The Difficulties In Reaching And Effectively Communicating With Vulnerable Groups Within The Community A London Perspect

1. The Difficulties In Reaching And Effectively Communicating With Vulnerable Groups Within The CommunityA London Perspective

2. Steve Turek Assistant Commissioner Community Safety London Fire Brigade

3. Overview • London and its challenges • The identification of Vulnerable groups • Strategies for effectively reaching them

4. The Capital City One of the worlds leading financial centres (33% of Fortune 500 Organisations’s have their EU HQ here) Major retail, entertainment and cultural facilities (40,000 shops) A concentration of important heritage and nationally significant sites

5. The Capital City Population currently 7.4m and set to increase by over 10% in the next few years A population density of 4,659 per square Km Over 27 million visitors a year

6. Challenges for London • Some of the highest poverty rates in the UK • Second highest unemployment rate in England • Annual net migration of people from outside the UK of 190,000 • 29% of Londoners are from minority ethnic groups, speaking 300 different languages

7. London’s Fire Fatalities A recent thematic study on fatal fires between 2001 – 2005 showed: • Dwelling Fires accounted for 82% of the fatal fires in London in the five year period ending 2005 • 55% of victims were over 60 years old • 24% increase in 40-59 age group

8. London’s Fire Fatalities • 40% of Fatal fires were due to smoking • People with limited mobility and alcohol impaired are at higher risk • 60% of fatal dwelling fires had no smoke alarm • Fatal fires occur disproportionately in areas of high social and economic deprivation

9. London’s Fire Fatalities 26 Fire Fatalities this year to date: 6097 83 27 79 72 86 25 80 44 33 January February March 78 65 63 45 47 42 55 64 84 17 23 46 66 72 42 April May

10. Vulnerable Groups Often involve people from identified vulnerable groups within the community • Reclusive older people • Young people • Those with mobility problems • Those with mental health problems

11. Vulnerable Groups • Those with alcohol/nicotine/drug dependencies • Those who hoard combustible materials, (newspapers, magazines, rags etc.) • Those for whom English is not their first language including refugees.

12. Vulnerable Groups These people are vulnerable because they: • Often live alone and have poor lifestyle habits • Live on low incomes and live in accommodation that is either rented or poorly maintained • Have limited social contact, (Community nurses and professional carers) • Often live in closed cultural or sectarian communities.

13. Vulnerable Groups They are also vulnerable because they: • Are very difficult groups to reach • Often have entrenched behaviours which are difficult to modify

14. Our Role • LFEPA exists to make London a safer city by minimising the risks, and social and economic costs, of fire and other hazards while providing the highest standards of fire cover for the capital

15. Corporate Strategies and Targets theLondon Safety Plan 2005 -2010

16. Corporate Strategies and Targets 2005 - 2010 • Reduce fires in people’s homes by 5% • Reduce accidental fire related deaths by 20% • Reduce deliberate fires by 10% • Reduce hoax calls (malicious calls) by 5% • Maintain first appliance attendance times • Improve attendance time for second appliances by about 3% across London

17. Corporate Strategies and Targets 2005 - 2010 • Reduce fires in people’s homes by 5% • Reduce accidental fire related deaths by 20% • Reduce deliberate fires by 10% • Reduce hoax calls (malicious calls) by 5% • Maintain first appliance attendance times • Improve attendance time for second appliances by about 3% across London

18. Our achievements • Between 1999/00 and 2004/05 we achieved: • 18% reduction in fires overall • 19% reduction in fire deaths • 20% reduction in deaths from accidental fires in the home

19. Prevention, protection and partnership • These improvements have been achieved through our strategy that “prevention is better than cure” • A sharper focus on preventing fires from happening • Ensuring that people know what to do if a fire breaks out and how to get out safely

20. Prevention, protection and partnership • The cornerstone initiative is to deliver 100,000 Home Fire Safety Visits and install free smoke alarms inat risk communities per year • 40,000 by LFB Staff through referrals and canvassing • 60,000 in partnership with Agencies who work with the known at-risk vulnerable groups within the Community

21. Home Fire Safety Visits and smoke alarm installations • Referrals are received by 0800 Phone, Canvassing and promotions • LFB Home Fire Safety Visits are scheduled by a dedicated call centre • Each Station provides appointment slots each week and these are electronically filled in station diary’s • Crews carry out HFSV’s and install free smoke alarms

22. Internal Barriers • A largely white male workforce that does not always relate to community values and cultures • Uniformed presence is often intimidating (particularly to refugee communities) • There is a problem with distraction Burglaries in London so people are resistant to callers entering their homes even with ID

23. To overcome this we continue to diversify our workforce Diversity • 10% of operational staff from BME (national target 7%) • 3% women (national average 2.1%) • 22% of new entrant firefighters were BME (year ending October 2006) • 5.86% were women • 18% women applicants in last campaign

24. Partnership HFSV’s and Smoke alarm installations • Partners are identified and contracts entered into • Partners are trained by LFB to deliver Fire Safety information and install smoke alarms • Partners are provided with Smoke Alarms by LFB • Partners deliver HFSV’s to their clients and tenants etc.

25. Partnership HFSV’s and Smoke alarm installations Current Partnerships include: • Housing Associations (Rental Tenants) • Help The Aged and Age Concern (Elderly) • Various Faith Group Societies (Ethnic Groups) • Registered Care Organisations (elderly and disabled)

26. Prevention, protection and partnership A Borough Commander is appointed to work in close liaison with each diverse community and to identify their local needs

27. Prevention, protection and partnership • Borough Commander’s responsible for Community safety, Regulatory Fire Safety and Operational Service delivery • Also responsible for • Closer links with the local councils • Crime and disorder panels • Local community engagement schemes

28. Community Fire Safety Officers

29. Community Fire Safety Officers • Offer essential fire safety advice and support and work closely with agencies who seek to build relationships with the following: • The Elderly • Young people • Londoners with physical and learning disabilities • Isolated ethnic and faith groups • People with mental illness or drug and alcohol addictions

30. CFS Events Organised and Cultural and Religious Gatherings Attended Community Fire Safety Officers

31. Thank You Any Questions?