Agenda item

The Chair asked Lucy Ellender, LGA Senior Adviser, to introduce the report on the Fire Vision 2024.

Lucy explained that at the FSMC meeting in June, it had been agreed that the Fire Vision required refreshing in the light of the forthcoming HMICFRS State of the Nation Report and the Phase 1 report of the Grenfell Inquiry. At the Lead Member meeting in September, it was suggested that a benchmarking exercise should be undertaken by officers to provide a baseline for the refresh. In particular, Lead Members were keen to see if progress had been made by FRSs in terms of increasing both the gender and ethnic diversity of their workforces.

Lucy said that officers proposed to bring back a report to the FSMC meeting in March 2021 to allow time for the Grenfell Inquiry and State of the Nation reports to be properly analysed. This report would identify what new ambitions a refreshed Fire Vision should include.

In the discussion that ensued, the following comments and questions were raised by members:

·         It was considered that there needed to be a degree of realism in relation to diversity in recruitment. Particular areas have different ethnic mixes and this should be reflected, but members also highlighted progress in increasing the diversity of recent intakes of recruits.

·         The diversity targets should be non-negotiable. This issue was considered to be crucial to the effective running of FRS’s.

·         Members were encouraged to get involved in the work the Committee was doing around equality and inclusion.

·         It was felt that the LGA should take responsibility for helping the poorer performing FRSs to achieve acceptable standards of performance. More use should be made of robust and independent peer challenge.

·         It was suggested that more progress needed to be made on intelligent green procurement, particularly with the climate change agenda coming to the fore.

Decision

FSMC noted the report and agreed to review the ambitions in the Fire Vision 2024.

Action

Officers to report back to members at the FSMC meeting on 9 March 2021.