To consider any apologies for absence.

Apologies of absence were received from Councillor Sue Murphy

To consider any declarations of interest for any items on the agenda.

There were no declarations of interest made by Members at this meeting

The minutes of the previous meeting of the Policy and Resources Committee held on Thursday 14^th December 2023.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the last meeting held on Thursday 14^th December 2023 were agreed as an accurate record.

To consider a report relating to Merseyside Fire and Rescue Services, Service Delivery Plan 2023-34 Oct- Dec Update (Report CFO/18/24).

Chief Fire Officer Phil Garrigan introduced the Service Delivery Plan and provided an update for the October–December 2023-24 period.

The Chief Fire Officer discussed Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authorities performance and progress against the Service's Functional Plans and the IRMP objectives

Members' attention was drawn to page 22 which displayed the emergency calls received in MFRA’s Fire Control and noted the Service’s proactive protection activity for the 2023–24 period.

It was reported that there had been a reduction in the volume of calls for 2023, with Fire Control handling 15,991 calls, which was 4,299 fewer than the previous year. It was also noted that, compared to previous years, 97.7% of calls were responded to within 10 seconds.

The Chief Fire Officer praised the staff in Fire Control for their outstanding performance.

Members were made aware of the two accidental dwelling fire fatalities, which were contained on page 26 of the report, and were advised that a correction had been made by the coroner. Members were informed that one of the two fatalities was not caused by fire, and it was concluded to be a cardiac arrest.

The Chief Fire Officer reported that only one fatality would be recorded for the cumulative period. It was added that the fatality was close to the end of this period of monitoring, and it was noted that if MFRA continued to have only one fatality, it would be the lowest number recorded by MFRA. The Chief Fire Officer added on behalf of the Authority, everybody’s sincere condolences for the family and the communities of Merseyside associated with the fatality.

It was noted that on page 30, the performance indicators recognised a requirement for work to take place in relation to false alarms due to an increase in incidents..

The Chief Fire Officer drew Members' attention to page 32 which displayed the shifts lost due to sickness absence, and

reminded the Members that the Scrutiny Committee were reviewing the sickness absence data.

Councillor Hanratty also discussed his concerns around false alarms, it was noted that the numbers of false calls were increasing again. Councillor Hanratty inquired if there was anything Members could assist with relating to recurring patterns of false alarms from hospitals and student accommodation.

The Chief Fire Officer reported the increase and described the type of incidents the service responded to. The Chief Fire Officer informed Members that MFRA would continue to respond and agreed with Councillor Hanratty that unwanted false alarms could be a result of failing apparatus. It was noted that work with the provider of services to reduce the impact of the system not being installed correctly or the apparatus not updated could mitigate and manage the risk.

Members were advised that the increase in incidents was predicated on MFRA's statutory duty to collaborate with other Blue Light Services in response to gaining entry on premises where vulnerable individuals were located.

Members were also reassured that the incidents relating to fire were reduced over the five- and 10-year period. The  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

To consider a report relating to Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service, Service Delivery plan 2024-25 (Report CFO/17/24).

The Chief Fire Officer, Phil Garrigan, presented the report and explained that the station plans were tailored and bespoke to the station areas It was explained that the report presented the Authority's intentions for the next 12 months, including the ambitions and plans for the Community Risk Management Plan (CRMP), functional plans, and station plans.

The Merseyside plan was  distilled down into functional areas, including prevention, response, protection, and preparedness. It was added that local management teams look at risks in their community. The Chief Fire Officer noted that some stations had specialist capabilities, as reflected in the CRMP.

Members were advised that the performance indicators for 2023–24 were used to identify the key performance indicators for 2024–25.

The Chair of the Authority, Councillor Byrom, drew Members' attention to the forward-looking report from April onwards and which explained that Aintree Fire Station and Croxteth Fire Station were being  merged into the new Training and Development Academy (TDA) Building.

With regards to sharing information with the districts, Deb Appleton explained that the report taken to members was not the version that the partner districts would receive. It was explained that the Authority would incorporate the districts feedback into the CRMP.

Jackie Sutton added that the station plans for Aintree and Croxteth were deliberately included due to them being working stations until the 1^st of April 2024; it was explained when an update was provided in June, that Croxteth and Aintree would be removed.

RESOLVED that the attached Service Delivery Plan (Appendix A) and Station Plans for 2024/25 (Appendices B-X) be published before the publication of a designed version on the Authority's website. A Word version like that attached to this report will also be available for accessibility to be considered and approved.

To consider a report relating to the Bulk Fuel Contract Under New CCS Framework (Report CFO/19/24).

The Chief Fire Officer, Phil Garrigan, presented the report that outlined the fuel consumption of the Fire Service and how fuel was supplied. The Chief Fire Officer also noted that the Authority had eight diesel tanks as a contingency plan as part of its business continuity arrangements.

It was noted that the service was moving towards hybrid vehicles, but the Authority had not moved to all-electric vehicles, and it was explained that MFRA was required to maintain the fuel supplier as an effective way of responding to emergencies using the Authority’s existing fleet.

The Chief Fire Officer emphasised the importance of ensuring that the Authority provides diesel fuel to the fire appliances and officers’ vehicles to be able to respond effectively to any incidents across Merseyside.

The Chair, Councillor Roberts, queried how long the CCS (Crown Commercial Services) Framework had been in place. The Chief Fire Officer advised that the framework had been in use for a number of years, and members were advised that further information would be provided in due course.

RESOLVED that the award of a contract estimated at £500,000 from 01/04/24 to 31/03/26 for the provision of bulk fuel supplies under Crown Commercial Services RM6177 framework agreement awarding to Standard Fuels, who is our current supplier, be approved.

To consider a report relating to the Proposed Refurbishment of Bromborough Fire Station (Report CFO/016/24).

This minute contains exempt information by virtue of paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972.