The London Safety Plan 2010-2013 - Case Study Example

COMMUNITY FIRE SAFETY Introduction The London Safety Plan 2010-2013 sets out priorities for the next three years (Szerlagi, 2011). During this time, the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority is anticipated to deliver the Mayor’s priorities for an effective and efficient fire and rescue service for London at a period when the public sector is expecting to see considerable reductions in spending (Szerlagi, 2011). In order to achieve this, the authority considers partnering with the private sector and other public sectors in service delivery and make use of alternative and more innovative approaches. Furthermore, in order to reduce fires and false alarms, which are deemed as the major challenging targets, the authority considers making best use of its employees, and introducing novel working patterns which will also enable firefighters to perform an array of activities such as community fire safety work and training (London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority, p. 7; TheBigRedGuide.com, 2011). It is however apparent that the London Safety Plan, which incorporates the Integrated Risk Management Plan has to conform to the Governments guidelines for such plans. In this case, this report will focus on how the plan conforms and does not conform to the government’s guidelines-Civil Contingencies Act 2004: a short guide. Furthermore, the report will consider the Future Action Plans in terms of the risk analysis carried out within the plan. The Act, and accompanying regulations and non-legislative measures, will deliver a single framework for civil protection in the United Kingdom capable of meeting the challenges of the twenty-first century (Civil Contingencies Secretariat, p. 2). How the plan conforms and does not conform to the governments guidelines Part 1 of the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 centers on local arrangements for civil protection, setting up a statutory framework of the responsibilities and roles of the local responders (Civil Contingencies Secretariat, p. 2). Local responders in this aspect are grouped into two, category one responders who includes the local authorities and emergency services who are at the center of emergency response; and category 2 responders including transport and utility organizations and Health and Safety Executive who are highly engaged in incidents which impact their sector, whilst they have reduced set of responsibilities (Civil Contingencies Secretariat, p. 2-4). Category 1 responders are necessitated by the Act to: evaluate the risk of emergencies taking place and employ this in informing contingency planning; set up emergency plans; establish Business Continuity Management deals; introduce arrangements to make sure that the public obtains information regarding civil protection concerns and uphold arrangements to inform, warn and advise the public in case of an emergency; Share information and co-operate with other responders to boost efficiency and co-ordination. (Civil Contingencies Secretariat, p. 3) The London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority have various roles and responsibilities. For instance, the authority has a responsibility of ensuring strategic direction of the London Fire Brigade, and in addition, sets performance targets, priorities and determines policy (London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority, p. 7). The authority also works closely with the Local Government and the Government Association and in London local government through London Councils in order to effectively perform its responsibility in national development in the United Kingdoms fire and rescue service (London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority, p. 7). In the United Kingdom, emergency powers permit the formulation of special temporary legislation to handle the very serious of emergencies which necessitates an urgent response (Civil Contingencies Secretariat, p. 4). The emergency powers Act which extends to the entire United Kingdom puts forth novel definition of emergency at the contemporary times and integrates novel threats and risks that were not very pertinent in 1920, encompassing contamination of and as a result of chemical or biological terrorist attacks, terrorist attacks and loss of communication systems (Civil Contingencies Secretariat, pp. 4-5). The plan conforms to the government’s guidelines of responding to emergencies as it has outlined various emergency measures. For instance, as outlined in the section of preparing for emergency incidents, the London fire brigade has 113 fire stations which operate 24 hours every day through out the year. Furthermore, the fire brigade offers 169 fire engines and 102 specialist operational vehicles encompassing additional vehicles offered to drastically improve the responder’s capability to react to terrorist attacks amongst other catastrophic emergencies (London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority, p. 7). The fire brigades answers almost two hundred and fifty emergency calls and attends to about one hundred and forty thousand emergencies of which fourteen thousand are serious fires, encompassing six thousand and five hundred fires at home. The London Fire Brigade both attends to emergencies and its main objective is stopping fire from taking place initially, with an aim of prevention (community safety), and protection (fire safety regulation) (London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority, p. 7). In order to deal with the danger of fire and such injuries obtained form fires at home, the authority has established a dynamic programme of education initiatives and community safety founded on the broad understanding of those persons most at risk. The implication of this is that the authority’s prevention work frequently entails working in regions of social deficiency and with persons who are engaged in antisocial behaviour, encompassing premeditated fire setting (London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority, p. 7). This conforms to the governments guidelines which necessitates such plans to introduce arrangements to make certain that the public obtains information about civil protection issues and sustains arrangements to inform, warn and advise the public in case of an emergency. Furthermore, the plan conforms to the government’s guideline which necessitates the responders to share information and cooperate with other local responders to boost efficiency and coordination. This is evidenced by the fact that, the authority works closely with the London boroughs together with an array of other agencies in the private, public, and voluntary sectors all of which are active participants in the deliverance of local area accords with disorder partnerships and local strategic partnerships (London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority, p. 7; Szerlagi, 2011). The London fire brigade has also conformed to the governments guidelines by putting in place business continuity management arrangements. As outlined in the document, the Brigades business continuity management systems which proved to be very efficient in the year 2009 were put into practice during the outbreak of swine flue and severe weather conditions (London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority, p. 27). The Flue Pandemic and Business Continuity Plans were employed throughout the Brigades strategic reaction to these matters and offered the pertinent employees with command structure, information and tools essential to manage the authority’s services and activities (London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority, p. 27; TheBigRedGuide.com, 2011). The plan also conforms to the government guidelines whereby the responders are supposed to assess the risks of emergency taking place and putting in place emergency plan (Civil Contingencies Secretariat, p. 3). This is evidenced by the fact that the plan has also outlined the number and types of incidents dealt with which offers a foundation of what can be done to avoid the same (TheBigRedGuide.com, 2011). The fire brigades prevention priority as documented in the plan is as follows; Fires – the London fire brigades addresses approximately six hundred fires every week, with a casualty level of about five casualties for every a hundred incidents (London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority, p. 15). The fire brigades fire prevention approach centers on the causes and places where it perceives regulation or education will modify behaviour to prevent unnecessary fires. False alarms to automatic fire alarms- The Fire Authority and the Fire Brigade encourages the installation of alarm systems and fire detection as they offer essential early warning which ensures avoidance of harm and damage reduction (London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority, p. 15). Nevertheless, non maintenance, negligence, and poorly positioning of automatic fire alarm systems results to around one thousand unnecessary false alarms every week. These can nevertheless be reduced through proper managerial controls (TheBigRedGuide.com, 2011). People shut in lifts- The Fire Brigade attends to approximately two hundred and fifty calls of persons shut in lift every week. The fire brigade attends to these emergencies although managerial controls and poor maintenance of the lifts means that the responders are attending to faulty lifts. Malicious calls- The Fire Authority and the Fire Brigade have been efficient in lessening the number of hoax calls attended to. In addition, they believe that proper education, identification and prosecution of persons who make such calls will result to further reduction. Transport incidents- as documented in the plan, road accidents results to the highest number of casualties. The Fire Authority and the Fire Brigade nevertheless believes that such casualties can be prevented if the concerned bodies take adequate measures to achieve the same. Future Action Plans in terms of the risk analysis As documented in the plan, the main objectives of the London fire authority and fire brigade is to prevent, protect, and respond in case of an emergency (London Fire Brigade, 2010). They center their effort on community safety initiatives, encompassing the services offered in partnership with local responders. Through the employment of sophisticated technology, the fire and rescue authority will be able to identify the places more likely vulnerable to fires therefore, target persons who are at high risk from fires. In order to lessen the number of fires, the plan has outlined fires by the kind of property affected and their causes which encompass fires in dwellings, fires in non-domestic buildings, deliberate outdoor fires, and deliberate vehicle fires (London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority, pp. 16-19). Through this, the authority has laid forth in the plan, the authority has set out fire safety regulation which assists in preventing, reducing and attending to such risks in case they occur. References Civil Contingencies Secretariat. Civil Contingencies Act 2004: a short guide (revised) London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority. London Safety Plan 2010/2013. www.london-fire.gov.uk [Accessed November 29, 2011]. London Fire Brigade. 2010. London Safety Plan. http://www.london fire.gov.uk/LSP4Consultation.asp. [Accessed November 29, 2011]. Szerlagi, Peter, 2011. LSP4 London Safety Plan 2010/2013. https://sites.google.com/site/londonukpublicsafety/home/london-fire-service/safety-plan-2010-2013 [Accessed November 29, 2011]. TheBigRedGuide.com, 2011. Public consultation for London Fire Brigade's new fire safety plan agreed. http://www.thebigredguide.com/news/public-consultation-for-london-fire-brigade-s-new-fire-safety-plan-agreed.html [Accessed November 29, 2011]. TheBigRedGuide.com, 2011. Fourth London safety plan comes under aegis of London Fire Brigade. http://www.thebigredguide.com/news/fourth-london-safety-plan-comes-under-aegis-of-london-fire-brigade.html [Accessed November 29, 2011]. Read More