Scottish Fire and Rescue Service - planning and preparedness for exiting the European Union: update report

Appendices B

The recent experience and organisational learning of the SFRS during C-19:

• The national event operations plan for EU exit was originally a standalone plan.
  • It is now a concurrency event plan.
• Assumptions are not always outcomes realised i.e. C-19 expectation of high levels of staff non availability.
  • Absenteeism at its lowest levels of sickness even compared to BAU.
• Plans need to be flexible to meet local needs and the organisation must be agile enough to amend plans if the impact is likely to be problematic.
  • Examples are available of how plans were adapted to ensure impact was appropriate.
• A range of management interventions to deal with limiting organisational impacts. i.e. use of overtime, shifts contractually owed by staff to the Service, cancelation of training courses.
  • These management tools are available to ensure staffing levels are maintained.
• Limit the movement of appliances, supported by intelligence led mobilising.
  • This will reduce fuel consumption and reduce road risk.
• Resilience and fallback arrangements are in place between the three SFRS OC sites to receive and process calls.
  • BCMPs have been recently tested to provide assurance on the SFRS ability to handle requests for service.
• Fire Safety enforcement officers are to be used to identify premises with increased fire loading that may present a risk to Firefighter safety.
  • Enforcement is a last measure to ensure compliance, advice and guidance will be provided as required.
• In response to C-19 recently retired staff in many roles from Firefighter, Firefighter (OC), specialist officers have been contacted and may be re-engaged to augment staff levels.
  • The provision provides additional capacity to maintain staff levels.