Norfolk Fire and Rescue open consultation with drop-in locations in King's Lynn, Massingham and Fakenham
A public consultation has opened for residents and businesses to have their say on new proposals aimed to improve fire safety.
It features an online consultation including seven proposals which the public are being asked to comment on.
Face to face consultation events will also be held at fire stations across the county, giving people a chance to discuss the proposals and give their comments.
Councillor Margaret Dewsbury, cabinet member for communities and partnerships at Norfolk County Council, said: “It is really important that the public use this opportunity to have their say around how our fire service plans to achieve its aims of improving public safety, reducing the number of emergency incidents and saving lives.
“These proposals include strengthening partnerships, positioning of kit and equipment and ensuring that the resources the service has are used in the best possible way to protect Norfolk.”
The seven proposals are:
1. Plans to create a more targeted approach to fire prevention, working more closely with partner agencies around identifying and support Norfolk’s most vulnerable residents and those at highest risk.
2. Relocating a technical rescue unit from Thetford to Great Yarmouth. This water rescue equipment is also used for large animal rescues and our data shows it is more likely to be needed in the Eastern side of the county.
3. Housing gas-tight suits, used in hazardous incidents such as chemical spills, on our environmental protection units, whole-time fire stations and on four on-call fire stations.
They are currently on all stations and not frequently used. They have a ten-year shelf-life.
4. Amending how we calculate emergency response times in line with a national approach. Specifically, this means timing our response from the time a 999 call is answered in the emergency control room to the time crews arrive on scene.
Currently they measure from the point the first crew is alerted by control room staff, so we expect to see a slight increase in our response times as a result of this proposal.
5. Trialling having a fire engine as a roaming pump with a crew able to be based from anywhere in Norfolk to ensure fire and rescue cover. We also want to consider expanding our fleet of agile 4x4 vehicles.
6. Exploring expanding our current Emergency Medical Response trial with EEAST beyond the current two trial fire stations.
Crews go to the aid of cardiac arrest patients where they are able to offer a quicker response than an ambulance and when they are not tied up with a fire and rescue incident.
7. Reviewing our on-call firefighting model in line with an anticipated national review. We want to look at how we recruit and retain staff.
Some of the public drop-in events will also include a chance to have a drink and informal chat with members of the fire team around the consultation, and also around any safety concerns they may have.
The fire station events will also include ‘Brew with a Crew’ where attendees can enjoy refreshments while they talk to our staff about the proposals, in aid of our service charity.
It’s part of a draft Community Risk Management Plan 2023-36(CRMP).
Every three years fire services are required to produce a CRMP showing how they will plan for existing and emerging fire and rescue risks across their communities.
Drop-in events are being held at: Lynn North fire station, Kilhams Way, PE30 2HY – Tuesday, November 15 2-4pm, Massingham fire station, Station Road, PE32 2JJ – Thursday, November 24 11am-1pm and at Fakenham fire station, Norwich Road, NR21 8BB – Thursday, December 1 11.30am-1.30pm.
