Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service have produced their latest draft IRMP for consultation.  The IRMP outlines the services plans for the year 2009 to 2010.

Read the full plan on the HWFR website here.

The main points are :

• Adopt a new standard for attendance times to fires in buildings and Road Traffic Collisions (RTC's).

These standards are :

Fires in buildings

1st fire appliance within 10 minutes, 75% of the time, 2nd fire appliance within 5 minutes of the first, 75% of the time

RTC's

1st fire appliance within 10 minutes, 75% of the time, Enhanced Rescue Capability (Rescue Pump) within 20 minutes, 85% of the time.

• Reduce the firefighter establishment by 12 posts.

This is a reduction of one firefighter per watch at Kidderminster, Redditch and Bromsgrove fire stations.

Quote HWFRS Website : "...resulting in efficiencies of approximately £420,000.  We are not proposing change to the number of fire fighters who ride on fire appliances. We currently employ eight people on each watch at these stations to ensure that five are available after leave and sickness. Our proposal to reduce this to seven people employed to ensure we have five available would bring us back in line with other stations across the UK. "

• Streamlining back office services, to achieve efficiency savings of £200,000

• Review arrangements for the management of leave and improve the management of sickness absence to support the reduction of operational posts.

• Make an investment of £100k to support the cost of cover of arrangements to enable the release of staff for critical training.

• Continue to examine further opportunities to deliver efficiency savings and service improvements – including collaboration/combination with another Fire and Rescue Authority.

Joint reviews into opportunities for greater efficiency and capability through closer working or combination with Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service are due to conclude in September 2008.