Cumbria Fire : IRMP : Integrated Risk Management Plan

Integrated risk management planning involves shifting the focus in planning to put people first and looking at the risks arising from the full range of fires and other emergency incidents that we attend and the options for their reduction and management.

To be effective, Cumbria Fire & Rescue Authority (CFRA) will need to provide a fully integrated risk managed approach to ensure that less people in Cumbriaare killed or injured in dwelling fires, or in their workplace. We will ensure that our emergency response arrangements (our firefighters and fire and rescue vehicles) will deal with any emergency incident and contribute to a safer environment. In order to provide a fair and equitable service, it will be necessary for CFRS to take into account the diverse needs of the population that we serve and to assess how best to meet these needs, particularly in relation to the provision of community safety.

Since April 2003, every fire & rescue authority has been required to produce a local IRMP that sets out their strategy in collaboration with other agencies for:

reducing the number and severity of fires, road traffic collisions and other emergency incidents occurring in the area for which it is responsible

reducing the severity of injuries in fires, road traffic collisions and other emergency incidents

reducing the commercial, economic and social impact of fires and other emergency incidents

safe-guarding the environment and heritage (both built and natural) and

providing value for money

Cumbria Fire & Rescue Authority will set out its assessment of local risk to life and, in line with this analysis, how we are going to deploy our resources to tackle these risks and improve the safety of all sections of our society.

This Integrated Risk Management Plan (IRMP) will identify the ways in which the authority will work in partnership with neighbouring fire and rescue authorities and other agencies to deliver improved public safety to the people of Cumbria. It will also set out the targets that the fire and rescue authority has set and the standards we will apply to meet this specific pattern of local risk found within Cumbria. This will be done in the context of our aim to secure continuous improvement and is intended to achieve best value for Cumbria's council tax payers.

The authority's IRMP is a strategic forward looking document which will impact on the Fire & Rescue Service's Annual Action Plans, Area Plans and Station Action Plans which are produced separately from the IRMP. Our IRMP is initially a four year plan, although it will be reviewed on a regular basis to ensure that it continues to meet community needs and changing priorities.