Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service is asking the public for views on how it manages the risks it faces across the county, as well as five different areas of its work, from how it responds to automatic fire alarms, to firefighters’ shift patterns.
This eight-week consultation is part of a statutory process, with information feeding into the fire service’s Integrated Risk Management Plan (IRMP) for the next three years (2019 to 2022); essentially a plan for how it provides its services.
The fire service regularly assesses all foreseeable risks that could affect its operations. This includes considering one-off type events such as countywide flooding and terrorist attacks, in addition to the more usual responses to fires, animal rescues and road traffic collisions.
A key part of this review is to invite the public to share their views through this consultation and at a number of events around the county. The particular areas which the fire service is seeking feedback on are:
- Automatic Fire Alarms and Unwanted Fire Signals
- Response to Road Traffic Collisions
- Shift Patterns
- Specialist Rescue Capabilities
- Speed of Response to Emergency Incidents – Performance Measures.
Mark Hardingham, Suffolk’s Chief Fire Officer, said:
“By constantly reviewing our service, we can ensure a balance of our Prevention, Protection and Emergency Response services to communities across Suffolk, keeping residents safe.
“This has helped Suffolk to largely reflect the national trend amongst fire services, with an overall reduction in the number of 999 calls, fire deaths and injuries in recent years.
“When we put together our last IRMP three years ago, input from the public positively affected and influenced its content. I would again encourage people to get involved with their fire service by sharing their thoughts on the five areas we have highlighted."
The consultation will run from Monday 11 February to Sunday 7 April 2019. The draft IRMP, supporting documents and online consultation are available at www.suffolk.gov.uk
Staff from the fire service will be making visits around Suffolk, so people can find out more about their work and the consultation. All visits are from 10am to midday. Upcoming dates are:
- 4 March: Bury St Edmunds: Sainsburys, Bedingfield Way
- 14 March: Haverhill: Sainsburys, Haycocks Road
- 21 March: Newmarket: Tesco, Fordham Road
