2017-2020

National Fire Chiefs Council Strategy

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Contents

Contents 2

1 Foreword 3

2 Introduction 4

3 Strategic commitments 5

4 Structure and committees 7

4.1 National Fire Chiefs’ Council structure 7

4.2 Committees 8

5 National Fire Chiefs’ Council principles 9

5.1 Decision making 9

5.2 Communications 9

5.3 Commitment of chief fire officers and other senior leaders 9

5.4 Accountability, direction and control of the National Fire Chiefs’ Council 10

5.5 Accountability, direction and control of the National Fire Chiefs’ Council Chair 10

5.6 Support to the National Fire Chiefs’ Council 10

5.7 Funding 10

6 Strategy areas 11

6.1 Assessing community risk 11

6.2 Digital 13

6.3 Workforce reform 15

6.4 Finance 17

6.5 Governance 19

7 Contact and further information 20

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1 Foreword

The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) came into effect on 1 April 2017. This new professional

body not only gives UK fire and rescue services a prime opportunity to develop and deliver change

to transform the service from the bottom up, but has also produced a set of bold and ambitious

strategic commitments for individual fire and rescue services to adopt and adapt to the needs of

their communities.

The NFCC strategy is intended to provide a set of strong, concise strategic commitments that form the basis of the Council’s engagement with stakeholders. These will in turn guide the objectives for the Central Programme Office (CPO), and Coordination Committee work plans. The strategy supports continued transformation across UK fire and rescue services, benefitting both communities and employees by delivering efficient, effective and innovative services.

Emergency response remains the foundation of services. But the public’s trust in fire and rescue

services allows them to deliver wide-ranging community engagement activities that will save and

improve lives. These activities remain aligned to the risks associated with the work of fire and rescue

services which they carry out under various pieces of legistlation, frameworks, regulations and

guidence.

Fire and rescue services should base their activities on evidence-based risk assessments that

balance public expectation and needs and are delivered by a diverse workforce with effective

leadership. Well-developed and consistently applied community risk assessments ensure fire and

rescue services can make the greatest impact to reduce risk and vulnerability in their communities.

Phil Loach

NFCC Vice Chair

Roy Wilsher

NFCC Chair

Huw Jakeway

NFCC Vice Chair

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2 Introduction

Fire and rescue services throughout the UK have undergone a significant period of change which

has presented real challenges to the sector. The drivers for change, either in individual or across

multiple services, include;

}} financial constraints,

}} sector reviews,

}} merging or combining fire and rescue services,

}} governmental department changes and

}} new employer governance arrangements.

The National Fire Chiefs’ Council strategy is aligned to the national

opportunities, risks and issues facing UK fire and rescue services

and is focused on a professional approach with a commitment to

collaboration and added value.

Past changes have also presented opportunities along with

challenges for the sector, requiring a collaborative approach

that offers both sector-led and cross-sector solutions. There is an

increased emphasis on collaboration and partnerships across blue

light services, with collaborative models benefiting all UK fire and

rescue services in delivering public safety and prosperity. In addition,

working with partners other than just the blue light services is an

important part of delivering the NFCC strategy.

The three-year strategy will be reviewed based on the pace

of change. It will accommodate an annual delivery plan,

recognising that activities may span more than one year. Due to

the environment in which the fire and rescue service operates, it is

unlikely that the strategic direction will remain unchanged beyond

the first three years. Regular reviews of external impacts and horizon

scanning will ensure the strategy remains valid and relevant.

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The strategy is made up of five themes. Within each theme are

a number of commitments made by UK fire and rescue services.

These commitments guide, focus and enable delivery of services

in an effective way. They will allow flexibility to deliver the

strategy at a local level, based on the most appropriate means

determined by each fire and rescue service. This allows the NFCC

to translate these strategic commitments into action, prioritising

the areas that add visible value across UK fire and rescue services

as a whole which will benefit the communities we serve through

reducing risk and vulnerability.

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3 Strategic commitments

The National Fire Chiefs’ Council is the leading professional and technical voice of UK fire and

rescue services and is committed to supporting their development to ensure the best possible

outcomes for their communities.

The Council will:

Work with fire and rescue services to ensure that community risk assessments:

} Align to a national definition of risk.

} Support the development of risk assessment methodology that allows a consistent risk-based approach to community risk management planning.

} Enable UK fire and rescue services to focus resources on activities where they will have the greatest impact on reducing risk and vulnerability within their communities.

Encourage and assist fire and rescue services to:

} Maximise the added value of digital solutions.

} Use information technology innovatively.

} Share and use data across fire and rescue services and partners to support service delivery and make the sector more effective and efficient.

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} Provide professional advice to, and work with, existing and emerging governance models.

} Provide expert opinion of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and risks of these models and how they can support the delivery of services to local communities.

} Lead the fire and rescue sector as it continues to build a representative workforce possessing the appropriate skills, experience and leadership qualities to deliver a range of services to the community, embraces change and delivers a broad set of interventions to reduce harm and make communities safer and healthier, affording them greater opportunity and prosperity.

} Work with partners to deliver multi-year budget settlements, collaboration and transformational funding, giving UK fire and rescue services the opportunity to plan for the future and support the delivery of sustainable transformation and reform.

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4 Structure and committees

The following sections set out the structure and principles to assist and support delivery of the

NFCC strategy.

4:1 National Fire Chiefs’ Council structure

Prevention

Vice Chair

Chair

Improvement and Assurance

Vice Chair

Finance Protection and Enforcement

Health Sector Resources

Workforce Operations

International

Lea

ds

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4:2 Committees

The coordination committees have been established by the NFCC. They will lead and direct work

nationally, on behalf of the NFCC in accordance with the objectives and actions identified in

the NFCC annual plan. In developing priorities and policies, committees consider the different

governance, legislative and organisational aspects affecting UK fire and rescue services.

The coordination committees will work within their remit to:

}} Support the development of the NFCC’s annual plan.

}} Deliver the agreed priorities and projects of the annual plan.

}} Develop professional expertise and guidance.

}} Provide advice and speak on behalf of fire and rescue services in the specialist areas within

the remit of the committee.

}} Share good practice, evaluation and learning between fire and rescue services and

appropriate partners to encourage the adoption of new and innovative schemes that deliver

positive outcomes for communities.

}} Engage and influence key stakeholders.

}} Collaborate to deliver beneficial outcomes where appropriate.

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5 National Fire Chiefs’ Council principles1

The following NFCC principles are intended to ensure that:

}} The NFCC is effective in providing coordinated leadership across the UK.

}} The views of the fire and rescue services represented are appropriately considered.

}} The NFCC Chair and others working on behalf of the NFCC are supported, including when

they are representing and providing advice on behalf of the NFCC.

}} The priorities in the agreed annual plan are achieved.

}} The advice and views expressed on behalf of the NFCC are authorised and supported.

}} Decision-making and accountability at a local level is not compromised.

}} The roles and responsibilities of elected politicians are respected.

5:1 Decision making

The NFCC agrees guidance and policies (developed via its committees), promotes best practice,

provides coordinated support, provides advice for governments and other stakeholders and is the

professional voice of UK fire and rescue services.

The expectation is that NFCC recommendations will have been properly researched with the

matter appropriately debated and considered. A range of different views will have been heard

and a decision taken through an appropriate representative route. On that basis, the expectation is

that decisions will be adopted and followed by fire and rescue service senior leaders and applied in

their services.

5:2 Communications

Communications within the NFCC are important for stakeholders to have and maintain a current

knowledge of changes, issues and concerns.

5:3 Commitment of chief fire officers and other senior leaders

Support to the NFCC is provided by the Chief Fire Officers’ Association (CFOA) or other third parties.

Chief fire officers are expected to provide the NFCC and third parties with a reasonable level of

assistance in accordance with the strategy

1 The NFCC Principles are being reviewed following the establishment of this strategy so may be subject to change.

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5:4 Accountability, direction and control of the National Fire Chiefs’ Council

Because the NFCC is formally a committee of CFOA, the CFOA Trustees maintain an oversight of the

operation of the NFCC from the perspective of good and effective governance. This oversight and

governance will inform the performance management of the NFCC Chair.

5:5 Accountability, direction and control of the National Fire Chiefs’ Council Chair

The fire and rescue services’ representatives agree that the NFCC Chair shall be responsible for

the matters set out in their job description. The NFCC Chair is specifically empowered to speak on

behalf of the NFCC.

5:6 Support to the National Fire Chiefs’ Council

CFOA provides administrative and governance support to the NFCC, NFCC Chair, NFCC Vice

Chairs and coordination committees. The CFOA Trustees will be responsible for determining how

that support is provided.

5:7 Funding

CFOA is responsible for the administration of funding for the NFCC. The NFCC may agree to support

specific projects, research, development of guidance, secondments and other investments among

other activities.

See: NFCC Operating Principles (Effective from 1st April 2017)

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6 Strategy areas

6:1 Assessing community risk

The national fire and rescue frameworks set expectations

for fire and rescue services to identify and assess the full

range of foreseeable fire and rescue related risks their area

may face. There is however, currently no single UK-wide

methodology to assess risk and reduce harm in communities.

A clear definition of risk would allow communities to hold

the performance of their fire and rescue service to account.

However, it is currently difficult to benchmark and compare

performance between fire and rescue services given

their different approaches to risk management. Working

with fire and rescue services to ensure that community

risk assessments align to a national definition of risk will

allow a consistent risk-based approach to community risk

management planning and enable fire and rescue services

to focus resources on activities where they will have the

greatest impact on reducing risk and vulnerability.

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To achieve this commitment the NFCC will:

}} Develop a national toolkit reflecting the dynamic

nature of risk to give a common set of tools to apply

to the risk assessment process. The national toolkit

will provide a methodology that enables fire and

rescue services to provide services to the community

in a flexible and agile way.

}} Develop national best practice collaboration on

prevention, protection and response doctrine,

encouraging its adoption across fire and rescue

services.

}} Commit to research and development to inform

government on the role of fire and rescue services

and the evidence underpinning risk assessments.

}} Establish a national agreement in which fire and

rescue services take primacy at incidents that

involve rescue and/or where there are potential

gaps or little clarity over primacy.

}} Support fire and rescue services in coordinating the

response to national emergencies.

}} Work with partners in service delivery to achieve the

best outcomes for communities.

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6:2 Digital

Technology has advanced significantly over the last decade

and can now act as an enabler, not only speeding up

business processes but also generating intelligence through

analysis that allows evidence-based decisions to be made.

The NFCC wants to create a culture and environment where

data can be collected to add value to the activities of the

sector and partners, whilst allowing outcomes to be properly

evaluated against objectives.

The NFCC wants to encourage and assist fire and rescue

services to make the sector more effective and efficient by:

}} Maximising the added value of digital solutions.

}} Using information technology to support collaboration,

and to share innovatively and effectively.

}} Using data across fire and rescue services and

partners to support service delivery.

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To achieve this commitment the NFCC will:

}} Develop a digital strategy aligned to the business

objectives and needs of the sector.

}} Put effective structures in place to ensure the

appropriate governance of data and develop

national structures to ensure a consistent approach

to the use of technology.

}} Develop methods and tools that enable data to

be analysed in a way that determines the value of

outcomes delivered by fire and rescue services.

}} Promote and manage data sharing within the fire

sector and with partners that is usable, relevant and

tied to the goals and strategy of the sector (e.g. a

central depository for data and open data).

}} Implement technology solutions to support data

automation and sharing between services.

}} Identify advanced technical solutions to improve

community interventions and firefighter safety.

}} Identify means for real time information being

passed to and from an incident ground.

}} Promote the use of data and technology to support

community risk assessment.

}} Provide cyber security advice to fire and rescue

services in line with national guidelines.

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6:3 Workforce reform

Traditional perceptions of a firefighter have acted as a

barrier to attracting applicants from diverse backgrounds.

This has led to a limited range of skill sets, experience and

behaviours with which to deliver change. Retention and

promotion that ensures diversity at every level of fire and

rescue services is important in enabling critical thinking,

effective judgement and better decision making.

The NFCC wants to lead the fire and rescue sector as it

continues to build a representative workforce with the

appropriate skills, experience and leadership qualities to

deliver a range of services to the community, embraces

change and delivers activities to reduce harm and make

communities safer and healthier.

The role of employees within the UK Fire and rescue service

can be demanding both physically and mentally at times.

This is taken seriously by each fire and rescue service who

recognise that the health and wellbeing of employees is key

to delivering the objectives and priorities laid out within the

strategy.

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To achieve this commitment the NFCC will:

}} Promote the NFCC people strategy across fire and

rescue services.

}} Strengthen leadership and line management to

support organisational change and delivery for

communities.

}} Develop cultural values and behaviours to

promote fire and rescue services as prosperous

and rewarding places to work.

}} Develop ways of working that respond to service

model needs.

}} Support excellent training and education to ensure

continuous improvement of services to the public.

}} Strengthen the ability to provide an excellent

service by diversifying fire and rescue service

personnel and creating a fair, equal and inclusive

place to work.

}} Continue to support the health and wellbeing of

all our staff.

}} Strengthen leadership within the sector to drive the

change agenda and deliver the NFCC Strategy.

}} Create a range of development routes and

qualifications to give the sector the people

and skills needed to perform effectively whilst

improving practice.

}} Promote appropriate leadership behaviours within

the sector to drive workforce reform and deliver

change.

}} Provide support to develop a process for tiered

entry for middle and strategic management

positions if the need is determined locally.

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6:4 Finance

Budget reductions within the sector have emphasised the

importance of robust financial planning, without which a

balanced budget is difficult to achieve.

Public sector reform and change often requires funding

as a catalyst and enabler. With limited funding for change

available to fire and rescue services, reforming services takes

longer, resulting in reduced benefits. Innovative solutions

require front-loaded financial commitment to enable

implementation and added value.

The NFCC will work with partners to deliver multi-year budget

settlements, collaboration and transformational funding,

giving fire and rescue services the opportunity to plan

for the future and supporting the delivery of sustainable

transformation and reform.

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To achieve this commitment the NFCC will:

}} Influence future budgets with the view to obtaining

longer term budget forecasts, aiding long term

financial planning.

}} Work with partners to ensure that fire and rescue

services are sufficiently funded to meet the

expectations placed on them, specifically ensuring

that new requirements placed on fire and rescue

services are fully funded.

}} Identify potential funding models that support the

delivery of reform.

}} Develop quantifiable assessment of value and

metrics for the effective use of financial resources.

}} Identify areas where funding opportunities exist,

including;

}} Through collaboration with partners to achieve

effectiveness and efficiencies and

}} Alternative funding streams to support existing

funding structures.

}} Deliver value for money through procurement

practices and the effective use of procurement and

collaboration opportunities.

}} Work across fire and rescue services and with other

organisations including supply chains to ensure

continued efficiency, effectiveness and value.

}} Provide guidance on income generation and

commissioned activities.

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6:5 Governance

Local government in the UK has been undergoing significant changes, including fire service

governance, with legislation and local authority reform presenting opportunities for fire and rescue

services.

The NFCC will work to maintain a professional fire and rescue service that maintains and improves

services to the community. Locally chosen governance models should therefore maintain service

delivery and enable improvement along with collaboration opportunities.

The NFCC wants to provide professional advice to, and work with, existing and emerging

governance models for fire and rescue services, giving expert opinion of the strengths, weaknesses,

opportunities and risks of these models and how they can support the delivery of services to local

communities.

To achieve this commitment the NFCC will:

}} Promote the independence of operational decision making of officers.

}} Provide advice on the functions of the governing body and officer responsibilities, making

sure that officer responsibilities are carried out in a way that provides clarity.

}} Advise governing bodies on economy, efficiency, effectiveness and impact on public

safety.

}} Continue to work to ensure that fire service budgets remain focused on delivering against

local objectives.

}} Make use of the opportunities alternative governance may provide in delivering a

collaborative approach across public services to ensure the greatest value to the public.

}} Support officers in providing local advice to ensure we have governance structures that

appropriately scrutinise and that are transparent and accountable to the public.

}} When governance changes occur, work with local key stakeholders to support an

evidence-based options appraisal for future governance that supports the delivery of

services to the community.

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7 Contact and further information

9-11 Pebble Close

Amington

Tamworth

Staffordshire

B77 4RD

Email info@nationalfirechiefs.org.uk

Telephone +44(0) 1827 302300

Website https://www.nationalfirechiefs.org.uk/

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/CFOAUK/

Twitter https://twitter.com/National Fire Chiefs Council_FireChiefs

YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHpvPZXHkpAhF7WhUZgYDLA

© West Midlands Fire Service 2017 1718•169