PURPOSE OF REPORT

1 To provide information relating to the Service’s incident activity during the first quarter of the 2021/22 financial year; performance in relation to improvement and well-being objectives and other notable incident activity.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

2 The Service attended a combined total of 1,320 emergency incidents and false alarms, down 4.2% from 1,378 in the same period last year. The number of outdoor fires reduced from 399 to 294 compared with the same period last year.

3 False Alarms attended reduced by 5.9% from 629 in the first quarter of 2020/21 to 592 in this reporting period. Contributing to that overall reduction were decreases in good intent and malicious false alarms although there was an increase in the number of fire alarms due to apparatus (AFAs).

4 There were 153 special service incidents during the reporting period compared to 96 during the same period last year, an increase of 59.4%. The number of road traffic collisions (RTCs) attended almost doubled contributing to the increase in the number of special service incidents attended. Although the number of RTC’s has increased, this is still below the three-year average of 38. The increase could be attributed to the easing of COVID-19 restrictions in the first half of 2021 resulting in more vehicles on the roads.

5 The number of accidental dwelling fires increased by 9 (8.7%). At those incidents, 15 people were recorded as having sustained slight injuries and two as having sustained serious injuries. Unfortunately, two people lost their lives in accidental dwelling fires during the reporting period – one less than in 2020/21.

6 With some lifting of the pandemic restrictions, the Service completed 2,547 safe and well checks (SAWC) during the first quarter although this is 1,065 fewer than the 3,612 completed last year. The number of face-to-face SAWC carried out was limited by pandemic restrictions on social contact resulting in the majority of SAWC being conducted over the telephone.

7 The number of dwelling fires that the Service attended where there was no smoke alarm fitted decreased slightly from 16 in 2020/21 to 13 in 2021/22. There were increases in the number of dwelling fires attended where, a smoke alarm had alerted the occupants to the fire - from 48 to 54 and, where a smoke alarm had been fitted but did not operate - from 22 to 26 when compared with the same months the previous year.

RECOMMENDATION

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

INFORMATION

9 Attached at Appendix 1 for Members’ information is the monitoring report for the period from 1 April 2021 to 30 June 2021 (Quarter 1).

IMPLICATIONS

Well-being Objectives Helps the Authority to monitor its performance against the improvement and well-being objectives set in the Corporate Plan 2021/24.
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.

Performance Monitoring report