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Yorkshire and Humberside Regional Fire Authorities’ Regional Management Board


Meeting Held on Thursday 20 January 2005 at the West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service HQ


Present:

Humberside Fire Authority
Councillor D G Barkworth (Chair)
Councillor C Randall
Mr K Marshall
Mr S Rhodes


North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority

Councillor J Morley
Councillor G Rennie
Mr N Hutchinson

South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority

Councillor J Andrews
Councillor J Bird
Mr M Smitherman
Mr C Bryce


West Yorkshire Fire Authority
Councillor R Light
Councillor T McElroy
Councillor G P Kirkland
Mr S Pilling


Secretariat:

Mr M G Barnes
Mrs N Houseman


Treasurer:

Mr M Price


Members were reminded that all the agenda items would be dealt with on an urgent basis by authority of the chair as they could not admit of further delay due to the need to comply with time limits for consultation responses imposed by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.


54  Apologies For Absence


Councillor P Scriven – South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority
Councillor D Travis – West Yorkshire Fire Authority
Mr P Toase – West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service
Mr E Clark – North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service

55  Urgent Items


There were no urgent items for consideration at the meeting.


56  Admission of the Public


The meeting determined that there were no items which necessitated the
exclusion of the public.


57  Declarations of Interest


There were no declarations of interest made in any matter under consideration at the meeting.


58  Regional Fire Control


Members received a 10 minute presentation on behalf of the Fire Brigades’
Union. Outline Business Case


a) Consideration was given to a report of the Chairman which summarised
the process which had been undertaken by the Office of the Deputy Prime
Minister (ODPM) in the preparation and publication of the Fire Control Outline
Business Case (OBC).


Resolved


That the report be noted.


b) The Treasurer submitted a report which provided an analysis of the OBC
for the Regional Control Centre project. A copy of OBC (with figures included in
the text) had been circulated together with the agenda for Members’ information.


It was further reported that correspondence had been received from the ODPM
both in response to a letter sent at the request of Members at the conclusion of
the 13 January 2005 meeting and one addressed to the Chair of the RMB.
Members were circulated with a copy of the responses which set out the purpose of the OBC and re-affirmed the relevant deadlines for response together with more specific funding information.


Members expressed their extreme disquiet with the proposals and unanimously.


Resolved


(i) That the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) be advised that the
Yorkshire and Humberside Fire Authorities’ Regional Management Board
(RMB) does support the principle of the modernisation of fire control
rooms;


(ii) That the RMB accepts that this modernisation may mean a reduction from
the 44 control rooms operating at present;


(iii) That the RMB does not accept that the Outline Business Case (OBC), as
currently presented, is achievable financially and practically and it calls
upon the ODPM to withdraw the present proposals and the OBC and to reconsult with fire authorities and representative bodies and so bring forth new proposals for FireControl in the U.K.;


(iv) That, if the ODPM determine to proceed with the regional control centre
proposal on the current basis, then the RMB requests the ODPM to:


Finance and Governance arrangements


Consideration was given to a joint report of the Secretary and Treasurer to the
Board which invited Members to consider the future governance arrangements for regional control centres.


Members were advised of the three options for governance as offered for
consideration by the ODPM as follows;


Resolved


That the Yorkshire and Humberside Fire Authorities’ Regional Management
Board unanimously supports the principle of a lead authority approach to
governance of the proposed regional control room.


Chair