FIA CEO Speaks at Westminster All Party Parliamentary Fire Seminar
The purpose of the event named, ‘WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR BRITAIN’S FIRE SAFETY UNDER LOCALISM AND THE BIG SOCIETY?’ was to discuss topical fire safety and rescue issues with appropriate specialists in these fields. It was an analysis of the future for fire, reading both service and industry, in the new world of light-touch government, a much reduced civil service and with the Fire Sector now taking the lead.
Regarding the charging for attendance at false alarms by Fire and Rescue Services, the Association’s standpoint is well known - that in general this is a bad idea - as it will lead in some cases to fire alarms being disconnected which will put at risk some of the most vulnerable people in the UK’s society.
The suggestion of charging for attendance at false alarms is contained in the Government’s Localism Bill and would require Fire and Rescue Authorities to consult locally before any charging could be implemented.
Graham Ellicott also mentioned the Fire and Rescue Authorities trading through properly constituted arms-length companies. He said, “the FIA’s view is that competition is good for the market and indeed the FIA would welcome into membership any FRA companies that meet its third party certification requirements”.
He continued, “The one outstanding matter that requires attention however here is the guidance to FRAs with regard to trading and, in particular, to the use of the FRS brand; draft guidance was issued in 2007 by DCLG and they have indicated to the FIA that this will not be updated and in view of this they have suggested that the FIA and CFOA co-operate to update the guidance. The FIA looks forward to working with CFOA on this matter”.
In September 2010 the FIA and CFOA ‘signed off’ the ‘CFOA Protocol for the Reduction of False Alarms and Unwanted Fire Signals’ and now a year later there are a number of Fire and Rescue Services in England that are markedly deviating from this protocol which took a great deal of effort from all parties to develop.
The FIA acknowledges that we are now all in very different economic times; Graham put the question across that even so, is it too much to ask that there be a reasonably uniform approach across England to automatic fire alarm attendance? Multi location companies are asking the question why is there no AFA attendance in Warwickshire whereas there is in London; why the postcode lottery?
It is very rare for the FIA to call for fire legislation but in the case of Adrian Sanders’ Fire Protection of Tenants Bill, the Association believes that this bill has great merit based upon the elegantly developed national compelling evidence from the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service. The Government is apparently intent on ‘talking out’ the bill which would require the installation of hard wired smoke alarms on the change of a tenancy in rented accommodation; the Government’s rationale being that this bill would impose extra red tape upon landlords. Graham commented, “However the Devon and Somerset FRS study shows how this bill could be made law while at the same time reducing the legislative burden on landlords. So the FIA calls upon the Government to reconsider its views and make Adrian’s bill law so that dozens of lives per year can be saved”.
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