Agenda item

An update will be provided by the Chief Fire Officer on the three-person crewing trial as discussed with this committee in September 2023.

The Chief Fire Officer provided background information on the three-person crew trial as discussed with the Committee in September 2023.

The Deputy Chief Fire Officer then gave an overview of the outcomes of the trial and current situation.

Members asked questions and responses were provided as follows.

Cllr Whieldon enquired about training and job shadowing to gain experience.

– Training opportunities were open to everyone regardless of gender and it was possible to join three-person crews to assist, making it a four or five-person crew in practice. While standard training was provided to full time staff, different approaches were taken with on-call teams to adapt to local stations’ requirements.

Cllr Fox-Hewitt wished for further insights in relation to the statement that attendance got worse since the beginning of the trial and full times crews weren’t guaranteed to be available.

– This situation occurred at the beginning of the trial as on call-staff had to be dismissed following inappropriate behaviour. Filling the vacancies was taking time. The team was working hard to increase availability, showing passion and commitment for the job.

Cllr Fox-Hewitt enquired about alternatives to the three-person crewing system.

– The on-call team could decide to respond as a three-person crew or not, the system allowing to get to the site without delay.

Cllr Northcott asked if the process was meant to apply to all situations or if this was customised depending on specific cases as well as about cross border arrangements with other authorities.

– The new system allowed for more flexibility as opposed to how things were before and teams were recruited in coordination with multiple stations.

Cllr Reece enquired about firefighters’ health checks.

– Fitness was indeed a priority and regular fitness assessments had to be passed on an annual basis. Any issues could be raised with no need to go through a hierarchy.

Cllr Heesom wondered about the possibility for members of the Committee to visit a fire station.

– This could be arranged.

Cllr Jones asked about breathing apparatus.

– It was recognised that two of these would need to be deployed to the fire location straight away along with other battery powered rescue gear.

Cllr Fox-Hewitt enquired about a recent incident where a member of the public allegedly had to assist the firefighters by putting up a ladder onto a property.

– It was stated that the feedback was inaccurate but a full investigation was underway.

Cllr Fox-Hewitt asked about the operating of devices by three-person crews.

– Battery powered apparatus was preferred as there was no reliance upon hydraulic hose; three-person crews may not fully resolve incidents but they would get things started through quicker interventions such as getting people out of a car and saving lives.

Cllr Whieldon congratulated the team on progress made and thanked them personally for when she herself got caught into a collision.

The Commissioner brought members’ attention to a recent data breach and information distributed in Newcastle and other places in Staffordshire. The quality of information shared through the Council channels of communication was to be thoroughly checked in order not to induce loss of confidence in the service. Disciplinary action should be taken against individuals not complying with the guidelines.

Resolved:    That the update be noted.

Watch the debate here