Fire answers Feb 19
Question No: 2019/3901
Andrew Dismore
Will you be making any changes to the London Safety Plan to reflect changes in the London Fire Brigade post Grenfell, for example the decision to abandon the day crewing experiment and double crewing of specials?
London Safety Plan
The Mayor
Last updated: 28 February, 2019
The London Safety Plan (LSP) included a commitment to explore both alternate and shared crewing options for aerials and operational support units (OSUs) as well as day crewing which, it was envisaged, might be piloted at some inner London fire stations. Following the Grenfell Tower fire, it was clear that it would not be appropriate for these commitments to be pursued at the present time. A recent review of aerials means that, in line with other specialist appliances, a crew manager will be the minimum role of the officer in charge. There are no current proposals to introduce alternate crewing for OSUs. It was not felt necessary to amend the London Safety Plan specifically to reflect this and other changes post-Grenfell have not required amendments to existing LSP commitments.
Care homes failing fire inspection
Question No: 2019/3902
Andrew Dismore
How many care homes inspected for fire safety audits by the London Fire Brigade since the Grenfell fire a) failed and b) passed basic fire safety checks; and in relation to a) what follow up action was taken?
Care homes failing fire inspection
The Mayor
Last updated: 28 February, 2019
Since the Grenfell Tower fire, London Fire Brigade has carried out audits at 1226 care homes. Of these, 51 received an enforcement notice, 498 received a notice of deficiencies and 677 were found to be broadly compliant. Those that received an enforcement notice and those where the notice of deficiencies pointed to more significant failings were subject to a follow-up visit to ensure the required improvements were made. In all cases, the Responsible Person for the premises is encouraged to maintain an ongoing dialogue with the local fire safety team to ensure sustained and robust fire safety management practices are maintained going forward.
NHS premises failing fire inspection
Question No: 2019/3903
Andrew Dismore
How many NHS premises inspected for fire safety audits by the London Fire Brigade since the Grenfell fire a) failed and b) passed basic fire safety checks; and in relation to a) what follow up action was taken?
NHS premises failing fire inspection
The Mayor
Last updated: 28 February, 2019
Since the Grenfell Tower fire, London Fire Brigade has carried out audits at 121 NHS premises. Of these, 2 received an enforcement notice, 25 received a notice of deficiencies and 94 were found to be broadly compliant. Those that received an enforcement notice and those where the notice of deficiencies pointed to more significant failings were subject to a follow-up visit to ensure the required improvements were made. In all cases, the Responsible Person for the premises is encouraged to maintain an ongoing dialogue with the local fire safety team to ensure sustained and robust fire safety management practices are maintained going forward.
Question No: 2019/3904
Andrew Dismore
What approaches have you made, or will be making a) to charitable funds and b) to public bodies to support the expansion of the Fire Cadet scheme?
Fire Cadets
The Mayor
Last updated: 28 February, 2019
London Fire Brigade (LFB) does fantastic work with young people and on 12 February, I announced new funding of £1.1 million for the London Fire Cadets programme to boost the number of cadets to over 500 and ensure that each London borough will have at least one cadet unit over the next two years. This will help to equip young people with essential life skills and develop some of the firefighters of tomorrow.
LFB is constantly looking at funding opportunities for the Fire Cadets. They have approached and submitted bids to a range of charitable foundations and private and public sector grant giving bodies. They have found that due to their status as a public sector organisation rather than a charity, community or voluntary group, has significantly limited the number of charitable foundations that they are able to apply to.
Reviewing the local authority liaison officer role
Question No: 2019/3905
Andrew Dismore
London Fire Brigade was instrumental in developing the role of the local authority liaison officer. What steps have been taken to quality assure or review the role across London boroughs?
Answer for Reviewing the local authority liaison officer role
The Mayor
Last updated: 28 February, 2019
Officers are drafting a response
Question No: 2019/3906
Andrew Dismore
What percentage of London Fire Brigade, London Ambulance Service and Metropolitan Police premises have back up generators in place to deal with a power supply failure, as outlined in the London Resilience Forum document “London Power Disruption Framework”?
Answer for Back-up generators
The Mayor
Last updated: 28 February, 2019
Officers are drafting a response
Resilience and outsourcing (1)
Question No: 2019/3907
Andrew Dismore
Has London Resilience Forum or any other relevant body conducted training exercises for emergencies that have involved Arm’s-Length Management Organisations and similar spun-out local authority ventures as a core actor?
Answer for Resilience and outsourcing (1)
The Mayor
Last updated: 28 February, 2019
Officers are drafting a response
Resilience and outsourcing (2)
Question No: 2019/3908
Andrew Dismore
What assurances are local authorities and other public sector partners required or requested to provide in the course of their engagement with London Resilience Forum that where local authority housing stock or other core services are managed by an outsourced or arm’s-length management organisation, emergency plans are fit for purpose and capacity exists at all levels to execute them?
Answer for Resilience and outsourcing (2)
The Mayor
Last updated: 28 February, 2019
Officers are drafting a response
Question No: 2019/3909
Andrew Dismore
What advice has the Greater London Authority provided to London boroughs regarding removing Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) type cladding from privately-owned high rise residential buildings under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System, which was identified as an allegedly suitable mechanism for dealing with recalcitrant owners by MHCLG in November 2018?
Answer for Housing Act 2004
The Mayor
Last updated: 28 February, 2019
Officers are drafting a response
Recommendations to the Grenfell Tower inquiry
Question No: 2019/3910
Andrew Dismore
Will the Mayor’s office and London Fire Brigade publish in full their submission to the Grenfell Tower inquiry regarding interim recommendations to be made by the Chair? If so, when can we expect these documents?
Answer for Recommendations to the Grenfell Tower inquiry
The Mayor
Last updated: 28 February, 2019
Officers are drafting a response
Question No: 2019/3911
Andrew Dismore
What steps is London Fire Brigade taking to work with utility providers, local authorities and other relevant bodies to share information and provide any necessary assistance to identify those in need of and concerns arising from home fire safety visits?
Home fire safety visits
The Mayor
Last updated: 28 February, 2019
London Fire Brigade (LFB) works closely with borough, pan-London and national partners to share information on vulnerable people to reduce fire and wider risks. This includes UK Power Network, Red Cross, local authorities, Metropolitan Police and the third sector. LFB Borough Commanders sit on a range of partnership boards to develop referral mechanisms and information sharing agreements. An example of a successful referral partnership has been the London Ambulance Service who referred residents identified as hoarders, which resulted in over 350 Home Fire Safety Visits by LFB. The Fire Safe and Well visits pilot has also helped develop LFB relationships with the health sector and identify new referral pathways.
London Fire Brigade’s operational establishment over time
Question No: 2019/3912
Andrew Dismore
Please provide a) the full strength operational establishment of London Fire Brigade from 2010/11 to 2019/20 and b) state what percentage of posts were vacant in each year?
London Fire Brigade’s operational establishment over time
The Mayor
Last updated: 28 February, 2019
The table below shows the operational establishment, employees in post, and total vacancies expressed as a number and percentage by year.
| Year | Operational establishment | Employees (Base Posting) | Vacancies
(by number) |
Vacancies (by percentage) |
| 2010/11 | 5922.5 | 5795.8 | 126.7 | 2.1% |
| 2011/12 | 5772.5 | 5752.6 | 19.9 | 0.3% |
| 2012/13 | 5622.5 | 5630.7 | -8.2 | -0.1% |
| 2013/14 | 5039.0 | 5338.2 | -299.2 | -5.9% |
| 2014/15 | 5009.0 | 5039.4 | -30.4 | -0.6% |
| 2015/16 | 4987.0 | 4814.1 | 172.9 | 3.5% |
| 2016/17 | 4777.5 | 4653.5 | 124.0 | 2.6% |
| 2017/18 | 4780.8 | 4570.4 | 210.3 | 4.4% |
| 2018/191 | 4793.8 | 4638.7 | 155.0 | 3.2% |
| 2019/202 | 4792.8 | 4797.7 | -5.0 | -0.1% |
1 Year to date
2 Forecast based on current planning assumptions.
Question No: 2019/3913
Andrew Dismore
Your aim is to reach full London Fire Brigade establishment by June this year; will that lead to improved crewing on Fire Rescue Units, with 5 rather than 4 firefighters becoming the norm?
Crewing on Fire Rescue Units
The Mayor
Last updated: 28 February, 2019
Yes.
Question No: 2019/3914
Andrew Dismore
Buildings with poor fire safety often overlap with other causes for concern, such as overcrowding or sub-standard employment practices. Is London Fire Brigade doing any work on this with the Director for Labour Market Enforcement, the Health and Safety Executive, local authority housing teams, or any other relevant bodies to identify such premises?
Fire risk, further risk?
The Mayor
Last updated: 28 February, 2019
London Fire Brigade (LFB) fire safety and borough teams regularly engage with Local Authorities, Metropolitan Police Service and other agencies to share information through partnership meetings or agreed protocols. Occasionally, joint enforcement teams will be deployed to target specific areas of concern, for example, working with Southwark Housing to target houses in multiple occupation. LFB has maintained strategic links with the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority for several years and as a result, has instigated training for Inspecting Officers in safeguarding and modern day slavery.
Question No: 2019/3915
Andrew Dismore
Has London Fire Brigade bid (successfully or otherwise) for any of the Mayor’s Young Londoners Fund in order to run LIFE courses in areas with higher rates of youth offending and / or gang activity?
LIFE in at-risk areas
The Mayor
Last updated: 28 February, 2019
LIFE already targets boroughs with higher rates of gang, knife and anti-social behaviour. In July 2018, London Fire Brigade, Metropolitan Police Service and London Ambulance service submitted a joint bid to the Young Londoners Fund focusing on knife crime. The £750,000 bid, was to initiate a new project, ‘Safety First’ to every secondary school in London over three years to deliver a consequences package on knife and gun crime, gang membership, arson and local priorities outlined by the school and borough e.g. childhood obesity or internet safety. However, this bid was unsuccessful. The three organisations are actively looking at other sources of funding and are still keen to deliver this project.
Question No: 2019/3916
Andrew Dismore
At Fire, Resilience and Emergency Planning committee on 31 January 2019, the London Fire Commissioner said that firefighters have a higher rate of heart disease. What assessment has London Fire Brigade made of the level of heart disease among operational staff and the reasons for this?
Firefighter health
The Mayor
Last updated: 28 February, 2019
Operational firefighters complete a medical assessment every three years. This includes a review of blood pressure and a cardio vascular assessment. If the results are considered to be outside safe parameters, a GP referral is initiated for further investigations. The Brigade’s occupational health provider has maintained a biometric database since 2010. It includes information on blood pressure, which can be an indicator of heart disease, of all operational staff and this shows that operational firefighters have slightly elevated blood pressure in comparison with the UK population. The Brigade will be introducing more frequent medicals for operational employees who undertake roles that comprise regular exposure to extreme temperatures.
Question No: 2019/3917
Andrew Dismore
At Fire, Resilience and Emergency Planning committee on 31 January 2019, the London Fire Commissioner said that less than one in five school careers advisers point students towards London Fire Brigade. What plans does the Brigade have to engage with careers services to improve this figure?
Careers in the fire service
The Mayor
Last updated: 28 February, 2019
London Fire Brigade will be prioritising engagement through outreach work with community sector professionals including teachers, housing officers, youth workers, and employment advisors. The Brigade will continue to build links with these key groups who, by definition, work with large numbers of people from London communities. The outreach materials will reflect firefighting as a career and promote greater awareness of the realities of what firefighters actually do.
Fire safety inspection officers
Question No: 2019/3918
Andrew Dismore
For 2016/17, 2017/18, and 2018/19 what was the establishment figure of the number of Fire Safety Inspection Officers; how many posts were vacant; and what is the turnover rate?
Fire safety inspection officers
The Mayor
Last updated: 28 February, 2019
The table below shows the establishment for Inspecting Officers (IOs), vacancies at end year and turnover rate, by year.
| Year | Establishment for IOs | Vacancies at year end | Turnover rate (%) |
| 2016/17 | 152.5 | 11 | 9.68 |
| 2017/18 | 152.5 | 18 | 5.21 |
| 2018/191 | 152.5 | 13 | 7.79 |
1 Year to date
Over the last year a number of technical posts have been created to enhance the delivery of London Fire Brigade’s statutory duties for Regulatory Fire Safety and to support IOs. These include Learning and Development Officers, Quality Assurance, Fire Engineering and how LFB targets risk.
Fire wardens in high rise buildings
Question No: 2019/3919
Andrew Dismore
Please state a) the minimum standards for staff numbers, training and experience for fire wardens in high rise buildings with interim fire safety procedures that require a full simultaneous evacuation due to Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) cladding or othewise, b) which authority is responsible for ensuring compliance with these standards, and c) how many times these standards have been breached?
Fire wardens in high rise buildings
The Mayor
Last updated: 28 February, 2019
The Responsible Person (RP) is required to seek advice from a relevant ‘Competent Person’ to implement interim measures in their building, including the provision of a waking watch where required. MHCLG/NFCC guidance sets out considerations regarding numbers for waking watches and actions they should take in the event of a fire but the final determination is bespoke to each building. This is guidance rather than regulation.
It is the RP’s responsibility to ensure the interim measures are maintained. London Fire Brigade has initiated ‘unannounced’ visits by station-based crews to check these arrangements. Where issues are found they are followed up by fire safety officers.
Question No: 2019/3920
Andrew Dismore
A pilot of Fire Safe and Well visits has been running since December 2017 and evaluation should have commenced in January 2019; a) has the evaluation taken place and if so with what outcome and recommendations; and b) is the intention to roll out this scheme to the rest of London in 2019?
Fire safe and well visits
The Mayor
Last updated: 28 February, 2019
The pilot is due to finish in September 2019.
- The evaluation will begin with the Local Government Association undertaking a peer review in May/June 2019. Then full evaluation by an independent organisation will be completed by August 2019. Recommendations will be taken through London Fire Brigade’s governance structures for a decision on future delivery.
- It was never the intention to deliver Fire, Safe and Well in all boroughs in its current format. Rather, the pilot has provided learning on possible future delivery models. Future delivery will also be influenced by national discussion around firefighter’s role and outcomes of HMICFRS inspection of LFB in 2019.
London Fire Brigade West Hampstead Cottages
Question No: 2019/3921
Andrew Dismore
What progress has been made with the refurbishment of the London Fire Brigade West Hampstead Cottages; and when will they be available for occupation?
London Fire Brigade West Hampstead Cottages
The Mayor
Last updated: 28 February, 2019
A Certificate of Lawfulness for the use of the property as Single Persons Quarters (SPQs) by London Fire Brigade was obtained in July 2018. Applications for planning and Listed Building consent to cover the refurbishment works have been submitted to the London Borough of Camden and validated by the council in mid-January 2019. Their decision on the applications is due by mid-March 2019. The refurbishment works have been fully specified and will be tendered in March with a start on site anticipated in June 2019. The cottages should be available for occupation by November this year.
Former Clerkenwell Fire Station
Question No: 2019/3922
Andrew Dismore
What is the present position re the disposal of the former Clerkenwell Fire Station?
Former Clerkenwell Fire Station
The Mayor
Last updated: 28 February, 2019
The detailed design and heritage advice commissioned by London Fire Brigade and the GLA was received in July 2018. The has been shared with the London Borough of Islington. Discussions with the council about the optimum disposal route for the Brigade’s freehold interest have now reached an advanced stage. That dialogue includes the potential for suitable meanwhile uses of the property.
Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) cladding [1]
Question No: 2019/3923
Andrew Dismore
What is the present best estimate of the number of residential blocks in London with Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) cladding
- that are publically owned
- privately owned
- and in each a) and b) case
- has had the cladding removed or
- has a clear plan and timetable to have the cladding removed
- and in each case of a) and b) have simultaneous evacuation plans in place; and
- how many blocks not with Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) cladding have simultaneous evacuation plans in place broken down between public and private ownership
Answer for Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) cladding [1]
The Mayor
Last updated: 28 February, 2019
Officers are drafting a response
Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) cladding [2]
Question No: 2019/3924
Andrew Dismore
What is the present best estimate of the number of non- residential blocks in London with Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) cladding
- that are publically owned
- privately owned
- and in each a) and b) case
- has had the cladding removed or
- has a clear plan and timetable to have the cladding removed
- and in each case of a) and b) have simultaneous evacuation plans in place and
- how many blocks not with ACM cladding have simultaneous evacuation plans in place broken down between public and private ownership
Answer for Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) cladding [2]
The Mayor
Last updated: 28 February, 2019
Officers are drafting a response
Contaminated firefighter gear (1)
Question No: 2019/3925
Andrew Dismore
London Fire Brigade policy is that firefighters should wear their kit operationally only once, and then bag it before carrying it anywhere else. Do you agree that firefighters should follow this policy?
Contaminated firefighter gear (1)
The Mayor
Last updated: 28 February, 2019
There is a difference between “dirty” Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and “contaminated” PPE which relates to visible carbonaceous materials on the PPE worn by personnel who have worked in the area of the fire scene, for example, the initial firefighting crews. This PPE should be bagged and returned for laundry cleaning in line with London Fire Brigade policy.
Contaminated firefighter gear (2)
Question No: 2019/3926
Andrew Dismore
Does London Fire Brigade’s contract with Bristol Uniforms provide for fire kit and equipment to be taken to and picked up from training grounds?
Contaminated firefighter gear (2)
The Mayor
Last updated: 28 February, 2019
Yes. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is picked up from and delivered to training locations. Firefighters on the firefighter development training have their laundry dealt with at training venues and all other staff have their laundry managed at the fire station. The contract is being changed to also include processes for laundering PPE for staff attending breathing apparatus courses as this is not currently covered by the contract.
Contaminated firefighter gear (3)
Question No: 2019/3927
Andrew Dismore
Please state how much Bristol Uniforms is paid by London Fire Brigade in each year from 2012/13 through to the most recent possible date for a) fire kit provision and b) fire kit cleaning
Contaminated firefighter gear (3)
The Mayor
Last updated: 28 February, 2019
The contract with Bristol Uniforms provides for a fully managed service charge and the charge is made on a per firefighter basis. As such, the cost between provision and cleaning is not split. The main elements of the managed service provision are the provision of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), laundry, repair service, measuring service, PPE Link (online issues and laundry portal), 24/7 helpline and reserve garments. The charge currently includes the allocation of structural firefighting PPE, USAR PPE, positive action PPE (both recruitment and fire safety), youth engagement PPE (LIFE) and specialist entry recovery team. There are no limits to the amount of cleaning that staff can request.
The payment by year to Bristol Uniforms is set out in the table below.
| Year | Payment |
| 2012/13 | £2,303,288 |
| 2013/14 | £2,367,787 |
| 2014/15 | £2,390,650 |
| 2015/16 | £2,341,040 |
| 2016/17 | £2,263,150 |
| 2017/18 | £2,017,831 |
| 2018/191 | £1,918,227 |
1 Year to date
Contaminated firefighter gear (4)
Question No: 2019/3928
Andrew Dismore
Following the closure of ten fire stations under the previous Mayor, did London Fire Brigade and Bristol Uniforms review their contractual agreement to take this into account?
Contaminated firefighter gear (4)
The Mayor
Last updated: 28 February, 2019
The charging mechanism is based on a charge per firefighter basis, as described in MQ2019/3927, and is therefore directly linked to the Brigade’s establishment. As the establishment reduced, the charge reduced through the agreed contract process.
Contaminated firefighter gear (5)
Question No: 2019/3929
Andrew Dismore
How many firefighter injuries or safety at work incidents have been recorded in each year since 2012/13 that relate to cross-contamination or exposure to dangerous substances arising from contaminated fire kit and equipment after training or a fire incident?
Contaminated firefighter gear (5)
The Mayor
Last updated: 28 February, 2019
A review of the Safety Event Reporting Database (SERD) since 2012/13 found that there were no injuries to firefighters directly resulting from exposure to dangerous substances arising from contaminated fire kit or equipment after training or a fire incident. In addition to SERD, London Fire Brigade has a contamination form on which firefighters can record exposure to hazardous substances, which is kept on record, in order that any future work-related ill health that may develop may be examined in relation to any recorded occupational exposure to hazardous substances.
Contaminated firefighter gear (6)
Question No: 2019/3930
Andrew Dismore
Under London Fire Brigade policy 693 firefighters should book out two sets of PPE for certain training exercises, but it is not suitable for them to take two contaminated sets back to their home station. What steps is London Fire Brigade taking to ensure dirty gear can be dealt with appropriately to avoid exposing firefighters to hazards?
Contaminated firefighter gear (6)
The Mayor
Last updated: 28 February, 2019
Arrangements have been made with Babcock Training to provide suitable storage units on site at the two training locations in Beckton and Park Royal. These storage units are then emptied by London Fire Brigade’s supplier, Bristol Uniforms. Staff who attend training events that require two sets of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) will be provided with plastic bags for dirty garments. One set will be placed in the storage units and the second set will be bagged up by staff and taken back to the station and placed in the station laundry.
Question No: 2019/3931
Andrew Dismore
Is London Fire Brigade concerned about that the recommended equipment firefighters are required to transport in kit bags is above the safe lifting weight for an individual?
Firefighter equipment weight
The Mayor
Last updated: 28 February, 2019
The firefighter kit bag has been assessed in accordance with the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 and is suitable for the activity of transporting firefighters’ equipment between fire stations and to Brigade training venues. The kit bag is a wheeled bag, designed to be pulled via an extendable handle, and full lifting of the bag is not frequently required. Staff are provided with guidance to ensure they only carry the essential clothing and equipment in order to minimise the lifting weight of the bag.
