Agenda item

The Assistant Chief Fire Officer Operational Assurance and Service Improvement introduced the report which provided Members with an update on the Service’s performance against each of the key performance indicators (KPIs).  Appendix 1 to the report included the Corporate Scorecard, which reflected the Quarter 2 position against targets set and the year-on-year direction of travel for the Service’s KPIs.

Members were referred to Appendix 2 of the report which contained a detailed description of each KPI, including a summary of current performance and any actions taken to improve performance. 

It was noted that deaths in primary fires had become red in Quarter 1, but that there had been no further deaths in Quarter 2.  Accidental dwelling fires was showing slightly above target, but figures for fires started in the kitchen were lower compared with last year.  Prevention work had continued with a focus on kitchen fires in the home and the Service had utilised the 23 virtual station open days to promote safety messages and these open days had had 153,000 views across social media platforms. 

It was noted that the Pandemic and lockdown had had an effect on regulatory work with businesses and non-domestic premises, so the target had not been achieved.  However, fires in non-domestic premises were well below target with 66 against a target of 87. 

There had been 56 working days lost due to injuries, but this was because of two injuries sustained in the previous year which were carried over even though the actual events happened in the previous year.  On a positive note Quarter 2 had not seen any days lost due to injury.

On-call availability was showing Amber with 78% against a target of 85 and the Head of Service Delivery reminded Members that in Q1 the on-call availability target had been achieved. This occurred within the first period of national lockdown when many on-call staff were working from home or furloughed from primary employment.  As lockdown restrictions were lifted over the second quarter the Service experienced a downturn in availability, but the direction of travel across all on-call stations showed an improving picture in comparison with the previous year.  Overall availability in Q2 was 6% higher than in the same period last year.  In order to provide some assurance to Members, he reported that Cheshire is very much at the centre of the national discussion about the on-call duty system and this could only support the work of the On-Call Programme in Cheshire.

The Assistant Chief Fire Officer Operational Assurance and Service Improvement outlined the hard work undertaken by staff in conjunction with partners and local authorities to manage the risks associated with Covid.  This included deliveries of prescriptions, shielding visits, bulk deliveries of PPE and pre-operation swab tests.   

A Member asked about the ten minute standard and the references to four failures for distance from the station and whether this was normal or something to be concerned about.  The Assistant Chief Fire Officer Operational Assurance and Service Improvement responded that the time would always depend on where fire engines were at the time of call.  However, the Service was always concerned about failures to achieve the standard.  The Head of Service Delivery confirmed that the Service scrutinises every failure to try to understand the reasons why this occurred and to be certain that everything had been done in order to get to an incident with the standard.

Members wished to record their thanks to all staff who had gone above and beyond to help unitary authorities and other partners during the Pandemic and lockdown periods.

RESOLVED: That

[1]       the Performance Report – Quarter 2, 2020-21 be noted.