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Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service doesn’t effectively gather and record site-specific risk information (SSRI) to protect firefighters and the public, the fire inspectorate has said.

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Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service: accelerated cause of concern

His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) found examples of risk information that weren’t effective, accurate or up to date and found the service hasn’t given operational staff the appropriate support to collect risk information.

SSRI is detailed, pre-planned data for high-risk premises which is used to inform firefighter tactics and is vital for helping protect firefighters, the public and property during an emergency.

HMICFRS has therefore issued Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service with an accelerated cause of concern. These can be issued when a fire service’s failures raise concerns about public safety – as is the case with Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service.

To address these concerns, HMICFRS has recommended that the service should make sure:

• it has identified all the sites that require a specific risk visit and uploads risk information promptly;
• it keeps risk information accurate and up to date;
• it gives staff effective training to identify SSRI and this is understood across the workforce;
• staff are inspecting high-risk sites to familiarise themselves with the risks; and
• it has effective quality assurance and strategic oversight arrangements in place to monitor SSRI.

His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Fire and Rescue Services Michelle Skeer yesterday said:

“I have issued an accelerated cause of concern as Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service doesn’t effectively manage risk information for high-risk premises. This is vital for helping protect firefighters and the public during an emergency.

“During our inspection, we found out of date risk information, cases where risks that been graded inaccurately and several sites with potential risks where no site-specific risk information was available.

“The service had identified 478 sites as requiring a SSRI record, but its quality assurance panel had only reviewed 37 of these sites. This means the service can’t know if its risk information is accurate and I am not confident the service has identified all places of risk.

“Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service must act urgently to identify all sites requiring a risk visit, make sure information is accurate and kept up to date and give staff the training they need to do this effectively. I will be closely monitoring its progress.”

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Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service: accelerated cause of concern

Notes

• For further information, please contact the HMICFRS Press Office on 0300 071 6781 or HMICPressOffice@hmicfrs.gov.uk.
• If our inspection identifies a serious or critical shortcoming in a service’s practice, policy, or performance, it will be reported as a cause of concern. A cause of concern will always be accompanied by one or more recommendations.
• When we identify causes of concern during our inspections, we normally provide details in the subsequent service report. In some cases, such as when we discover significant service failures or risks to public safety, we report our concerns and recommendations earlier. This is called an accelerated cause of concern.