Co-Location of The North West Ambulance Service Hazardous Area

REPORT TO:AGENDA ITEM:MERSEYSIDE FIRE & RESCUE AUTHORITYMEETINGDATE: 25 TH JANUARY 2010REPORT NO.REPORTING OFFICER:CFO/004/10ASSISTANT CHIEF FIRE OFFICER EVANSCONTACT OFFICER: AREA MANAGER STEPHENS, EXTN. 4315OFFICERS CONSULTED:SUBJECT:STATION MANAGER HITCHENCO-LOCATION OF THE NORTH WEST AMBULANCESERVICE HAZARDOUS AREA RESPONSE TEAMWITH THE SEARCH AND RESCUE TEAM ATCROXTETHAPPENDIX (A) TITLE HEADS OF TERMS BETWEEN MFRS ANDNWAS (THE PREMISES PLAN TO BEPROVIDED AT AUTHORITY MEETING)ATTACHED – HARD COPY*A GLOSSARY OF TERMS HAS BEEN PROVIDED AT THE END OF THISREPORT FOR YOUR REFERENCEPurpose of Report1. To provide Members with an update to report CFO/160/09 presented to andagreed by the Authority on the 25 th June 2009 regarding the co-location of theNorth West Ambulance Service (NWAS) Hazardous Area Response Team(HART) with the Search and Rescue Team (SRT) at Croxteth Fire Station.Recommendation2. That the Authority enter into an agreement for lease and subsequent lease withNorth West Ambulance Service Trust (“NWAS”) in respect of the re-location ofNWAS Hazardous Area Response Team with the Search and Rescue Team atCroxteth Community Fire Station entailing the provision of 2 new garagestructures and alterations to the accommodation at Croxteth Fire Station on theterms and conditions as set out in the heads of terms attached as Appendix Aor as otherwise agreed by the Chief Fire Officer on behalf of the Authority.

Introduction & Background3. In 2004 the Ambulance Service Association (ASA) and the Department ofHealth (DoH) requested that the ASA Civil Contingencies Committee considerthe feasibility of Paramedics joining other emergency personnel to work withinthe inner cordon of a major hazardous incident. The following year experts inmainstream Ambulance Services, clinicians and specialists in the Chemical,Biological, Radioactive, Nuclear and Explosives (CBRNE) field acknowledgedthat not being able to operate in the ‘hot zone’ (inner cordon) of a major incidentmeant that the Ambulance Service was potentially being impeded in its ability toundertake the clinical interventions necessary to preserve life at the earlystages of a CBRNE/ Hazardous Material (Hazmat) incident.4. The DoH was later approached by the Fire & Rescue Service with a request toconsider training paramedics to work in the Urban Search and Rescue (USAR)environment, alongside their own personnel. The decision was subsequentlymade in 2006 to add a USAR capability to the HART project.5. There are two HART teams allocated to the North West region. One team islocated in Manchester and the other in Liverpool. At the time of writing only theManchester HART team is operational. The Liverpool HART team is scheduledto become operational in early 2011.6. Following approval by Members to co-locate the Liverpool HART team atCroxteth the Liverpool HART manager submitted a business case to DoH fortheir ratification and to request funding to facilitate the works required toaccommodate the HART team. The business case was founded on theprovision of two new garage structures to house vehicles and the undertakingof alterations to the accommodation at Croxteth Fire Station sufficient to allowfor the integration of HART personnel. The plans appertaining to theseimprovements will be presented to the Authority at a future learning lunchevent.7. The business case was approved by DoH in November of this year and as aresult the Deputy Clerk to the Authority has drawn up a Heads of Termsbetween the two parties (attached at Appendix A) and is developing thestructure of the legal agreements for leases and lease agreements to ensurethat the interests of both parties are protected.8. The Liverpool NWAS HART Paramedics are currently being recruited followingthe successful launch of the Manchester team in 2009. Once selected they willundergo USAR familiarization training at the Fire Service College and breathingapparatus training at MFRS Training & Development Academy (TDA). They willalso undertake development and continuation training with the SRT at the TDAand at offsite locations in order to develop the close professional workingrelationship that currently exists with the Manchester team.

9. Work on the internal improvements at Croxteth is scheduled to commence priorto the end of the current financial year. The main building works will commencefollowing submission and approval of plans. Subject to the necessary approvalsit is anticipated that the Liverpool HART team will occupy the site in late 2010with a planned go live date of January 2011.10. Members are requested to approve the provision of limited signage at Croxtethto signify the presence of the Liverpool HART team.Equality & Diversity Implications11. None contained within this report.Financial Implications & Value for Money12. There are no costs to the Authority arising from this proposal for MFRS. TheDeputy Clerk to the Authority in conjunction with the MFRS estates departmentis drafting an agreement for lease which will deal with arrangements during thebuilding works and a lease agreement which will be signed after completion ofthe building works and on NWAS occupation of the premises12.1 As NWAS will be appointing the building contractor directly theagreement for lease will ensure that the Authority’s Estates departmentcan view the progress of the works and inspect materials. The EstatesManager can attend all meetings and site inspections and makerepresentations to NWAS. The agreement obliges NWAS to takeaccount of any representations made. As there is no direct contractualrelationship between the Authority and the contractors the agreementfor lease obliges NWAS to ensure that a collateral warranty is given tothe Authority by the building contractor, architect and any othercontractor responsible for any works or design responsibility.12.2 The Agreement for lease obliges NWAS to ensure that the fire stationmay be used as an operational fire station throughout the buildingworks and will require NWAS to indemnify the Authority for any claimarising out of the building works including any claim for breach ofstatutory duty.12.3 The agreement for lease will require the NWAS to insure the works.12.4 The term of the lease will be for 15 years with an option for NWAS toextend the period for a further 5 years. It is proposed that the lease willbe contracted out of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 to ensure thatNWAS have no legal right to occupy after the 20 year period.12.5 The lease will contain a provision for the payment by NWAS of aservice charge which will ensure that NWAS contribute financiallytowards the running costs for Croxteth Community Fire Station.

13. Consideration is being given to upgrading facilities not directly impacted by thework specific to the collocation of HART to give a consistency of standard andimprove building quality at Croxteth however permission will be sought fromMembers in the event that Officers wish to pursue this option.Health & Safety and Environmental Implications14. None contained within this report. Any impact from future alterations at Croxtethwould be subject to a full risk assessment process.Contribution to Achieving the Vision:“To Make Merseyside a Safer, Stronger, Healthier Community”15. Further embedding partnership working by incorporating Liverpool HARTparamedics within the Community Fire and Rescue Station at Croxteth willstrengthen the teams’ ability to respond and assist the public thus significantlycontributing to making Merseyside a safer, stronger, healthier community.BACKGROUND PAPERSCFO/160/09*Glossary of TermsASA - Ambulance Service AssociationCBRNE - Chemical, Biological, Radioactive, Nuclear and ExplosivesDoH - Department of HealthHART - Hazardous Area Response TeamHAZMAT - Hazardous MaterialMFRS - Merseyside Fire and Rescue ServiceNWAS - North West Ambulance ServiceSRT - Search and Rescue TeamTDA - Training & Development AcademyUSAR - Urban Search and Rescue