To consider Report CFO/007/15 of the Deputy Chief Fire Officer, concerning the outcomes of public consultation on the Integrated Risk Management Plan (IRMP) Supplement 2015/17; and the publication of the final post-consultation version of the IRMP 2015/17 Supplement.

Members considered Report CFO/007/15 of the Deputy Chief Fire Officer, concerning the outcomes of the public consultation on the Integrated Risk Management Plan (IRMP) Supplement 2015/17 and publication of the final (post consultation) version of the IRMP 2015/17 Supplement.

The Deputy Chief Fire Officer provided Members with an overview of the report, which detailed the content of the IRMP Supplement 2015/17 document and the consultation process undertaken.

Members commented on the quality of the document, which they felt was very clear and useful for public consumption.

Members requested that the document detail more explicitly, the work which is undertaken with the Authority’s partners and how they could work more closely with Health and Wellbeing Boards in the future.

Members Resolved that:

a.    The responses received to the consultation, be agreed as having been adequately considered and reflected within the Integrated Risk Management Plan 2015/17 Supplement, where appropriate.

b.    The document be amended slightly, to detail more explicitly work with partner agencies and how the Authority could work more closely with Health and Wellbeing Boards moving forward.

c.    With the amendments to the document as detailed above, the IRMP 2015/17 Supplement, be approved for publication.

d.    The document, which is a supplement to the IRMP 2013/16 and continues to reflect the challenging budget position, be noted. In order to set a balanced budget further savings of £6.3m will need to be made by 1^st April 2016 (£2.9m from support staff, £3.4m from front line fire stations). 

These savings will be made by:

·         A reduction of approximately 90 Firefighter posts

·         Merging fire stations – 3 pairs of stations have been identified for potential merger

·         Closing fire stations – initially Allerton but potentially other sites in the future

·         Loss of 40+ support staff posts

e.    Their commitment to ensuring that the impact of the changes on the communities of Merseyside should be minimised and firefighter safety maximised, be re-affirmed and it be noted that there are areas of the IRMP that will have significant impact upon our staff.  In line with all staffing matters these will be the subject of additional staff consultation/negotiation.  Likewise fire station mergers and closures have been, and will continue to be, subject to extensive public consultation. 

f.     That the Chief Fire Officer be requested to report the outcomes of these consultations separately to the Authority, as appropriate. 

g.    Prior to any implementation (and in line with normal practice) the Chief Fire Officer be instructed to exercise his full delegated responsibility for completing those consultations/negotiations and managing the implementation of any changes.

h.    A further report be brought back to an appropriate Committee, concerning a review of how the new Automatic Fire Alarm (AFA) Policy is working.

i.      A report be brought to a future meeting of the Community Safety & Protection Committee, details the Authority’s current involvement with an representation on the Health and Wellbeing Boards across the Districts of Merseyside.