To receive a presentation by the Community Safety Manager, North Wales Fire and Rescue Service.
Minutes:
The Chair welcomed Mr Gwyn Jones, Community Safety Manager (Gwynedd & Anglesey) – North Wales Fire and Rescue Service to the meeting.
Mr Gwyn Jones gave a presentation to the Committee on the functions of the North Wales Fire & Rescue Service as regards to fire safety, firefighting, attending road traffic accidents and emergencies (water rescue/flooding) in accordance with the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004. He said that ten years ago statistics showed that North Wales had the highest proportion to population of deaths from accidental fires in dwellings in England and Wales which was considered unacceptable. The Chief Fire Officer’s Task Group was established to examine the Service’s strategy and policies for preventing accidental death from fires within homes together with reviewing performance management process and profiling of victims and incidents. He noted that to date, one person has died this year due to accidental fire within the home. Mr Jones said that contributory factors to accidental death from fires were being alone; age (over half were 60+); having a disability, rented accommodation, fire interaction (smoking, cooking left unattended); alcohol and drugs and having no working smoke alarm. He said that profile of the Fire & Rescue Service was reviewed with joint working undertaken with services within local authorities, police and other local agencies to share information and identify venerable persons to avoid possible accidental fires.
The Chair thanked the Community Safety Manager (Gwynedd & Anglesey) for his presentation. The Committee considered the information presented and made the following points:-
· Clarification was sought as to whether the Fire Service is continuing to be able to erect fire alarms, without charge, within residential dwellings. The Community Safety Manager (Gwynedd & Anglesey) responded that a grant is received by Welsh Government which enables the Fire Service to purchase the equipment but it is the Fire Service who funds the erection of the fire alarms in dwellings. He further said that Fire Officers are able to give advice to residents when visits are undertaken as regards to fire safety and the prevention of fires within the home environment. He noted that working in partnership and sharing information with local authorities and other statutory agencies, the Fire Service is able to target the most vulnerable persons within the local communities to prevent possible fires within the home;
· Questions raised as to whether the Fire Service continues to attend local events and Agricultural Shows to promote the service offered to residents as regards to fire prevention. The Community Safety Manager (Gwynedd & Anglesey) responded that the Fire Service attends such events but strives to share facilities with other emergency services to enable budgetary savings;
· Concerns were raised that local highways have been closed due incidents of flooding/accidents/bridge closures recently and the effect it has on congestion of vehicles and the potential delay for the emergency services. Members of the Committee expressed that local communities are not informed of road closures and considered that Town/Communities Councils should be informed of any local road closures/incidents. The Assistant Chief Executive (Partnership, Community & Service Improvements) responded that the Highways Authority together with the UK Highways deals with such procedures with regards to road closure issues. She noted that she would discuss the matter raised with the Highways Department of this Authority;
· Reference was made to issues with gorse fires with the majority of incidents are deliberate and use valuable emergency services resources. The Community Safety Manager (Gwynedd & Anglesey) responded than the Fire Service has an Arson Reduction Team who work closely with the Police Authority and whose main aim is to help tackle the problem of deliberate fire setting so that people, communities, businesses, the environment and the area’s heritage are not put at risk. Preventing deliberate fire is paramount by working closely with local authorities and communities to intervene early when anti-social behaviour begins. He noted that the Fire & Rescue Authority has an educational vehicle to raise awareness of arson related issues and prevention of fires;
· Clarification was sought as to whether there is recruitment issues within the Fire & Rescue Service. The Community Safety Manager (Gwynedd & Anglesey) responded that the challenge in the recruitment of persons as part-time firefighters is that a person needs to be within five minutes of the station and are suitable to undertake such requirements of a firefighter.
· Questions were raised as to whether collaboration exists between the Fire Service and the RAF Valley Firefighter Service. The Community Safety Manager (Gwynedd & Anglesey) responded that the Fire Service use the facilities at RAF Valley as regard to LGV testing and firefighting training is afforded to the RAF Valley firefighting personnel aswell; a few of the RAF Valley firefighting personnel are also part-time firefighters with the North Wales Fire & Rescue Service.
Councillor Richard Griffith, invited in respect of Item 3 as representative of the Council on the North Wales Fire & Rescue Authority) said that during previous consultation on the North Wales Fire and Rescue Service budget a suggestion was made that one of the two fire engines in Wrexham be taken out of service but due to strong public opinion within the Wrexham area the reduction in the fire engines in Wrexham did not materialise. He expressed that continued increase in the precept on local authorities is of a concern and residents are having to face increases within their Council Tax bills.
The Chair thanked the Community Safety Manager (Gwynedd & Anglesey) for attending the meeting.
It was RESOLVED to request the North Wales Fire & Rescue Authority to attend to meeting on an yearly basis.
ACTION : As noted above.