Fire and Rescue Services - Assignment Example

FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICES Customer Inserts His/her Name Customer Inserts Grade Course Customer Inserts Tutor’s Name 10/05/2011 Fire Rescue Services Authority monitors and takes measures to control and minimize the probability of occurrence and impacts of unfortunate events that result from fire outbreaks. What are the intentions of a Fire and Rescue Management Plan? The intentions of fire and rescue services are to control and minimize the probability of occurrence and impacts of unfortunate events that result from fire outbreaks. Their services have been improved through reforms courtesy of the Integrated Risk Management Planning (IRMP). They also have an intention of significantly reducing deliberate fires and deaths resulting from fires. In their operations they intend to carry out evaluations of risks that community, heritage, economy and the environment face. After carrying out evaluations, they flexibly use their resources in providing response and protection measures that adequately address the challenges faced. Through dependence on the foundation provided by IRMP, Fire and Rescue authorities intend to deliver the exceptions of the government to the public in order to address the local community’s needs. The authority intends to provide efficient and effective service delivery to communities. In order to realize that it intends to depend on the relationship between response, protection and prevention. Within IRMP, a balance between the three approaches is based on robust as well as up to date data risk which reflects local, national and international research. The authority intends to have an effective information exchange between it and the respective area partners through outcome evaluation of the delivered programs. Current risk management plan in London The London fire risk assessments is one of the current risk plan and carries out an assessment of the activities of a premise and makes appropriate arrangement for effective planning for monitoring and reviewing of protective and preventive measures. The plan identifies hazards and fire risk controls and does a review of the adequacy of the management plan against fire risks. It estimates fire risks using the following classifications: low; medium; high. It also determines the tolerability to fire risks using a three point classification: acceptable; tolerable and unacceptable. It prepares a fire safety management plans with objectives of improving controls on fire risk. It also ensures that fire controls and risk assessments are up to date and effective. What are the Key Objectives of Risk Management? The 2008-11 risk management plan has a key objective of reducing the consequences and number of emergency accidents. This objective was determined by the Lancashire fire and Rescue Service and for the 3 years period, it aimed at increasing the response capabilities. One way of achieving the increase was to work closely with agencies that they partnered with. It also ensured that arrangements for emergency response are in all circumstances resilient. What are the five key objectives of Lancashire Lancashire fire authority’s key objective is to reduce the impact of people’s activities on the environment. The environment faces high degradation from numerous human activities which need to be controlled. So as to ensure that it manages the environment well, the authority has reduced the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere from its activities. Another objective is to reduce by 20% the amount of carbon dioxide released through its activities and activities by other individuals by March 2013 and by 40% in 2020. The authority has an objective of ensuring that people are well adapted to the changes resulting from climate changes that are continuously being experienced. It is putting in place mechanisms to ensure that it is prepared to respond to challenges that come along with climate changes. In addition to the above the authority has an objective of ensuring that every individual is educated about fire safety measures across the country. Through education, the public is well placed to address challenges of fire outbreaks hence losses from the same are reduced. The authority’s fifth objective is to ensuring that water used in fighting fire outbreaks is well managed to reduce misuse. It does this though its water supply is not metered. What is the Importance of Healthy Industrial Relations in Forming and Sustaining a Modern Fire and Rescue Service? Healthy industrial relations result in efficient and effective performance by all staffs which are vital to achieving the objectives of the authority. The authority’s performance can be enhanced if all the staffs have their voices heard. Healthy industrial relations in the authority ensure that staffs have their voices heard (Hutto 2009). The relations also enhance communication between staffs and representative bodies on issues affecting them at the work place. Healthy relations help the staff interact with the representative bodies and engage them in live discussions. Through discussions, the authority has established protocols of best practice that are nationally agreed on industrial relations. What are the roles of unions and industrial relations? Industrial relations build a good relationship between workers and the management. They enhance worker participation in management, help in handling worker grievances and disputes in the industry. Industrial relations and unions ensure that authorities are democratically managed, there are no conflicting interests and every worker has his interests addressed. Why the Fire and Rescue Service National Framework Document has a Life Span of 3 Years. Expectations of the government on the fire and rescue services are set out in the fire and rescue framework. A broad range of responsibilities and activities of the fire and rescue services are covered in the current national framework. Activities and responsibilities covered by the framework include: prevention and resilience; response and protection. The current framework has a three year lifespan and reflects the plans of the government on spending on the services for the designated review period. But the framework has to remain meaningful and current. The government can review it to determine whether changes can be done on it after a two year period or when the three years elapse. However the government has an intention of leaving the document in place until the three years have elapsed. But incase it can’t be left for three years the government can consol for revisions before implantation. The new government had a view that the 2008-11 national framework remain in force. And an announcement made by the minister on 28th July 2010 indicated that some aspects of the framework will no longer be enforced. What does the UK government expect of fire rescue services? The UK government expects the fire rescue services to show positive flexibility in responding to future challenges resulting from fire outbreaks. It requires the authorities to critically assess the effectiveness of their operations. The authorities should have an operational balance at the local, national and regional level. Another aspect required by the government is equality and diversity in service delivery. In order to reduce the impacts of fire on the people served, the authorities should implement strategies of diversity and equality. Deployment and recruitment of their workforce need to be efficiently and effectively balanced. Why the community should be engaged when implementing changes. Engagement of the community in fire rescue services is very important. In its 2008-11 safety plan, the London fire brigade said that it wanted to closely work with people in London. It also intended to closely work with various stakeholders based in private, public and the third sectors. Working closely with the community was aimed at understanding them and knowing what they expected from the fire and rescue service. The fire and rescue services team also inquired from the community about their views on the team’s performance. In addition to that, they were asked about how the London fire brigade should develop and improve its future services. By engaging the community in its operations, the fire and rescue services is in a good position to determine the needs of the locals, make a discovery of how best to deliver their services in order to meet people’s needs. Additional fire service risk management plan in UK In England workplace fire safety measures have been put in place to guard communities and local government. The policy has an obligation of catering for fire safety in premises that are not domestically owned. Ways in which employee resistance to change can be approached. Transformational leadership is one of the approaches that can be used in approaching the resistance of employees to change. According to Gorrod (2004) a transformational leader is a charismatic individual who motivates and inspires other people to enhance their performance beyond their contracts. Management by the transformational concepts results in development of a vision of change that captures the organization’s attention. This management also communicates the importance of the organization’s undertakings and finally negotiates commitment and consensus. More about Transformational Leadership Transformational leadership bridges the gap between the management and other workers in the authorities. It increases awareness and helps in elevating followers. Elevating fellow workers enhances self-actualization as well as their achievement. The authority and organizations are positively impacted if workers have a high moral maturity and don’t work for self benefits but for the good of the entire organization. The above can only be realized if organizations are managed through transformational form of leadership. References Gorrod, M., 2004. ‘Risk Management Systems’  Technology Trends (Finance and Capital Markets). Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Hutto, J., 2009. ‘Risk Management in Law Enforcement,’ Applied Research Project. Texas State University. Read More