Report - Fire Brigades Union

SECTION B — FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICE POLICY
question by David Drew to make a statement as to how a
national network was to be kept in place after the ending
of the first set of leases in 2027 and the ending of the
final leases in 2034, simply referred to the Landlord and
Tenant Act.
124)The signing of the PDS contracts at such an early stage
has been catastrophic. No update of the Outline Business
Case was produced before the decision and no more
detailed work had been done on costings, timescales or
the prospects for the technology.
125)A draft Full Business Case was produced in 2006 and
another update in 2007. Another was promised throughout
2008 and eventually appeared. The IPF reports on all of
these are attached.
126)The Institute of Public Finance, in an independent report for
the FBU, said in its assessment of the Private Developer
Scheme (PDS) – the biggest price ‘ticket’ for the whole
project – did not demonstrate value for money. The IPF
also identified a £200 million increase in the total project
costs in the FiReControl Business Case. The overall project
costs did not rise above the £1.4billion identified in the
previous 2007 Draft Business Case because an
assumption was made which cut back on staffing costs by
a further £200 million.
127)Having hastily signed the property contracts, the IT
contracts then waited for more than 18 months to be
signed. There was therefore no chance of the RCC
buildings being operational six months after practical
completion and rents becoming payable.
128)The IT contract was signed in March 2007 after much
delay. As we pointed out earlier, by August 2007 CLG were
already complaining about delays to DCMT1 and
Convergence work. Why CLG expected such complex
work to be completed within a few months has never
been explained, but it was from the summer of 2007 that
concerns about delays started to emerge.
129)Our own response to the Full National Business Case is
also attached. We will not go through that in detail but
attach it as requested. It does raise significant questions
about resilience, call handling capacity and call filtering by
BT and Cable and Wireless Operators.
Where do we go from here – basic principles
130)First, a profound reality check is needed. There is
little confidence left within the fire service that this
project is going anywhere good and it’s not going
anywhere soon.
That is an opportunity to re-think what basic principles
should underpin what happens next:
regional level within a reasonable timescale and
budget;
3. You should only be prepared to take great risks and go
to great expense if there is evidence – not assertion or
mere conviction – that the rewards are so great as to
justify the level of risk being taken;
4. There must be a clear link between the key strategic
priorities of local fire services and any future project
configuration, including agreed measures of success;
5. There must be clear ownership and leadership driven
by the needs of local fire services and not by the needs
of central government;
6. There must be an effective engagement with all key
stakeholders and a re-building of confidence and
cooperation;
7. End-users need to buy in to any future project and not
have it used as an opportunity to drive down their
working conditions or working environment;
8. Project managers must continue to demonstrate skills
and a proven approach to project management and risk
management;
9. There must be an agreed and realistic timetable,
greater cooperation with all stakeholders including
contractors with the aim of achieving a proper
collaborative environment and not a return to a blame
culture and key players being kept apart;
10. Adequate provision of resources and skills to deliver
what is required.
The ten key principles we set out above should apply to
any future configuration of how the benefits required from
future systems are delivered. The key is delivering what
local fire and rescues say they need going forward, utilising
at least some of the work, and possibly some of the RCC
buildings if appropriate.
131)Alternatives to FiReControl are already being explored with
or without the knowledge or cooperation of CLG. Our
preferred option, on the basis of speed, cost and
confidence in it as a solution, is to utilise upgraded existing
controls.
132)This is not a ‘do-nothing’ option. The union is also prepared
to consider any Business Case presented which considers
other options. We would urge that under any other options,
including RCCs, if government does press ahead.
133)A decision to press ahead regardless does not make
success a certainty. The technology may never be made to
work in the way required of it.
1. There are political limits to how far local democratically
controlled fire services are prepared to go towards
regionalisation;
2. There are technical limits to what can be achieved at a
72 FBU Annual Report 2011