Meeting the challenges of change

With sixty members at the time of writing, FIRESA acts as the concerted industry voice across a range of legislatory, regulatory and technical issues. Its work over the last year has included significant engagement with the general membership and an on-going process of internal consultation, this leading to FIRESA’s detailed submission to the government’s National Procurement Strategy 2008-11 Consultation. We also continue our publication and exhibitionbased marketing activities have broadened our external liaison work, increased the flow of information to members on various items of interest [including tender opportunities] and have created further emphasis on the FIRESA web site as a portal both for members and external visitors. Last year saw development of our core alliances with bodies including CLG, the Chief Fire and Rescue Adviser’s Unit, the National Procurement Board, FOBFO, the All Party Parliamentary Fire and Rescue Group and the primary sector publishers and exhibition organisers. Firebuy, of course, remains a body with which we continue a frank and constructive relationship in support of our members’ interests and in the interest of delivering a workable and robust national procurement regime.

Objectives for 2009 feature a strong emphasis on member services functions which are to include the inauguration of an Export Sub-Committee and advice to be provided to members on issues including tendering and the important area of Competition Law. Also, having identified the present gaps in our liaison network, 2009 will see FIRESA seeking to develop valuable dialogue with local government, procurement practitioners within the Fire and Rescue Services and CFOA, and will strive to play a stronger role in the devolved processes prevalent in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

But what are these changes we referred to earlier? The Bain Review of 2002 called for modernisation of working practices in the FRSs and this led to the Fire and Rescue Services Act of 2004 and the Fire and Rescue National Framework that attempt to create a 21st Century Service. More traditional roles of the FRSs have been superseded by a risk-based approach, determined locally through Integrated Risk Management Plans, and with a greater emphasis on fire prevention and community strategies. At the same time, homeland resilience capability has become a primary objective, pressure on equality and diversity in the FRSs is increasing, national procurement is now active, the FireLink and FireControl projects are proceeding, and the ground rules for charging and trading by the FRSs are in transition. These are among the very many factors that are influencing shape of the Fire and Rescue sector.

The supply industry has always been noted for its innovative approach to bringing the very best products and services to our fire fighters and, in doing so, assisting in the provision of the highest standards of fire fighting for businesses and the community in the UK. The various transformations initiated over recent years act as additional drivers for these processes. Changes in the operational focus of the Service and the wider issues of national security have given rise to increasing anti-terrorism measures and response capability, shifts in demand for traditional and new products, the need for greater interoperability of equipment and generally higher demand for innovative equipment solutions. The fundamental principles by which the FRSs operate across the UK will be influenced by future top level policy as defined through regulation and legislation and, of course, these may alter with changes of national government.

Suppliers to the Fire and Rescue sector will find that their businesses will be affected also by the drive for improvements and efficiencies in FRSs and the amount that local authorities are able to spend. With the possibility that there will be real cuts in funds available to the FRAs, suppliers face selling into a finite market that may well shrink in overall value.

Supply is also influenced by global change which includes trends towards increasing entrepreneurism in business, drives towards energy efficiency and alternative energy sources, year-on-year growth in air travel in spite of the ‘green’ agenda, further progress in technology and communications, and the burgeoning prominence in the world market of nations such as China, India and Russia.

No view of the fire and rescue supply industry can be complete without reference to national procurement, with the publication of the National Procurement Strategy in 2005 through to the inauguration of Firebuy in March 2006 and on to the establishment of the national contracts having a profound effect on suppliers. FIRESA has publicly and privately indicated its support for the principle of national procurement but has serious concerns regarding a number of aspects of how the Strategy has been delivered. The specifics are too numerous and complex to go into here but in short, national procurement has thrown up significant challenges to the supply industry and arguably damaged its longer term infrastructure. What’s more, a cold-blooded assessment of the NPS to date must recognise significant impediments to progress, not least the lack of full support from all critical UK stakeholders, and the realisation that predicted efficiencies and Cost savings are well below what might reasonably have been expected and indeed predicted.

The attainment of progress is largely dependent on the successful management of change. We believe that FIRESA continues to play a significant role as the collective industry body enabling the many changes occurring in our sector to take place in a way that is beneficial to all.

Dave Russell is chairman of FIRESA