emergencies, less firefighters etc but we’re in business of managing risk (not just frequency...also about consequence management, and it was our wholetime firefighters who were undertaking many of the 670k home visits which were driving down risk).
Was a legitimate question about which other facets of risk we could use our people and brand to deal with. Led us well-and-truly into the collaborative space and has involved to HFSC evolving into ‘Safe and Well’ visits (EXPLAIN SLIDE)
Also branched out into making our assets available (buildings, kit, people and BRAND) to be commissioned to deliver programmes which take us well beyond our traditional statutory role – particularly initiatives for young people.
So collaboration has become a big part of our focus as we continue to reform the service.
What else can we achieve in collaboration, by using available capacity and BRAND?

4. Collaboration Picture in 2017
Fire collaborating with Health and local government – c700k home visits
Fire youth engagement programme – ‘pathways’ to safe and fulfilling lives
Fire/Ambulance Collaboration – Emergency Medical Response
Fire/Police Collaboration
Shared buildings
Shared back-off support
Integration of front-line services (feasibility)
So, what does collaborative picture look like now?
I’ve divides into 2 categories – the first is collaboration that’s taking place within established or developing national frameworks, and the second is collaboration taking place outwith such frameworks.
Fire/Fire – Emergency response. Local ‘normal’ requirements (s13/16). National resilience through by co-ordinating networked specialist capability (flooding, mass decon, building collapse (USAR), large fires (buncefield); clean water supply interruption.
Other functions such as shared fire controls and other back office support.
Fire/Health (NHS England, PHE, Local Authorities)
Fire/Ambulance – Emergency Medical Response NJC trails and Legislative Framework (Policing and Crime Bill)
Fire/Police – Legislative framework (Policing and Crime Bill – statutory duty and PCC’s)
NPCC and CFOA aligning their operating models – approach being taken is to put in place a coherent national strategic framework that’s intended to support and enable effective collaboration at a local level. 2 initial areas of focus:
National Co-ordination of response to large scale emergencies (fire, police and ambulance)
Align, and potentially integrate, Co-ordination Committees (procurement)
Existing picture – in some areas landscape lush and in others, green shoots.
Continuum

5. Policing and Crime Act Received Royal Assent January 31st 2017
Strengthen leadership and accountability and support local collaboration by:
Placing a new duty of police, fire and emergency services to collaborate
Enabling PCC to take over fire functions where a local case is made
Single employer model
PCC representation on FRAs
Abolish LFEPA and pass responsibility to Mayor
Not just limited to blue light services - possibilities of bringing other services together such as mental health professionals to improve overall efficiencies

6. Home Secretary speech to Reform
In May 2016, the (then) Home Secretary delivered her first keynote speech on Fire and Rescue reform
Set out the key elements of the Fire Reform Programme
In overall terms, a pretty balanced speech but very critical of fire authorities – pushed PCC idea...hard!

7. Reform update: February 2017
Policing and Fire Minister outlined next steps for fire reform:
Accountability and transparency: Inspection, new website similar to Police.uk
Efficiency and collaboration: Procurement, more extensive ‘basket of goods exercise’, better joint working
Workforce reform: Standards body; diversity; strong leadership
Highlighted new National Fire Chiefs Council as being at the ‘heart of the agenda’

8. Home Office – Reform update: February 2017
Efficiency &
Collaboration
Transparency & Accountability
Workforce Reform
Sharing resources
Demand Management
Digital Technology and Intelligence
Governance – PCC’s
Clear professional and service delivery standards
Accessible performance information
Independent Inspectorate
Flexible Crewing models
Greater use of Retained (‘On-Call) firefighters
Greater focus on equality and diversity and culture change
Excellent leadership
The 3 Pillars of Reform

9. Fire Reform & collaboration already happening
Services have already saved more than £300 million – prevention a pivotal role
National Units delivering Operational Policy, pensions advice, R&D Hub, Procurement Strategy,
CFOA Workforce Strategy underway
National agreements around health agenda with Age UK, PHE and NHS England including data sharing and preventative agenda.
Reductions in back office staffing and greater collaboration

10. The Future Direction of the Association

11. Home Office & Fire Reform
CFOA: Working closely with the Home Office to discuss opportunities since Fire Reform was announced last May
Progress and next steps were endorsed by the Fire Minister on February 7th 2017
The new National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) and new Co-ordination Committees: Launches April 1 – key to drive reform forward and influence government
Synergies with the police model (NPCC)
CFOA – and the NFCC – are in the best place to deliver Fire Reform and advising how the programme should develop

12. CFOA Change Programme What we are aiming to achieve:
Increase influence and contribution to Government policy development – Professional Voice of the UK FRS
Establish full-time Chair’s role (replacing part-time President model) to increase capacity and continuity
Establish National Fire Chiefs’ Council to increase engagement by replacing current Executive Board structure
Align work of CFOA with police equivalent, the National Police Chiefs’ Council
Members of CFOA voted through the proposals at the Annual General Meeting in September 2016
The new model launched on 1 April 2017
CFOA will remain as a charity and for wider membership.

13. ‘To keep citizens safe and the country secure’
Advice
Standards
Assurance

14. CFOA Members FRAs FRSs NFC Council Chair HMI Independent regulation
NFCC Fire Model
Local Government Association
Home Secretary
Fire Minister
FRAs
Mayors/ PCCs
CFOA Members
Home Office officials
NFC Council
Chair
FRSs
HMI Independent regulation
National Fire Chiefs Council
Professional Standards
Body
Other Government Departments
Fire sector
(e.g. IFE, FSC, FPA, FSF, FIA, FIRESA )
CFOA
Trustees
Co-ordinating committee
(note 3)
Co-ordinating committee
(note 3)
Co-ordinating committee
(note 3)
National Police Chiefs Council
Co-ordinating committee
(note 3)
Devolved Administrations
Co-ordinating committee
Performance Committee
Other
partners such as FBU, RFU, Prospect
Trading subsidiaries
Plus working groups etc.
(including possible joint committees with the NPCC)
version 26 July 2016

15. NFCC Co-ordination Committees
Workforce: Ann Millington, Kent Fire and Rescue Service 
Health: Peter O’Reilly, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service 
Operations: Dan Stephens, Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service 
Prevention: Stewart Edgar, Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service 
Protection and Enforcement: Mark Hardingham, Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service 
Sector Improvement and Assurance: Geoff Howsego, Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service 
Sector Resources: Chris Strickland, Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service 
Finance: Phil Hales, West Midlands Fire Service 
International: Paul Walker, Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service 

16. How do we keep progress moving?
Home Office recognises NFCC and CFOA as the professional voice of the fire service and also fully support the new NFCC and fulltime Chair role
Greater collaboration with other emergency services and organisations to deliver resilience and response – JESIP to become supported and embedded
Less risk adversity – learn from trials which didn’t work
New National Fire Chiefs Council drives change through being at the ‘heart of the agenda’
New Coordinating Committees have membership from within and outside of the sector
A sector-led approach that ‘Thinks Nationally but Delivers Locally’
Be proud of our achievements and celebrate success – the best emergency services in the world !

17. Thankyou for Listening