Members are requested to consider the identification of:

a)  declarations of interest by individual Members in relation to any item of business on the Agenda

b)  any additional items of business which the Chair has determined should be considered as matters of urgency; and

c)  items of business which may require the exclusion of the press and public during consideration thereof because of the possibility of the disclosure of exempt information.

Members considered the identification of declarations of interest, any urgent additional items, and any business that may require the exclusion of the press and public.

Resolved that:

a)  no declarations of interest were made by individual Members in relation to any item of business on the Agenda

b)  no additional items of business to be considered as matters of urgency were determined by the Chair; and

c)  no items of business required the exclusion of the press and public during consideration thereof because of the possibility of the disclosure of exempt information.

The Minutes of the Previous Meeting, held on 2^nd February 2021, are submitted for approval as a correct record and for signature by the committee chair.

The Minutes of the previous meeting, held on 2^nd February 2021 were approved as a correct record and for signature by the Chair.

To consider Report CFO/015/21 of the Acting Monitoring Officer, concerning the future of remote Authority meetings and requesting that the amendments made to standing orders and procedural rules for remote meetings are withdrawn on the condition the regulations do expire on 7^th May 2021.

Members considered Report CFO/015/21 of the Acting Monitoring Officer, concerning the future of remote Authority meetings and request that the amendments made to standing orders and procedural rules for remote meetings are withdrawn on the condition the regulations do expire on 7^th May 2021. 

Members were given a brief overview of the report and were informed that the next full Authority meeting will be after the time the regulations are due to expire on 20^th May 2021. 

Members were advised that the Democratic Services Team are reviewing the maximum capacity for Members to attend meetings at Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service (MFRS) Headquarters in the Conference Suites.  At the smaller committee meetings, there will be enough room for all Members and the press/public to attend, but at the full Authority meetings this will be more difficult and there will be a limited number of spaces for press/public to be present.  Due to this only at full Authority meetings the press/public gallery will be on a first come first serve basis, whereby the amount of seats available will be advised on the Agenda pack prior to the meeting. 

Members were happy with the way MFRS have conducted themselves and have been Covid safe on their premises and welcomed the next stage of the process. 

Members queried if it would be possible to support the recent challenge in the High Court in relation to remote meetings for local authorities as there would be a preference to keep a hybrid system in place for future meetings as remote meetings had benefits and for some are a preferred method of attendance, as it gives Members lots of flexibility.  Members were advised that lots of organisations were keen to support the hybrid system for future meetings and that the legal matter had been put to the High Court.  Members were informed that we await the outcome of this case.

Members resolved that:

a)    The legislation to hold Authority meetings remotely has not been extended, be noted;

b)    The Acting Monitoring Officer be instructed to review the options available to the Authority for face to face meetings to recommence that will be compliant with Government guidance;

c)    The removal of the amendments to the standing orders and procedural rules contained within Appendix B from the constitution subject to the Remote Meetings Regulations expiring on 7^th May 2021, be approved; and

d)    The changes to the constitution as detailed in paragraph 8, be approved. 

To consider Report CFO/017/21 of the Chief Fire Officer, concerning Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service’s (MFRS) inspection by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS), which will start on 10^th May and advising that a self-assessment (Appendix A) and document request have been submitted as part of the inspection process.

Members considered Report CFO/017/21 of the Chief Fire Officer, concerning the inspection by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) will start on 10^th May and that a self-assessment (Appendix A) and document request have been submitted as part of the inspection process. 

Members were given an overview of the report and were reminded that we have had previous inspections.  The details of key changes since the first round of inspections was highlighted to Members. 

Members were advised that Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority (MFRA) had no areas of improvement identified in a way that others have done since the last inspection, although MFRA have continued to improve as a Service. 

Members were advised that this inspection will run over a 6 week period and that it will be virtual due to Covid19. 

Members resolved that:

The information contained in this report about MFRS’s forthcoming HMICFRS inspection, be noted. 

To consider Report CFO/014/21 of the Chief Fire Officer, concerning the support provided by MFRA Volunteer Workforce, to health colleagues, to support the delivery of the Covid-19 vaccination programme.

Members considered report CFO/014/21 of the Chief Fire Officer concerning, the support provided by Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority (MFRA) volunteer workforce to health colleagues to support the delivery of the Covid19 vaccination programme. 

Members were given a presentation updating the Authority on the utilisation of volunteers, to support the response to the pandemic.

Group Manager Mark Thomas introduced the following presentation – Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service Supporting the Vaccination Programme. 

Members were updated with the following timeline:

•      Covid19 arrived on the planet in December 2019

•      On 31st January 2020, coaches from London carrying passengers from Wuhan were quarantined in Wirral (the start of the journey regarding Covid19 and the start of a huge multi agency response locally)

•      March 2019 (6 weeks later) lockdown began and before Boris had even given this lockdown speech, clinical trials to find a vaccine against the Sars Covid 2 virus had begun across the globe

•      April 23^rd 2020 (4 weeks later) Dr Elisa Granato a Microbiologist was one of the first two people to trial the Oxford vaccine on 23^rd April 2020

•      MFRS officers co-opted onto various working cells as part of the multi agency response under the Local Resilience Forum (LRF), this split mid year to include vaccination cell which initially was focussing on hope that the flu vaccine would be delivered against a backdrop of Covid

•      Then in October 2020 the cell was given information that the plan would not be used for Flu but for Covid vaccines which were in the advanced stages.  Information was released that Covid vaccines would be ready (at scale) for deployment from 2^nd December 2020 and plans were drawn up to deploy.  It is hard to believe the pace. 

•      Structures were agreed through the LRF on a place based delivery model for Cheshire and Merseyside ~ 9 places

•      8^th December 2020 Grandmother Margaret Keenan was the first person in the world to be given the Pfizer Covid19 vaccine as part of a mass vaccination programme

Since March 2020 MFRA staff had already undertaken various different tasks in support of the multi-agency response to the pandemic and with our well established existing relationships with our health colleagues, it was asked what we could do to help. 

MFRS asked the Nation Health Service (NHS) could they help and were told ‘yes’ they would appreciate the assistance.  In December 2020 conversations were had with St Helens and Knowsley’s NHS Teaching Hospitals Trust who were the designated workforce leaders for the vaccination programme.  They wanted vaccinators and admin staff, so to begin with 60 volunteers from MFRS were provided. 

All MFRS staff were asked if they would like to help and again staff volunteered their services in the hundreds.  All staff (from every department of the service) stepped forward of their own accord as they all wanted to be a part of the solution to end the pandemic.  Around 200 staff are part of the vaccination team.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

To consider Report CFO/016/21 of the Chief Fire Officer, concerning an increase in the capital budget to support additional temporary classrooms and a general refresh of the facilities at the Training & Development Academy (TDA).

Members considered report CFO/016/21 of the Chief Fire Officer concerning, an increase in the capital budget to support additional temporary classrooms and a general refresh of the facilities at the Training & Development Academy (TDA). 

Members were given a brief introduction of the report, highlighting that there is a proposal in the 2021-24 draft IRMP to build a new TDA at Long Lane in 2023.  Originally the current TDA site was planned for a full refresh costing around £5-6 million, but as a new TDA now may be agreed to be built, it is not worth spending that amount.  Repairs etc still need to be completed on the current TDA site to meet the standard for training provisions which is why the request for £150,000 has been brought to the Authority.    

The reasons for the additional needs to the site where brought to Members attention and they were advised that this is an interim arrangement. 

Members asked for clarity regarding the Covid budget reserve that these costs are being used from to ensure there are sufficient funds to cover the costs and were informed that £300,000 was allocated to us from the Government at the end of last year.  £200,000 is being carried forward into 2021-22 and MFRA premises are now Covid sercure, meaning no more PPE is required, so Finance are confident the costs can be used from this budget. 

Members resolved that:

a)    the TDA requiring investment in order to maintain the expected standards for training delivery in the forthcoming three years’ subject to the proposed move to the new site on Long Lane (subject to approval), be noted; and

b)    the allocation of £150,000 to support the capital work required for the essential maintenance of the current TDA and National Resilience facilities, be approved.