To consider report CFO/011/20 of the Assistant Chief Fire Officer concerning  the Joint Competent Authority (JCA) arrangements, with Liverpool City Council.

Presentation to follow report. 

Members considered report number CFO/011/20 of the Assistant Chief Fire Officer, concerning the establishment of the Building Safety Group (BSG) with Liverpool City Council and key stakeholders/partners, previously referred to as the Joint Competent Authority (JCA). The creation of the BSG and the secondment of a Merseyside Fire & Rescue Authority (MFRA) Officer responds to the recommendations as contained within the Dame Judith Hackitt Review in relation to the Grenfell Tower fire.

Members were given a brief introduction of this report, highlighting the BSG’s purpose to arrange joint inspections with key stakeholders.  They were told that they can receive further information regarding future meetings of BSG if they wish. 

Station Manager Dave Watson then presented to Members about the joint work that MFRA are doing with Liverpool City Council (LCC) in response to the Grenfell Towers incident which happened in 2017. 

High Rise Reassurance Campaigns have took place throughout Merseyside, which included work ensuring General Fire Precautions and Home Fire Safety Checks for communities.  All the information gained from this work is stored on a database, which is due to be fully completed by next summer. 

Members were advised that a large exercise took place recently at Irlam House, a high rise building located in Bootle, and the training was very successful. 

MFRA have had an Officer seconded into this joint working role with the Local Authority since October 2018 and it is a key working strategy. 

Group Manager Chris Head then advised Members that the plan to second an officer in this way is very well thought out and that other services have followed this practice.  He added that sharing information is very important and that this ensures MFRA have direct access to all the data stored with the Local Authority on this practice.  The data we have about cladding on buildings is a big part of keeping firefighters safe.  After 2 years around 200 properties have been looked at with regards to Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) and its removal.  There are 5 High Rise buildings left on Merseyside that have cladding and it is ongoing to get this removed. 

It was explained to Members that due to the different types of legislation for different properties (ie: Housing Act and Fire Safety Order) that these powers require revising to assist Fire Services in their duties.  MFRA will continue to work closely with the Local Authorities to ensure properties and the public remain as safe as possible. 

Members asked if the Local Authorities are enforcing the assistance with MFRA with regards to the removal of cladding and where advised that they are.  It was added that MFRA can serve Prohibition Notices and this means people are required to leave properties immediately – about 20 of these are served a year and there have been no appeals on Merseyside in relation to this. 

Members then raised a question of whose responsibility it is to re-home any tenants that were forced out of their properties and it was confirmed that this is the responsibility of the housing service or student accommodation service.  It was added it is more difficult for people in privately owned properties, but that MFRA would notify Local Authorities if required and would not leave people homeless. 

It was asked by Members if any of the 5 remaining high rise buildings were occupied and if they were, was there any provisions in place, for example Fire Marshalls.  Members were informed that there is a degree of cladding on the properties and that owners are aware of this.  Student accommodation do have Fire Marshalls. 

A question was raised by Members asking if properties, which were not high rise buildings, still have cladding on and were informed that properties below 18 metres were not classed as high rise and that they have limited cladding composite.  It was added that a firefighters definition of a high rise is anything they cannot reach via their ladders.  There are proposed changes anticipated to lower the height of a high rise building from 18 metres to 11 metres and that a new strategy will be looked at if this is the case. 

Members asked who was responsible for costs of cladding removal if the property is privately owned and were advised that the Government are providing funding for this, so the work will still be carried out, but that timescales are given by the owners. 

The “Stay Put” system in relation to fires in high rises buildings was raised by Members and they asked if this system is still instructed.  Members were advised that it depends on the type of fire, but due to Grenfell changes have taken place regarding this.  The “Stay Put” system does work if the fire remains departmental.  The “Stay Put” system is changed to “immediate evacuation” if it is deemed unsafe.  The remaining 5 high rise buildings have an “immediate evacuation” system in place. 

Members were given information on the way in which ACM is used on buildings and the materials that are used in the fixing of it.  MFRA Fire Safety Inspectors now ask if properties have had assessments on the building in relation to the building material to see if it is fit for purpose. 

Members Resolved that:

the content of this report and accompanying presentation, be noted.