EDITOR’S COLUMN
This month’s Risk Management section features a number of papers which should provide fire and rescue services with ‘outside the box’ thinking and information. Ordnance Survey Chief Executive Vanessa Lawrence explains how extensive today’s OS maps are. Dave Bennett, South Wales, testifies to their effectiveness: “We are able to improve the way we respond to call-outs and locate incidents faster in unfamiliar areas.” The OS MasterMap, used by South Wales, is a seamless geographic database compatible with web standards, including different layers on topography, addresses, imagery and an integrated transport network.
Legal advice is proffered on both employer’s liability and fire safety enforcement. James Fawcett examines fire and rescue services’ duties to provide safe working systems for firefighters, presenting a case study on a recent Court decision on a Surrey firefighter. He emphasises the importance of maintaining good communications with suppliers and ensuring certainty in the system of work is adopted in any situation. Useful background is also supplied by Hazel Padmore on the Fire Safety Order, with particular reference to records, photographs and videos and interviews under caution.
Following last month’s contribution on Staffordshire’s pursuit of excellence, Peter Dartford gives a description of the modern approach to their relationship with service users. Staffordshire have implemented a ‘Far More for You’ marketing plan which is joined up with all stakeholders. Despite being early days it is already paying dividends, Peter reports, as he considers the ‘citizen as sovereign’. Is this the next step for community relations?
Local Area Agreements – a new way of slicing the cake?
FIRE correspondent Tony Prosser examines the impact of Local Area Agreements, and looks at the implications for the Fire and Rescue Service of further changes to the system
The power behind the map
A growing number of fire and rescue services are using digital geographic information to aid emergency response and resource allocation. Ordnance Survey Chief Executive Vanessa Lawrence explains what lies behind today’s maps
Is the Fire and Rescue Service customer sovereign?
Following his article in the last edition of FIRE, Peter Dartford continues to look how Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service is taking a modern approach to its relationship with service users
Employer's liability – managing the riskJames Fawcett of law firm Browne Jacobson examines Fire Services’duties to provide safe working systems for firefighters
Fire safety: enforcing the issue
The Fire Safety Order ushered in a new balance of responsibility for fire safety.
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