Agenda and minutes

Contact: Helen Peek  Email: DemocraticServices@merseyfire.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

6.

Chairs Announcements

Minutes:

Prior to the opening of Agenda business, the Chair requested any members of the Press or Public present, with intention to record the proceedings of the meeting, to make themselves known to the Chair.

 

The Chair confirmed to all present that Mr and Mrs Brace would be filming the proceedings, and extended a welcome to the couple.

 

Members were reminded to ensure any private, confidential or exempt information was not on display.

 

Announcement from the Chair of the Authority:

 

After considering Members feedback in relation to the time change of the next Authority meeting, the Chair of the Authority has confirmed that the Authority meeting 16th December 2014 will be held at the earlier time of 11.00hrs. Political pre group meetings are to be held at 10.30hrs if required.

 

It was noted that both Councillors Gladden and Mahon may need to leave the meeting early, to enable attendance at another meeting outside of this Authority.

 

1.

Preliminary matters

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.

 

Minutes:

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)  Agenda item 5 - CFO/109/14 JCC Update, required the exclusion of the press and public during consideration thereof because of the possibility of the disclosure of exempt information. This report contains Exempt information by virtue of Paragraph 3, of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972

 

2.

Minutes of the Previous Meeting pdf icon PDF 30 KB

The Minutes of the Previous Meeting, held on 29th July 2014, are submitted for approval as a correct record and for signature by the committee chair.

Minutes:

Members considered the Minutes of the previous meeting held on 29th July 2014

 

Resolved That:

 

The Minutes of the previous meeting held on 29th July 2014 were approved as a true record, and accordingly by the Chair.

 

 

3.

IRMP Supplement 2015-17 pdf icon PDF 38 KB

To consider Report CFO/108/14 of the Deputy Chief Fire Officer, concerning the content of 2015/17 Integrated Risk Management Plan (IRMP) Supplement subject to a period of 12 weeks consultation prior to implementation.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Members considered report CFO/108/14 of the Deputy Chief Fire Officer regarding the IRMP supplement for 2015 to 2017.

 

Discussion took place regarding objectives and targets for working with Social Landlords and the possibilities of being able to do similar in relation to Private Landlords. Members were advised that although the Service does and will continue to, work with Private Landlords as much as possible, Officers could only plan objectives using the data available. Such data relates to Social Landlords at the moment.

 

Members advised that the Liverpool Charter for Private Landlords would help to create a register to identify problems moving forward.

 

The Chair asked if consultation would be the same as usual consultations. It was confirmed that there would be public, staff, and representative body consultation as well as a Merseyside wide forum through Opinion Research Services.

 

Resolved that:

 

The content of 2015/17 Integrated Risk Management Plan (IRMP) Supplement subject to a period of 12 weeks consultation prior to implementation, be approved.

 

4.

Operational Recruitment Strategy 2014/15 pdf icon PDF 62 KB

To consider Report CFO/110/14 of the Deputy Chief Fire Officer, concerning the operational recruitment strategy for 2014/15 and endorsement of the proposed contractual terms to be applied.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Members considered report CFO/110/14 of the Deputy Chief Fire Officer regarding the operational recruitment strategy for 2014/15, seeking endorsement of the proposed contractual terms to be applied.

 

The Chief Fire Officer provided an overview of the background to the financial position the Authority are faced with in relation to Budget cuts in recent, current and future years, and the decisions the Authority have taken to maintain wholetime Firefighters, and moving forward, the importance of increasing wholetime retained contracts to maintain the 4 appliances at the stations subject to merger or outright closure proposals.

 

Members considered the four options which the Chief Fire Officer had presented as follows::

1.    Community retained Firefighters,

2.    21 hour contracts,

3.    Retained with additional hours (0 hours contract) or

4.    32 hour contract combined with a 42 hour wholetime retained contract

 

Cllr Byrom left the meeting 13.25 hrs

 

The Chief Fire Officer advised Members that his preferred option was option 4. However he did advise that Officers would continue negotiations with representative bodies to attract more existing Firefighters to sign up to wholetime retained contracts, and should sufficient numbers of existing Firefighters sign up, recruitment would be reviewed, though it was important to be mindful that some recruitment will be required at intervals moving forward to ensure there is succession planning.

 

Discussion took place regarding maintaining high levels of training and competence and ensuring that hours worked are pensionable.

 

Cllr Gladden left the meeting 13.30hrs

 

Resolved that:

 

Members note and endorse:

 

a)    the recruitment process contained within the report.

 

b)    the recruitment of trainee firefighters under the flexible contractual arrangements specified within the report specifically a combined 32 hour wholetime / 42 hour wholetime retained Contract (averaged over a 7 day period).

 

c)    that the feasibility of recruiting Firefighters onto a 120 hour retained contract is explored in order to future proof recruitment and maximise flexibility.

 

d)    the development of an apprenticeship model for future recruitment to be the subject of a further report to the Authority at such a time when further information is available.

 

 

5.

JCC UPDATE

To consider Report CFO/109/14 of the Deputy Chief Executive, concerning progress in relation to the works on the Joint Command and Control Centre (JCC).

 

This Report contains EXEMPT information, by virtue of Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972.

Minutes:

Members considered Report CFO/109/14 of the Deputy Chief Executive, who provided an update of progress in relation to the outstanding works on the Joint Command and Control Centre (JCC).

This report Contains Exempt information by virtue of Paragraph 3, of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972.

 

Resolved that:

 

The award of the JCC Stage C construction contract to SPIE and approve the allocation of contingencies to the budget for the works as set out at in the report, be approved.