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Cornwall Fire, Rescue and

Community Safety Service

Prevention and

Protection Strategy

2016-19

“Working together to make Cornwall safer”

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Contents

Executive Summary 4

Introduction 5

Our priorities and objectives 6

Prevention 6

Protection 6

Our objectives, how do we know our risks? 7

Prevention specific risks 7

Fire 7

Road 8

Water 8

Health 9

Protection specific risk 11

Protect (risk reduction) 12

Enforce 13

Resources 14

What will we do to support our objectives and deliver our outcomes? 15

Fire 16

Road 16

Water 17

Health 18

Support 20

Protect 21

Enforce 21

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Executive Summary This document is Cornwall Fire, Rescue and Community Safety (CFRCS) Service

Prevention and Protection strategy. This strategy gives a high level strategic

overview of what our prevention and protection priorities, risks and activity will be

across Cornwall for 2016 to 2019.

This strategy is driven by evidence from our Risk Based Evidence Profile (RBEP)

and the Safer Cornwall Strategic Assessment. These enable us to identify local

risks to local people and businesses which inform the provision of local services

that meet the needs of our community.

This strategy is part of a suite of other community safety strategies and needs

assessment for Cornwall such as Domestic Abuse, Drugs and Alcohol. Please click

on the highlighted links throughout this strategy for more in-depth information on

a specific area of interest.

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Introduction CFRCS Service is a service of Cornwall Council with the aim of ‘Working together

to make Cornwall Safer’. After extensive consultation, CFRCS Service has set out

its 2016-19 Service Plan. This explains CFRCS Service priorities, objectives,

outcomes and how we will work to achieve them.

Integrated within our plan is a three-year Integrated Risk Management Plan

(IRMP), which is a strategic document that identifies and addresses the risks to

our communities. Nationally, strategic direction is taken from The Chief Fire

Officers Association (CFOA) PPRS business plan 2016-19 in relation to home, road

and business fire safety.

Our Prevention and Protection strategy is aligned to Cornwall Councils strategy,

supporting the strategic themes of

‘healthier and safe communities’

‘engaging with our communities’.

‘driving the economy’

Our Risk Based Evidence Profile (RBEP) helps identify which incidents pose the

greatest risks to our communities and who is at most risk.

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Our priorities and objectives

Prevention

CFRCS Service priority under the prevention element of our plan is:

‘To improve the health safety and wellbeing of people

and places most at risk’

In order to do this our objective is:

‘To deliver targeted services based on risk and

vulnerability, working in collaboration with others’

Protection

CFRCS Service priority under the protect element of our service plan is:

‘To protect businesses, people, the local economy and

environment’

In order to do this our objectives are:

‘To engage with, educate and support businesses,

partners and communities to promote good practice’

‘To regulate and enforce legislation for commercial and

public premises to protect people’

In the achievement of our protect priorities we will work with and

support delivery of economic growth agendas specifically:

Cornwall Deal – devolution of greater powers over areas of public spending which are currently controlled by London.

Better Business for All - business-focused project about working with the business community to improve how regulatory services are delivered in Cornwall

Local Enterprise Partnership - Local Enterprise Partnership driving activity to support business growth led by local business people

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Our objectives, how do we know

our risks?

The driver behind our prevention and protection activity is evidence. This is drawn

from the Risk Based Evidence Profile (RBEP). This document is one of two needs

assessments produced within CFRCS Service to inform our service plan with the

other being the Safer Cornwall Strategic Assessment. The Strategic Assessment

provides a profile of crime, substance use and anti-social behaviour in Cornwall

and highlights the priorities for the Safer Cornwall Partnership.

Prevention specific risks

CFRCS Service is aware of the unique geographical nature of Cornwall and the

associated risks which will be accounted for in our prevention focus. This enables

better identification and targeting of limited resources based on risk and

understanding of our communities.

CFRCS Service uses its prioritisation matrix to help understand which emergency

incidents pose the greatest risk locally. This forms our local priorities enabling the

delivery of local services to local people. CFRCS Service will use key risk data from

our RBEP to drive prevention activity.

The key risk data from our RBEP combined with other risk information and

accounting for developing areas such as Fire and Health enables us to identify 4

key areas where we will focus our prevention activity, Fire, Road, Water, and

Health.

Fire

Nationally

The most current government data shows that in 2014-15, 63% of all fire

fatalities (163) were accidental dwelling fires. This is 30 per cent lower than ten

years ago and is the lowest number recorded to date.

Locally

In Cornwall there were 266 accidental dwelling fires during 2014-15 which

resulted in 3 fire related fatalities. All victims were over the age of 65. In 2015-16

there were 3 dwelling fire related fatalities with all victims over the age of 65.

There has been an 8% reduction in accidental dwelling fires. However our RBEP

shows that the most time (in fire fighter hours) is spent attending these incidents

over any other incident type.

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Road

Nationally

The most up to date DfT estimates show that motor vehicle traffic in Great Britain

increased by 2.3% for the year ending June 2015 from the previous year. The

provisional figure of 314.6 billion vehicle miles is the highest rolling annual total

ever. There were also 1,780 road deaths in the year ending September 2015.

Locally

In Cornwall there were 1263 collisions resulting in 1790 casualties for the year

ending September 2015. These collisions included:

213 seriously injured and 10 fatalities

Of these fatalities:

6 were the vehicle driver/ rider

1 was a passenger 3 were pedestrians

The most frequent contributory factors associated with injury collisions for the

period were human behaviour as found in the Risk Based Evidence Profile 2014.

The top four were:

Failed to look properly Poor turn or manoeuvre Exceeding speed limit

Careless/reckless/in a hurry

The priority road user groups for Cornwall are motorcyclists, pedal cyclists, older

drivers (60 and above), pedestrians and young car drivers/passengers ages 17-

27.

Water

Nationally

Over half of drowning fatalities were under 25 and is one of the ten leading causes

of death amongst those between 1 and 24. There were 633 water-related

fatalities in 2014, twice the number that died in fires. 44% of those who drowned

in 2014 had no intention of going into the water.

In the five years between 2008 and 2013 the South West region saw 88 fire

deaths. In 2013 alone 53 people lost their lives to drowning across the same area.

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Locally

Cornwall has a unique geography lying on a long peninsula with no inland area

more than 20 miles from the sea and a coastline of over 400 miles. Cornwall has a

recognised port and a large maritime industry.

CFRCS Service responded to 19 boat related incidents in 2015-16 with 8 of these

being fires.

In 2015-16 the number of flooding incidents attended by CFRCS Service more

than doubled to 133 compared to 61 in 2014/15. Over the past three years in

Cornwall there have been two deaths due to flood and water rescue related

incidents. Flooding continues to remain a standard risk and is featured on the

community risk register and CFRCS Service will maintain preparedness to respond

to flooding incidents.

Health

Nationally

Demand for health and social care is rising as a result of an increase in the

numbers of children and adults with long term conditions, alongside an ageing

population. Almost twice as many people over 50 now die in dwelling fires each

year compared to those under 50.

A 2014 study into the main contributory risk factors for fire-related fatalities

identified the following key contributors:

Living alone

Limited mobility

Smoking

Drugs (prescription and illegal)

Poor housekeeping

Alcohol

Mental health

Living alone was the most frequently occurring risk factor for accidental dwelling

fire. The study also found that older people, particularly those aged 85+, were

significantly overrepresented in the data and deemed to be very high risk.

670,000 home visits were carried out by the Fire and Rescue Services in England,

providing an opportunity to deliver improved proactive support that delivers

increased integrated care between the relevant organisations.

Locally

In Cornwall our RBEP shows there have been five fire-related fatalities due to

accidental dwelling fires over the past 3 years. There have also been 13 serious

casualties and 35 slight casualties.

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In Cornwall one in six accidental dwelling fire fatalities and casualties are aged

80+. The 70-79 age groups has seen the second highest rate of fatalities and

casualties due to accidental dwelling fires which indicates that the elderly are

most vulnerable in the event of an accidental dwelling fire.

In 2015/16 CFRCS Service; with partners, carried out 2142 home fire safety

checks in people’s homes.

Protection specific risks

The RBEP identifies the greatest risk to the public being fires in non-domestic

premises with sleeping risk. The categories of premises in this are:

Hotels / hostels/ B&B / youth hostel and other holiday accommodation

Hospitals and medical care Residential home

In order to reduce the risks the service has developed its own Risk Based Inspection Programme (RBIP) which sets out premises types that are prioritised

and the frequency re inspection frequency determined by the Fire Safety Audit compliance score.

We will use key risk data from our RBEP to drive our business fire safety activity.

Our business fire safety work can be brought together under 3 key areas of focus:

Support, Protect and Enforce.

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Support

Nationally Business data shows that in 2015, there were 5.4 million private sector

businesses in the UK, up by 146,000 or 3% since 2014. In 2015, there were 1.9

million more businesses than in 2000, an increase of 55% over the whole period.

Small businesses accounted for 99.3% of all private sector businesses at the start

of 2015 and 99.9% were small or medium-sized (SMEs). Total employment in

SMEs was 15.6 million; 60% of all private sector employment in the UK. The

combined annual turnover of SMEs was £1.8 trillion, 47% of all private sector

turn-over in the UK.

Locally

Businesses in Cornwall are, on average, smaller in terms of employee numbers

than the national average. 97% of businesses are small or micro level, employing

less than ten people in 2015.

The Public register details enforcement and Prohibition notices issued by fire

safety officers in Cornwall. This information is also shared with CFOA on the enforcement register. Non-compliance with notices could put the public at risk and

has significant impact on the business and their economic activity.

Reducing the regulatory burden on business is a priority for the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP).

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Protect (risk reduction)

Nationally

Over the ten years from 2003/04 to 2013/14, there have been:

11,156 fires in retail and vehicle trade premises resulting in 378 casualties,

including 12 fatalities 8,837 fires in recreational and other cultural services resulting in 115

casualties, including 3 fatalities

5,041 fires in restaurants, cafes, pubs, etc. resulting in 270 casualties, including 5 fatalities

4,208 fires in schools resulting in 129 casualties 3,648 fires in hospitals and healthcare resulting in 412 casualties, including

4 fatalities

2,823 fires in industrial premises resulting in 102 casualties, including 1 fatality

1,846 fires in hotels, boarding houses, hostels, etc. resulting in 172 casualties, including 4 fatalities

924 fires in FE, HE and pre-schools resulting in 19 casualties

Locally In 2015/16 fires in non-domestic premises have been reduced to 125 a reduction

of 13% on the previous year and the lowest total for 6 years.

Sleeping risk premises have seen the biggest fluctuation in fire safety compliance

and non-sleeping risk premises have seen the least change through regular

auditing. Over the past seven years sleeping risk premises have seen the greatest

improvement but also the most deterioration to compliance scores compared with

non-sleeping risk premises.

This suggests that sleeping risk premises would benefit most from fire safety

advice and regular auditing. Non-sleeping risk premises have seen the least

change in fire safety compliance through regular inspection.

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Enforce

Nationally

Fire and Rescue services have a legal duty to enforce the Regulatory Reform (Fire

Safety) Order 2005 for almost all places in England and Wales, except those used

solely for domestic purposes and a few other minor exceptions. However, even in

domestic premises such as flats, the common or shared areas still come under the

regulations. We aim to work and support businesses where we can but will take

enforcement action where necessary and prosecute the most serious offenders. .

Locally

As of April 2016 the CFOA enforcement register details 14 enforcement notices

issued by fire safety officers in Cornwall.

CFRS enforces legislation relating to Explosives and Petroleum. Notices issued

regarding this aspect will be included on the dedicated register.

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Partners and volunteers

Resources CFRCS Service will continue to have a dedicated Protection and Prevention team, supported by command prevention and protection leads, watches, partners and

volunteers.

CFRCS Service will balance resource against commitments required to deliver our prevention and protection strategy to ensuring best possible service is maintained.

This includes working in collaboration with partners and volunteers in the delivery of prevention activity.

Resource area Function

Central prevention team Strategy, performance, delivery of team plan, campaigns, volunteers, direct delivery of high and medium risk Home Fire Safety Checks, fire, road, water and health intervention, events and education countywide.

Central protection team Strategy, policy, procedure, performance, consultation, delivery of team

plan, business support initiatives (LEP/BBFO), Primary authority, promoting technology (sprinklers), national campaigns, enforcement and legal support

Command prevention leads

Support prevention strategic deliver through group plans, geographic specific HFSC, locally targeted fire, road, water and health interventions

and prevention initiatives.

Command protection leads

Support protection strategic deliver through group plans, business fire safety audits (high risk), petroleum inspections, building/licensing/planning consultation, Unwanted fire signals, targeted campaigns

Watches Operational fire safety checks (low risk), initiatives, geographic specific HFSC, locally targeted fire, road, water and health interventions

Partners and volunteers Delivery of HFSC, support prevention initiatives, campaigns and events

Central

Prevention/

Protection

Team

Command Prevention /

Protection Leads

Partners and volunteers

Watches

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What will we do to support our objectives and deliver our outcomes?

To enable us to meet objectives and outcomes we have grouped our work into

areas of focus. This enables us to give clear operational context to each area, what we want to achieve (outcomes) and what are we doing and why.

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Prevention

Fire

Our outcomes

Reduced number of fires in the home

Reduced impact of fires in the home

Our high risk incident type identifed through our RBEP

Accidental dwelling fires (rate and severity)

Priority focus:

Cooking

Combustable articles too close to the heat Faulty electrical supplies

Our medium risk incident types identifed through our RBEP

Carbon Monoxide

Other accidental fires (Chimney, wildfires, vehicle fires)

Our actions – What will we be doing and why?

Continuing to use and develop the RBEP and prioritisation matrix to improve targeted prevention activity through addition of new data sources.

Maintaining existing and developing new partnerships in order to increase prevention activity regarding safety in the home.

Further enhancing home fire safety visits to incorporate health and

wellbeing checks in order to reduce accidental dwelling fires through identifying personal risk factors such as alcohol, smoking and mental

health. Continuing to deliver messages and information so as to raise general

awareness around the dangers of Carbon Monoxide. Promoting national safety messages in line with CFOA PPRS campaign

calendar in the promotion of nationally identified risks like chimney fires

and wildfires at key risk points in the year. Increasing existing CFRCS Service volunteer base to enhance resourcing

and support delivery of prevention activity. Building on initiatives such as ‘adopt a village’ in order to specifically target

prevention activity to areas outside our 10 minute station response times.

Maximising our use of all communication types, including social media to increase our reach across local communities in relation to fire prevention

messages. Supporting CFOA Aging safely strategy through initiatives in order to reduce

the risk of accidental dwelling fires amongst older people

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Road

Our outcomes

Reduced number of fatal collisions

Reduced number of serious collisions

Our high risk incident type identifed through our RBEP

Road Traffic collisions

Priority focus

Motorcyclists 500cc and higher

Pedal cyclists Motocycles up to 125cc Older Drivers 60 and above

Pedestrians Young car drivers/passengers aged 17-27

Our high risk driving behaviour identifed through our RBEP

Failing to look properly

Poor turn or manouver Exceeding speed limit Careless / reckless / in a hurry

Our actions – What will we be doing and why?

Continuing to use data from analysts locally and peninsula wide in

identifying the people and areas most at risk. This will enable us to

continually prioritise and target our road safety interventions and

educational initiatives towards high risk areas.

Promoting national road safety campaigns that reflect the CFOA PPRS

campaign calendar and Department of Transport themes and initiatives in

order to support and communicate national road safety messages locally.

Sharing expertise and best practice through our membership of Peninsula

Road Safety Partnership Board and CFOA Road Safety Strategic Leads

Network in order to improve outcomes.

Working with partners through the Road Casualty Reduction Partnership

and develop further relationships with key stakeholders through inclusion of

priority road user groups into the partnership in order to better inform and

improve outcomes of road safety interventions.

Expanding our driver training services through Phoenix Services Driving

Academy in order to train more people to drive and maximise revenue.

Maximising our use of all communication types, including social media to

increase our reach across local communities in relation to road safety

messages

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Water

Our outcomes

Reduced number of water related incidents

Ensure preparedness in response to water related emergencies

Our high risk incident type on our community risk register identified through our RBEP

Communities at risk of flooding

Our actions - What will we be doing and why?

Using CFRCS Service reputation and position within our communities to

build our water safety and drowning prevention initiatives such as ‘turn

around don’t drown’ and ‘Flood Ready’

Continuing to work in collaboration with CFOA, RNLI and the Royal Life

Saving Society (RLSS) locally and nationally in the support of national

water safety messages and campaigns.

Further developing strategies with our partners on the Local Resilience

forum in order to continue to improve resilience of communities at risk of

flooding.

Maintaining preparedness through specialist resources like specialist

Maritime and Water rescue response teams in order to continue response to

water related incidents.

Embedding drowning prevention messages within our Marine Fire-fighting

training syllabus in order to raise awareness amongst the maritime

industry.

Using technology effectively like social media in order to deliver water

safety messages through linking and supporting partner’s water safety

communications.

Maximising our use of all communication types, including social media to

increase our reach across local communities in relation to water safety and

drowning prevention messages.

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Health

Our outcomes

Improved health and wellbeing of individuals, families and communities

Priorities for health improvement in Cornwall as identified through health data by our Health and Wellbeing board for Cornwall

The five behaviours that lead to the five conditions which cause 75% of

premature death and disability in Cornwall

Priority areas for health identified through health data by our Health and

Wellbeing board for Cornwall

Smoking

Not eating a healthy balanced diet Alcohol misuse Low levels of physical activity

Lack of social connections.

Our actions – What will we be doing and why?

Developing our workforce skills in health advice and intervention in order to

help improve the health and wellbeing of our communities.

Enhancing our HFSC visits to include health and wellbeing checks in line

with identified health priorities with the aim of making every contact count.

Continuing to develop our partnerships with health services in the shared

use of CFRCS Service facilities to deliver effective and efficient health

interventions and response to our communities.

Work in partnership with Smoke-free Cornwall Alliance in order to assist in

increasing the number of referrals to the Stop Smoking Service

Working in partnership with Public Health, Health Promotion and Cornwall

Sports Partnership in order to assist development of the physical activity

strategy for Cornwall.

Supporting campaigns around mental illness, for example Time to Change

and Time to Talk in order to reduce stigma towards mental health.

Maximising our use of all communication types, including social media to

increase our reach across local communities in relation to health and

wellbeing.

Identifying and referring those in need to the winter wellness programme so

as to receive support and advice about keeping warm and well in winter

months and assessing eligibility for funding.

Encouraging engagement for isolated or lonely people in their local

communities or voluntary in order to help combat risks to mental and

physical health

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Protection

Support Our outcomes

Increased business fire safety compliance by engaging, educating and

supporting businesses and partners

Reduced cost of fire to the local economy and environment

Our actions – What we will be doing and why?

Working with the other regulators in Cornwall Council such as the Local

Enterprise Partnership in order to better support business in understanding

of fire safety legislation and promotion of good practice.

Promoting Primary Authority so as to develop new regulatory relationships

with businesses.

Continuing our joint inspections with licencing as part of multi-agency

targeted night time economy operations providing business fire safety

guidance.

Maintaining our initiatives aimed at improving business fire safety

compliance amongst licensed premises.

Providing easy to access information online and face to face to help

support businesses in making the right decisions in business fire

safety compliance.

Working directly with businesses to ensure they are clear on what

action they need to take and why to achieve fire safety compliance

using clear and uncomplicated resources and communication.

Through Cornwall Council, LEP, BBFA and other business forums

ensuring we share up to date knowledge in relation to business so we

can respond quickly to any emerging needs.

Continuing to undertake an efficient audit process in order minimise

business disruption for well managed businesses.

Exploring and developing chargeable fire safety training services in order to

provide businesses with fire safety training that will increase compliance

and reduce risk.

Promoting and supporting business fire safety campaigns in line with the

CFOA PPRS campaign calendar.

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Protect

Our outcomes

Places are better protected from fire

Reduced cost of fire to the local economy and environment

Our actions – What will we be doing and why:

Educating, informing and promoting to businesses and elected members the

benefits of sprinkler installation in order to reduce risk to life and improve

business continuity

Working with planning and building control to secure early dialogue about

sprinkler installations with developers

Engaging with elected members for more sprinkler installations to be

included in Cornwall Housing building programmes

Continuing to use risk management information specialists in identification

of the highest risk premises so as to better inform our risk based inspection

programme.

As part of the risk based inspection criteria specifically identify high risk

premises that are outside of the 10 minute station response time.

Working with other agencies and using local knowledge to identify high risk

premises so as to incorporate them into our risk based inspection

programme.

Continuing to be flexible in our approach to emerging local and national

trends and responsive to local knowledge in order to act where local risk is

identified.

Continuing to provide information on premises within the build environment

in the promoting of fire-fighter safety

Implementing a fit-for-purpose false alarms reduction policy incorporating

national best practice so as to reduce the number of false alarm

Identifying high-risk heritage buildings and provide advice and guidance to

mitigate against the potential for loss

Sharing information with operational crews to formulate fire and salvage

plans in order to reduce the potential for high-value loss

Building on our exiting competency-based training framework to

ensure our Business Fire Safety function is prepared for future

challenges

Further developing our operational crews through our protection

foundation course in order to develop ability to undertake operational

fire safety visits in low, medium and high risk premises

Ensuring standards are maintained and businesses get a professional

service that is consistent by quality assuring the Business Fire Safety

advice our staff in order to provide a professional consistent service

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Enforce

Our outcome

Improved public safety

Our actions - What will we be doing and why?

Targeting enforcement actions within non-compliant business premises and

prosecute the most serious offences in order to protect people and places.

Continuing to use a competency-based training framework to develop highly

trained staff undertaking business fire safety inspections.

Maintaining an annual programme of legal and regulatory training in order

to enhance and update legal and regulatory knowledge.

Maintain legal resources in order to be able to instruct prosecution for breaches of fire safety legislation.

Inspecting petroleum filling stations on an annual basis and enforce the

Petroleum (Consolidation) Regulations 2014 where compliance standards

are not met in order to protect people and places.

Inspecting licensed explosives stores when new applications are received

and enforce the Explosives Regulations 2014 where compliance standards

are not met in order to protect people and places.

Undertaking intelligence led compliance and enforcement action days by

pooling protection resources in order to focus on locations with density of high risk premises types in order to protect people and places

Continue to prosecute breaches of fire safety legislation through specialist legal resource

If you would like this information in another format or language please contact:

Cornwall Council, County

Hall, Treyew Road, Truro

TR1 3AY

Telephone: 0300 1234 100

Email: enquiries@cornwall.gov.uk www.cornwall.gov.uk

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