Praise for Cheshire Fire Authority as number of accidental house blazes is cut by a third

Dec 17 2009 Chester Chronicle

AN INDEPENDENT report has praised improvements carried out by Cheshire Fire Authority which have helped to cut the number of accidental house fires by nearly a third and reduce the number of injuries by over 43%.

The detailed investigation has been co-ordinated by the Audit Commission, thenational body which checks public services deliver value for money, and has included checks on the quality of frontline services and a review of how well the service manages staff, budgets and performance.

The report classes the Fire Authority as “performing well” and said that the number of accidental house fires had fallen by almost one third during 2008/09 which had helped to reduce the number of injuries by 43%.

The report adds: “Engagement with local people is good and helps the Authority understand its communities and their needs. It raises awareness of the risks in the home, makes homes safer and helps protect people most at risk of fire.

“Efficiency savings provide for low council tax increases and increases in frontline services. Reviews of value for money at service level are undertaken and the Authority has delivered cashable savings over a number of years.”

Fire Authority Chair Cllr David Topping said: “This is an excellent report which gives independent recognition of the major improvements in safety which have been delivered by staff across all local communities.

“We know there is still room for improvement in some areas and we will be continuing our work to ensure our workforce is more representative of the communities we serve.”

Other strengths highlighted in the report include:

A strong risk management focus with 69% of performance indicators improving in 2008/09

Improvements in sickness absence among both firefighters and support staff

Clear staff commitment and enthusiasm at all levels.

There is also praise for the organisation’s good partnership working, with key projects helping to deliver wider community improvements such as reductions in anti-social behaviour, better road safety awareness and extra benefits for older people.

The report has been carried out as part of a process called Comprehensive Area Assessment (CAA) which focuses on how well all public services in a specific area work together in tackling key issues which affect local communities. Full details are on the following website oneplace.direct.gov.uk