A new standard setting out the steps that fire and rescue services need to take to improve the fire safety of non-residential buildings, has been launched by the Fire Standards Board.
The protection standard aims to encourage fire and rescue services to work in a proactive, community-focused way, educating those responsible for keeping buildings safe, and using intelligence and data to optimise resources whilst responding to changing needs. It strives to present a consistent national approach by fire and rescue services, and to deliver efficient fire protection activities in local communities.
The standard seeks to improve the safety of its communities by reducing risks in the built environment, creating a competent protection workforce in line with its community risk management plan. It also aims to promote a learning and sharing culture, working collaboratively with others in order to improve and innovate protection activities. The standard was developed through the policy and reform unit of the National Fire Chiefs’ Council.
In the realm of identifying risk and gathering evidence, the standard says a fire and rescue service should:
There are also provisions for decision-making, planning and deployment of resources, including:
Fire services must recruit, train, develop and maintain a competent and professional protection workforce by adopting the Competency Framework for Fire Safety Regulators, embedding it into local policies, procedures, tailored guidance and training materials, and recording and monitoring competence.
Fire services must also provide support to operational response employees and any others undertaking protection activities to build knowledge and maintain a sustainable and competent workforce. They must also show how they monitor and evaluate the effectiveness, efficiency and impact of their protection activities, and generate a culture of learning from a range of sources to drive innovation, continuous improvement, and future performance.
Finally, in order to support the standard, fire and rescue services should maximise opportunities from the National Fire Chiefs Council network by sharing learning and experiences, collaborating with others, and contributing to the continual improvement of fire protection activities. Contributing and supporting national campaigns and initiatives where appropriate and where resources are available.
The expected benefits of meeting the standard are:
The fire standards implementation tool is designed to support services in assessing how well they meet the standard and help them build an action plan to complete areas where there are gaps.
Suzanne McCarthy, Fire Standards Board chair, said: “The board recognises the importance of this standard and the contribution it will make to helping services in driving forward safer buildings, and the improved wellbeing of communities.
“This standard will drive service improvement and enhance professionalism, helping to identify what good practice looks like for the benefit of both fire and rescue service personnel and the communities they serve.”
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