e-Bulletin - National RDS News 07 August 2009

Following the tragic fire in Camberwell on Friday 3 July, the Secretary of State asked Sir Ken Knight to provide an independent overview on the progress of the investigations. Sir Ken has now reported back on the issues emerging from the incident to the Secretary of State. These have now been published, alongside a statement from the Secretary of State. Copies of both can be found here.

You will also wish to note, on the site above, there is a further letter which has been sent by Terrie Alafat, Director of Housing Delivery and Homelessness to local authorities reminding them of the importance of fire safety procedures.

HFRS recently commenced a project locally which is designed to look at using its grey book employees more efficiently. As a public funded organisation, the RFU both recognise and support the analysis of optimising the usage of is workforce. In addition we identify that change can be uncomfortable and unpalatable to individuals. However change can create a better, more efficient and stronger organisation for the future and there are many aspects of the EFC project which bring in beneficial changes.

However one component which we feel is neither beneficial or safe for the service is the reduction of crewing on pumps to 4 riders. Front line appliances in Hampshire are designed to carry 6 crew and it should be noted that many of the local training procedures are designed around the crewing level of 6 riders.

Hampshire RFU has responded to this proposal via the document 'More Than Four' in which HRFU explain why limiting riders to 4 is NOT acceptable. The document is available to download via the HRFU website.

The newly formed CFOA RDS Working Group held its first meeting in June of this year where it was decided to invite representative bodies onto the group.

In response the RFU will be attending the next meeting on 11 August 2009 where one of the topics debated will to be conduct a review of the National Firefighter Selection Tests (NFST) in terms of its impact on RDS recruitment. From our own research the new tests have clearly had an adverse effect on the ability for applicants to be sucessful in their application to become an employee within the RDS so we welcome this discussion.

CFOA has a new presidential team John Bonney President, Peter Holland Vice President and Vice President Elect Lee Howell. The RFU meets with the team twice yearly and the NGS met with John Bonney and Lee Howell on the 15th July and discussed future engagement between CFOA and the RFU.

Fifty three entries were received for this year’s Equality and Diversity Award Scheme. A panel of judges, drawn from the wider equality and diversity community of the public and private sectors, considered the nominations. They looked for evidence of:

innovation
ambitious objectives
sound planning
successful delivery
good practice that other Fire and Rescue Services would benefit from
how the work has had a positive effect on progressing equality
and diversity

Winner: Martin Trevillion, Community Safety Liaison Officer, Basildon and Castle Point Community Command, Essex Fire and Rescue Service

Nominated for his work to facilitate engagement with the Traveller and Gypsy community.

Runner up : Wayne McCollin, retired Assistant Chief Fire Officer

Nominated for 30 years’ work in promoting equality and diversity, tackling discrimination and helping to establish key national stakeholder bodies.

The National Disabled Fire Association was nominated for its work as an advisory body to Fire and Rescue Service employees, recruits and applicants, and as a source of expertise for Service managers.

This nomination was for the Recruitment Team’s use of a mobile recruitment vehicle (pod) designed to raise awareness among currently under-represented groups about career opportunities and to deliver fire safety messages into the community.

Winner: Phil Greenwood, Crew Commander, Rochdale Borough Command Headquarters, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service

Nominated for his work to integrate the Fire and Rescue Service within the local minority ethnic communities.

Runner up : Rehana Iqbal, Community Risk Reduction Officer, Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service

Nominated for her work to involve women from minority ethnic communities in disseminating the risk reduction message.

Nominated for its work to improve engagement between migrant worker communities and the Fire and Rescue Service.

Stephen-Remell Coleman, Firefighter, and Harvey Sahota, Community Safety Officer, London Fire Brigade

Nominated for a fire safety project to engage with young people and minority ethnic communities.

Oldham Borough Community Fire Safety Team, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service

Nominated for working with young people to reduce crime and attacks on firefighters.

Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service, Community Safety and Cheshire Health and Social Care Community

Nominated for a project to ensure the health, safety and welfare of older people in the community.

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service and St Peter’s Community Partnership

Nominated for a project to provide vulnerable residents with fire safety advice and other community safety services.

Nominated for its work in providing safety advice to pilgrims travelling to Saudi Arabia for Hajj.

Nominated for its work with young people who are on the Autistic Spectrum, have Downs Syndrome and other conditions that would normally exclude them from mainstream education/training.

East Sussex Retained Firefighter Selected in National Online Car Competition [menu]

Peter Selous-Jones, a retained firefighter based at Pevensey, has been selected from 1000's of online entries to compete in a national competition hosted by www.thepeoplesreviewer.com. The winner of this competition, which is decided purely by the number of votes received from the website, will walk away with a new VW Tiguan and become "The People's Reviewer".

Peter 53, who lives with his wife Emmi moved down to Sussex nearly 9 years ago from London and has been a retained firefighter for the last 6 years. Peter says:

"I hope to continue with my RDS work for many years yet - or until they tell me it's time to stop!"

Originally, Peter was in the British Army and after many years service left and settled in West London where he met his wife. "About 4 weeks ago", Peter says, "I clicked on a website ad where I read about the competition. Initially I didn't do anything about it, and then on the very last day for entries I hastily put together a video audition together with my ideas about a review. I was totally amazed to find out later than I had been selected and was then given a new Tiguan to try out for a week.

You can vote for him and view his competition video at http://www.thepeoplesreviewer.com/reviewer/peter which was made from footage that he took. Peter is up against some tough competition and can do with all the votes he can get to help him into the final when you can vote for him again. Peter says that, "If I manage to win the car I will give my existing 10 year old Peugot to the Fire Service for RTC practice, as long as I get the first cut, or donate the sales proceeds to a relevant cause, such as the Fire Service Benevolent Fund."

For a list of the new pay rates pertaining to RDS personnel, please vist the website and click on the relevant link under latest news.


	07 August 2009

In this issue Camberwell Fire Investigation Hampshire FRS propose to reduce riders to 4 CFOA RDS Working Group RFU meet with new CFOA Presidential Team The Fire and Rescue Service Equality and Diversity Awards East Sussex Retained Firefighter Selected in National Online Car Competition Pay Settlement - 2009 Camberwell Fire Investigation [menu] Following the tragic fire in Camberwell on Friday 3 July, the Secretary of State asked Sir Ken Knight to provide an independent overview on the progress of the investigations. Sir Ken has now reported back on the issues emerging from the incident to the Secretary of State. These have now been published, alongside a statement from the Secretary of State. Copies of both can be found here. You will also wish to note, on the site above, there is a further letter which has been sent by Terrie Alafat, Director of Housing Delivery and Homelessness to local authorities reminding them of the importance of fire safety procedures. Hampshire FRS propose to reduce riders to 4 [menu] HFRS recently commenced a project locally which is designed to look at using its grey book employees more efficiently. As a public funded organisation, the RFU both recognise and support the analysis of optimising the usage of is workforce. In addition we identify that change can be uncomfortable and unpalatable to individuals. However change can create a better, more efficient and stronger organisation for the future and there are many aspects of the EFC project which bring in beneficial changes. However one component which we feel is neither beneficial or safe for the service is the reduction of crewing on pumps to 4 riders. Front line appliances in Hampshire are designed to carry 6 crew and it should be noted that many of the local training procedures are designed around the crewing level of 6 riders. Hampshire RFU has responded to this proposal via the document '*More Than Four' in which HRFU explain why limiting riders to 4 is NOT acceptable. The document is available to download via the HRFU* website. CFOA RDS Working Group [menu] The newly formed CFOA RDS Working Group held its first meeting in June of this year where it was decided to invite representative bodies onto the group. In response the RFU will be attending the next meeting on 11 August 2009 where one of the topics debated will to be conduct a review of the National Firefighter Selection Tests (NFST) in terms of its impact on RDS recruitment. From our own research the new tests have clearly had an adverse effect on the ability for applicants to be sucessful in their application to become an employee within the RDS so we welcome this discussion. Please keep an eye on our website for further updates on this issue. RFU meet with new CFOA Presidential Team [menu] CFOA has a new presidential team John Bonney President, Peter Holland Vice President and Vice President Elect Lee Howell. The RFU meets with the team twice yearly and the NGS met with John Bonney and Lee Howell on the 15th July and discussed future engagement between CFOA and the RFU. The Presidental Team can be found here The Fire and Rescue Service Equality and Diversity Awards [menu] Fifty three entries were received for this year’s Equality and Diversity Award Scheme. A panel of judges, drawn from the wider equality and diversity community of the public and private sectors, considered the nominations. They looked for evidence of: innovation ambitious objectives sound planning successful delivery good practice that other Fire and Rescue Services would benefit from how the work has had a positive effect on progressing equality and diversity LEADERSHIP (INDIVIDUAL AWARD) CATEGORY Winner: Martin Trevillion, Community Safety Liaison Officer, Basildon and Castle Point Community Command, Essex Fire and Rescue Service Nominated for his work to facilitate engagement with the Traveller and Gypsy community. Runner up : Wayne McCollin, retired Assistant Chief Fire Officer Nominated for 30 years’ work in promoting equality and diversity, tackling discrimination and helping to establish key national stakeholder bodies. LEADERSHIP (TEAM AWARD) CATEGORY Winner : The National Disabled Fire Association The National Disabled Fire Association was nominated for its work as an advisory body to Fire and Rescue Service employees, recruits and applicants, and as a source of expertise for Service managers. Runner up : The Recruitment Team of Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Service This nomination was for the Recruitment Team’s use of a mobile recruitment vehicle (pod) designed to raise awareness among currently under-represented groups about career opportunities and to deliver fire safety messages into the community. SERVICE DELIVERY (INDIVIDUAL AWARD) CATEGORY Winner: Phil Greenwood, Crew Commander, Rochdale Borough Command Headquarters, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service Nominated for his work to integrate the Fire and Rescue Service within the local minority ethnic communities. Runner up : Rehana Iqbal, Community Risk Reduction Officer, Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service Nominated for her work to involve women from minority ethnic communities in disseminating the risk reduction message. SERVICE DELIVERY (TEAM AWARD) CATEGORY Winner : Community Fire Protection Team, Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Service Nominated for its work to improve engagement between migrant worker communities and the Fire and Rescue Service. There were two Runners up : Stephen-Remell Coleman, Firefighter, and Harvey Sahota, Community Safety Officer, London Fire Brigade Nominated for a fire safety project to engage with young people and minority ethnic communities. Oldham Borough Community Fire Safety Team, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service Nominated for working with young people to reduce crime and attacks on firefighters. PARTNERSHIP WORKING CATEGORY There were joint winners: Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service, Community Safety and Cheshire Health and Social Care Community Nominated for a project to ensure the health, safety and welfare of older people in the community. Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service and St Peter’s Community Partnership Nominated for a project to provide vulnerable residents with fire safety advice and other community safety services. And there were two Runners-up: Community Fire Safety Team, Pennine Area, Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service Nominated for its work in providing safety advice to pilgrims travelling to Saudi Arabia for Hajj. The Local Intervention Fire Education (LIFE) Scheme, London Fire Brigade Nominated for its work with young people who are on the Autistic Spectrum, have Downs Syndrome and other conditions that would normally exclude them from mainstream education/training. East Sussex Retained Firefighter Selected in National Online Car Competition [menu] Peter Selous-Jones, a retained firefighter based at Pevensey, has been selected from 1000's of online entries to compete in a national competition hosted by www.thepeoplesreviewer.com. The winner of this competition, which is decided purely by the number of votes received from the website, will walk away with a new VW Tiguan and become "The People's Reviewer". Peter 53, who lives with his wife Emmi moved down to Sussex nearly 9 years ago from London and has been a retained firefighter for the last 6 years. Peter says: "I hope to continue with my RDS work for many years yet - or until they tell me it's time to stop!" Originally, Peter was in the British Army and after many years service left and settled in West London where he met his wife. "About 4 weeks ago", Peter says, "I clicked on a website ad where I read about the competition. Initially I didn't do anything about it, and then on the very last day for entries I hastily put together a video audition together with my ideas about a review. I was totally amazed to find out later than I had been selected and was then given a new Tiguan to try out for a week. You can vote for him and view his competition video at http://www.thepeoplesreviewer.com/reviewer/peter which was made from footage that he took. Peter is up against some tough competition and can do with all the votes he can get to help him into the final when you can vote for him again. Peter says that, "If I manage to win the car I will give my existing 10 year old Peugot to the Fire Service for RTC practice, as long as I get the first cut, or donate the sales proceeds to a relevant cause, such as the Fire Service Benevolent Fund." Pay Settlement - 2009 [menu] The NJC has agreed an increase of 1.25% with effect from 1 July 2009. For a list of the new pay rates pertaining to RDS personnel, please vist the website and click on the relevant link under latest news. John Barton National General Secretary