PURPOSE OF REPORT

1. To provide Members with information relating to North Wales Fire and Rescue Service activity and performance against improvement objectives during the financial year 2020/21.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

2. Between April 2020 and March 2021 the Service attended a combined total of 4,698 emergency incidents and false alarms – 3.6% fewer than in the same months of the previous financial year.

3. A total of 1,770 fires were attended during the year - 180 (9.2%) fewer than in 2019/20. Contributing to that overall reduction were decreases in secondary fires and in fires in non-residential buildings but there were also increases in deliberate fires and in primary fires in dwellings.

4. The Service attended 2,314 false alarms during the year – 40 (1.8%) more than in 2019/20.

5. The Service also attended 614 non-fire emergency incidents, which was 34 (5.2%) fewer than in 2019/20. Within that total there were 105 road traffic collisions - 74 (41.4%) fewer than in 2019/20.

6. The number of accidental fires in dwellings increased by 4 (1.1%). At those incidents 29 people were recorded as having sustained slight injuries and 3 as having sustained serious injuries. Sadly, 5 people lost their lives in accidental dwelling fires during the year – 2 more than in 2019/20.

7. Despite pandemic restrictions, the Service was able to complete 11,334 Safe and Well Checks during the year, including 4,382 to households identified as being at high risk from fire. The number completed was lower than planned, but the Service continued to target its activity towards those in greatest need as 34.5% (3,908) of the completed Checks originated from referrals made to the Service by other agencies under partnership agreements designed to help identify more vulnerable households.

8. Disappointingly, however, the number of dwelling fires that the Service attended where there was no smoke alarm fitted actually increased from 43 in 2019/20 to 51 in 2020/21; and similarly, the number of dwelling fires attended where a smoke alarm had alerted the occupants to the fire decreased from 176 in 2019/20 to 165 in 2020/21.

RECOMMENDATION

9. That Members note the contents of the performance monitoring report.

INFORMATION

10. Attached and for Members’ information is the monitoring report for the period 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021.

IMPLICATIONS

Well-being Objectives Helps the Authority to monitor performance against the improvement and well-being objectives set in its combined improvement and well-being plan 2020/21.
Budget Helps to highlight any potential impacts on budget due to unanticipated incident activity.
Legal Assists the Authority with ensuring that there are sufficient resources to meet the altering demands placed on it with changes in incident activity.
Staffing No implication identified.
Equalities/Human Rights/ Welsh Language No implication identified.
Risks Not satisfying legal requirements to report on and monitor performance that may impact on the ability to ensure that there are sufficient resources to meet demand.