EDITOR’S COLUMN
Climate change, the terrorist threat and New Dimensions has led to much discussion on the expanded role of the Fire and Rescue Service. Occasionally, a devastating tornado, flash flood and extreme weather conditions remind us of the multi-faceted threat these isles face. Earthquakes, however, are extremely rare occurrences. April’s tremor in Kent – 4.3 on the Richter scale – gave another slice of extreme life to emergency responders (see pg 14). Whilst one can never be complacent, it appeared USAR response, training and equipment combined, proved more than adequate to the response. Good news comes from South Yorkshire following upheaval in recent years and the ‘improving well’ rating in the Direction of Travel assessment from the Audit Commission. CFO Mark Smitherman gives chapter and verse on how the service turned it around and is continuing to improve. The piece serves, however, as a timely reminder of the thin line between perceived ‘success’ and ‘failure’; the inherent contradiction between the perception of the public (universally high) and that of auditors (universally harsh?).
It is telling that despite the ‘pleasure and relief’ instilled by the Audit Commission’s latest assessment of South Yorkshire, interviewer Steve Chu notes that the chief retains his ‘own anxieties about the way that such performance analysis can lead to a “precarious life”.’ It can hardly foster a positive environment if senior officers, and therefore the whole management structure, are placed under such pressure. FIRE again calls for an overhaul of the auditing process to incorporate and reflect the regional and local character as well as the differing authority structures. “The line between success and failure is still worrying, even though we did well,” Mark reports. Given the turmoil which South Yorkshire has been through, greater recognition to Mark and all South Yorkshire personnel should be recorded.
Incident reportsEarthquake rocks Kent; Three major incidents means a busy week forLondon A service on the moveSteve Chu interviews CFO Mark Smitherman about South Yorkshire’s progress following its ‘improving well’ rating from the Audit Commission, just two years after being branded ‘weak’ in the CPA
Partnership and collaboration – how relationships outside the Service are as valuable as those insideTom Joyce predicts that fire and rescue services will have to developan ‘inbuilt flexibility’ when it comes to both wholetime and retainedcrewing practices if they are to meet the requirements of the IRMPs Mock gas explosion tests emergency responseA gas explosion was simulated in Birmingham city centre to test the emergency response to a major incident, on Sunday May 13. The exercise took place at the Aston University Campus, and was designed to test the individual agencies’ procedures. |
