Aspects of Quality Assurance Used by Fife Fire and Rescue Services - Case Study Example

Executive Summary Fire and rescue services are an important aspect of the community and rescue operators looks towards a mechanism which helps to ensure that the services delivered are of high quality. Fife Fire and Rescue Services looks after the community by ensuring that a proper mechanism is drafted which will help to ensure services which of high quality. The report looks into the different aspect of quality assurance used by Fife Fire and Rescue Services. This helps to ensure that the services are good and match the standards. The report also looks into the manner the quality assurance program is paying dividend for Fife Fire and Rescue Services by concentrating on factors like different layers of operation, passing of information and equipments, people and partnership. The report further deals with the risk management plan at Fife Fire and Rescue Services and the manner in which it will be able to ensure quality. The report finally provides the different quality assurance program which will greatly benefit Fife Fire and Rescue Services and provides a recommendation where a mix of different factors needs to be used while providing services so that it is able to develop a long lasting relationship with the local residents. Table of Contents Introduction 3 Purpose of the report 3 Definitions 4 Fifefire Services 4 Validity & benefits of Quality Assurance in Fire & Rescue Services 5 Integrated Risk Management Planning 6 Quality Assurance Appropriateness 8 Quality Assurance for the future 11 Recommendations 12 Conclusion 13 References 14 Appendix 16 Introduction Fire and Rescue services is an important aspect from the community point of views and different fire fighters look towards ensuring that the services rendered are of high quality. Fife Fire and Rescue Services looks towards ensuring that the quality of service is of high quality and having a risk management policy will ensure that the services will of high quality. Fife Fire and Rescue Services further look into the fact that a proper plan and program is developed for the future which helps to ensure that the services rendered by the fire fighters help to win the hearts of the local residents thereby enabling them to render proper services. Purpose of the report To identify the validity of quality assurance in Fife Fire and Rescue Services To identify the benefits of quality assurance in Fife Fire and Rescue Services To identify the appropriateness of quality assurance program and the manner in which integrated risk management plan helps to achieve the objectives To identify the manner which fire and rescue services should follow to ensure quality assurance while rendering services Definitions It is important to understand the following definitions which will help to improve the effectiveness of quality assurance program and helps to understand the importance in fire and rescue services. Quality: The manner in which the characteristics helps to meet a certain specific expectations. (Hoyle, 2007, p 10) Quality is a much wider concept and includes excellence, which is free from defects and ensures smooth usage. Standards: Standard is a set objective which business looks towards attaining. (Hoyle, 2007, p 41) Businesses through this looks towards achieving a standard which is consistent, obtainable, economical, stable and equitable. Fife Fire & Rescue Services Fife Fire and Rescue Services is a community in Scotland which provides the resident all the information relating to the local services that the residents can use in times of casualties. (Fifedirect, 2011) Having a service where all the information about communities, voluntary groups and organizations are available under one roof benefits the residents as they can use the information to develop contacts with the communities. This website provides a lot of information in relation to frauds, ownership, disclosure, payments, cookies and others. (Fifedirect, 2011) This is of immense benefit to the residents as based on it they can ensure proper services with minimum effort. Validity & benefits of Quality Assurance in Fife Fire and Rescue Services Fife Fire and Rescue Services have ensured that there is quality while delivering services. This has ensured that the services are of high class and due to this has been able to protect human lives to a great extent. The validity of quality assurance can be seen from the fact that Fife Fire and Rescue Services has been able to innovate and make changes with regard to technology, equipment and employees so that services are better. (FRS, 2007) This can be seen from the performance chart of Fife Fire & Rescue Services which looks as follows (Aims, 2011) Results 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 Fatal fire casualties per 10,000 pop. 0.17 0.03 0.06 0.14 0.11 Non-fatal casualties per 10,000 pop. 1.08 1.04 1.4 1 1.22 Accidental Dwelling Fires 304 311 248 245 265 Accidental Dwelling Fires per 10,000 8.6 8.8 6.95 6.83 7.35 Deliberate Fires 399 264 320 235 296 Deliberate Vehicle Fires 189 122 118 65 75 Malicious Calls 311 199 157 151 134 Home Fire Safety Risk Assessments 806 1890 4500 139 1067 % of rider shifts lost due to sickness 9.45 6.68 5.97 6.14 6.1 % of rider shifts lost due to restricted duties 0.99 1.32 2.77 1.11 0.7 % of working days lost due to all other staff 6.93 3.37 3.68 3.6 2.8 The above performance chart for Fife Fire & Rescue Services shows the manner in which the performance has improved and ensured that the results improve. It also ensures that Fife Fire & Rescue Services is able to generate better quality assurance program which ensures that they are able to deliver services as per the required situations. Fife Fire & Rescue Services due to this has been able to ensure that new dimensional program which looks into different aspect of funding and services are looked after. (FRS, 2007) This has helped to ensure multi-cultural diversity in their workforce. This has helped them render better services which have helped to win the confidence of the general public. This has lead to a situation where the services are paying rich dividend through loyalty and a sound risk management policy. Integrated Risk Management Planning Fife Fire & Rescue Services has used an integrated risk management planning process to ensure that they are able to protect more lives and ensure that the fire operations are carried out smoothly. Fife Fire & Rescue Services on this front has looked towards ensuring that the steps taken for risk management policy looks towards protecting both the fire fighters and the community on a whole from fire incidents. (IRM, 2011) Risk Management Planning at Fife Fire & Rescue Services can be seen by the fact that “the information passed has consistency and is clear without confusion” (Risk Management Plan, 2010) else would lead to controversies. Fife Fire & Rescue Services has even used websites to pass information. The thing to watch is that correct information is posted. This would help communication better as control lies with higher agencies. Even social networking sites used by Fife Fire & Rescue Services are beneficial. Having a call centre is also helping Fife Fire & Rescue Services. People can get information by contacting them. For this it is essential that the number is circulated to the mass so that the medium becomes effective. The manner in which integrated risk management planning is looked after by Fife Fire & Rescue Services can be seen by the fact that it ranks 4th on data pertaining to initial contact, 6th in relation to visit, and 4th on the overall satisfaction chart. (FSCA, 2009) The manner in which Fife Fire & Rescue Services have ensured that correct information and techniques are used to pass correct details has helped them improve their risk planning process and move ahead with the customer satisfaction survey response. (FSCA, 2011) Fife Fire & Rescue Services thus by using various tools and mechanism has been able to ensure that the risk management process is carried out efficiently and all steps are taken to ensure that the risk associated with the services reduces and having a code for risk management is helping them to provide proper services. Quality Assurance Appropriateness Fife Fire & Rescue Services has taken every step to ensure that while delivering services quality is given utmost importance to. The emergency operators have ensured to function efficiently and see that the injured are dealt with care. They have identified the minor injuries, people who have major injuries and person who have died. The problem that arises for them is that there is so much confusion at the site of the incident that it becomes difficult to put an operation in place. Fife Fire & Rescue Services has been able to deal with it and ensure that the correct information is passed correctly. The effectiveness of quality assurance program for Fife Fire & Rescue Services can be seen from the balance score card. It highlights the areas where Fife Fire and Rescue Services have been able to perform effectively and areas where they need to work on. (Service Scorecard, 2010) The balance score card is provided in the appendix The chart for Fife Fire & Rescue Services helps to identify the areas where the rescue operators have been able to perform based on the perception of the people and the community at large. This helps to ensure that the services provided by Fife Fire & Rescue Services matches the services provided by other rescue operators so that a benchmark can be set and steps taken to improve those. The joint partnership between the Fife Fire & Rescue Services & NHS has resuled in the creation of a system where hospitals increases the problem and it goes against the score card provided in the appendix. The appropriateness of quality assurance program can be seen by the steps taken by Fife Fire & Rescue Services to ensure that “the injured are taken to a safe place and then after identifying their injuries send them to hospitals”. (Performance Report, 2010) The problem here is to identify the injuries. The other problem which arises is that as casualties’ increase, hospitals run out of bed. There is shortage of medicine and it becomes difficult to cope with it. Fife Fire & Rescue Services ensured that all steps are taken to ensure that the operations are passed efficiently. The other area where Fife Fire & Rescue Services have worked to ensure quality is with “transportation of medical team to the site and patients to hospitals”. (Performance Report, 2010) Fife Fire & Rescue Services has used airways and other forms of transport to ensure that the injured are transported easily. Even “treating the uninjured who have suffered shock, anxiety and grief” is an area where Fife Fire & Rescue Services has been able to ensure quality in services (Performance Report, 2010) The other problem that Fife Fire & Rescue Services has dealt efficiently is that “anxious family members are looking for their family and friends”. (Performance Report, 2010) This makes the hospitals and incident site loaded with people. This delays further treatment and it becomes difficult for hospitals to provide correct information as they are busy treating the patients and this leads to confusion. (Performance Report, 2010) So it is important that such centres are also developed so that identification of patients become easy and relatives get the correct information. Fife Fire & Rescue Services has developed these centres in case of emergencies to ensure that information passed is correct and there is no incorrect information being transmitted. It is also seen that Fife Fire & Rescue Services ensures that information is passed only through the correct personnel so that there is no misleading information. As the number of injured increases medicines start to run out. Even doctors find it tough as they have to work continuously without rest. This creates further problem as serious patients need to be transported elsewhere. But, since the situation is such that there is complete turmoil so almost all emergency services stop working and patients suffer as they have to wait for long hours to reach the hospitals. Fife Fire & Rescue Services ensured that all steps are taken in every direction so that quality of services improves and they are able to provide services which are of high standards. Fife Fire & Rescue Services has thus ensured that all steps taken by them look towards improving services and ensuring that the performance quality is of high standards. Quality Assurance for the future Fife Fire & Rescue Services should look towards different mechanism to ensure that they are able to deliver proper services and save more lives at the same time ensure that the total fire operation passes easily. The Fife Fire & Rescue Services team needs to create different layers which will work in times of emergency to ensure that the operation is carried out efficiently. In case of fire they should towards cordon the area. The operational level will help to have an inner cordon at the site. Here, “all the services like police, fire fighters, ambulance; hospitals and so on should work together and have a common point where they can report”. (Service Plan, 2010) This will ensure that in case the risk increases there will be better coordination. People entering and leaving the site need to register themselves so that there is no negligence. (Service Plan, 2010) Fife Fire & Rescue Services needs to ensure that all the different departments work in tandem to ensure that they are able to provide services and save more lives. The responsibility of Category one responders increases in emergencies. “He needs to first inform the local authorities of any such incidents so that immediate actions can be taken”. (Service Plan, 2010) The first responder normally to reach the site is police. Their first job is to see “the protection of life of people around the site”. (Service Plan, 2010) They also need to save the evidence for further enquiry. They need to cordon off the area as fast as possible and call for other emergency operations to take control of the situation. (Service Plan, 2010) Fife Fire & Rescue Services should ensure abundance of ambulance at the site. This is due to the fact that injuries rise when such a casualty happen. It is important that the injured are taken to the nearest hospitals and provided proper care. (Service Plan, 2010) Fife Fire & Rescue Services should ensure the availability of doctors. There should be doctors available all the time, medicines should be sufficient, and proper treatment should be provided. (Service Plan, 2010) This would help to bring casualties under control. Fife Fire & Rescue Services should also deal with the situation in such a way that panic doesn’t spread. It is important that the responders who visit the site first are quick and the information passed is correct and reliable and is done through an authentic source. Recommendations Fife Fire & Rescue Services needs to look towards a strategy which helps to render the services properly at the same time ensure that the customers are satisfied and help in quality assurance. Fife Fire & Rescue Services should look towards a mix where the latest equipments and technology is used to impart services. While doing so special care should be taken to ensure that the correct message is passed to the resident and there is transparency. Further they should look towards developing a model where they have different layers while rendering services so that every aspect related to risk operations is looked after. Conclusion Fife Fire & Rescue Services have been able to ensure quality while rendering services. Fife Fire & Rescue Services is an example in that direction where the different factors have been used in such a manner there is quality while rendering services. This has enabled them to ensure that a proper integrated risk management policy is in place which will help to ensure that the services are of high quality. This has enabled to improve services and has ensured that there is a better relation with the local residents. References Aim. 2011. Aims & Results. Fife Fire & Rescue Services. Retrieved on February 11, 2011 from http://www.fife.gov.uk/orgs/index.cfm?fuseaction=display.AIM&orgid=E1647A34-B979-11D5-BF3F0002A5349AC9&contentid=5041 Fifedirect. 2011. About Fifedirect. Retrieved on February 11, 2011 from http://www.fifefire.gov.uk/footer/index.cfm?fuseaction=aboutus.display FRS. 2007. The Fire & Rescue Services. House of Commons. Volume 1 FSCA. 2009. Final Benchmarking Report for Fife Fire & Rescue Services. Home Fire Safety Check Survey. Opinion Research Survey Hoyle. 2007. Quality Management Essentials. Elsevier. Oxford. pp. 10 IRM. 2011. Integrated Risk Management. Fife Fire & Rescue Services. Retrieved on February 12, 2011 from http://www.fife.gov.uk/orgs/index.cfm?fuseaction=service.display&orgid=E1647A34-B979-11D5-BF3F0002A5349AC9&objectid=3FA48F8B-4A74-42C4-BEAD13AC31F499B6 Performance Report. 2010. Planning & Performance Report Spring 2010. Fife Fire & Rescue Services, Fife Council Risk Management Plan. 2010. Integrated Risk Management Plan. Making Fife Fire & Rescue Services Safe. Retrieved on February 11, 2011 from http://www.fifedirect.org.uk Service Scorecard. 2010. Service Scorecard: April 1 2009 – march 31 2010. Fife Fire & Rescue Services, Fife Council Service Plan. 2010. Service Plan 2009-12. Fife Fire & Rescue Services, Fife Council Appendix Balance Score Card Read More