Agenda item

Fire Service Update

Avon Fire and Rescue will be in attendance to provide a response on their approach to unlicensed holiday lets in Bath.   

Minutes:

Bath Fire Station Update

 

Station Manager, Gareth Lloyd explained that the firefighters are running their winter safety campaign.

·  Home visits to the elderly and vulnerable are being carried out.

·  Three nights have been spent on the towpaths with community resilience volunteers to educate young people that it’s not the best placed to walk if you’ve been drinking. Work continues with both of the universities in Bath.

·  Work has been taking place with food banks to meet vulnerable people living in the community so that visits can be arranged to check their fire safety, and advice can be given on property issues. It is hoped that this work will extend to soup kitchens.

·  Requests have been made to boat owners to attend safety meetings at the George Public House in Bathampton. This work will include outreach workers for Julian House and advice on fire detection devices.

 

Question 1 – Cllr Dine Romero – Does the work with the university students extend to Bath College and school sixth forms?

Response – There are not presently the links that the Fire Service would like to see in place. Work on river safety is aimed at 17-21 year olds and attendance at fresher’s events does take place.  Social media is being used as one method of getting the messages out.

 

Question 2 – Cllr Andy Furse – How are interventions taking place with vulnerable people affected by rouge landlords?

Response – Work is ongoing with the Student Community Partnership and the River Safety Group. An online blog is regularly updated.

Andy added that Bath College would welcome visits from Avon Fire & Rescue.

 

Question 3 – Cllr Shaun Stephenson-McGall – What is the position of the Fire service in relation to the squeeze from funding cuts?

Response – The budget proposals go to The Fire Authority in February. The service commitment from the front end responders remains 24 hour / 7 day a week operation.

 

Question 4 - Cllr Shaun Stephenson-McGall asked how the fire service deals with the issue of washing machine / tumble dryers which are potential “death traps”.

Response – The Fire Service keeps an eye on product recalls and issues alerts for the public.

 

Question 5 – Robin Kerr – Could a response be given on fire safety around party houses. The Council are holding a scrutiny day in February on this topic. Brighton and Hove Council are ahead of us in dealing with these issues, East Sussex Fire Service has reported that they have powers to shut down premises.

 

Stephen Quinton, Group Manager – Risk Reduction responded:

 

·  The fire service does have a responsibility to carry out fire inspections at party houses, including Air BnB lets - “Party houses are regulated”. It was stated that there no inspection issues that are “too difficult”. 

·  Sleeping accommodation is a priority for fire inspections.

·  Named unlicensed party houses have been added to its list for checks. There were no specific complaints about any of those properties and there is no evidence to suggest that party houses are any more dangerous than licensed premises.

·  28 properties have been inspected, 5 turned out not to be party houses. None have received any enforcement action. Only one was assessed above level 3 of fire hazard (= advisory), requiring addition of some door closers and smoke alarms. 

·  A single exception was assessed as level 5 (= the worst) and would have been closed down that night, had not the owner managed to install a wireless detection system before the deadline.

·  There are 320 Air BnB’s advertised in B&NES area which provide a challenge as the only way to contact them is to book a room or email them.

·  There is nothing to stop owners from illegally blocking or removing fire safety measures (e.g. door closers) once the inspectors have gone. 

·  There are also 8,000 businesses in B&NES, and a number of care homes, which are a bigger priority for the fire services.

·  A premise above a shop was facing prosecution, on return to the property the landlord had installed a fire protection system that covered the issues that had been picked up in the initial inspection.

·  Once an inspection is carried out the premise is added to a plan but the reality is that a long time passes before a return visit is carried out.

·  The fire service has only two fire safety officers to cover B&NES, this is why a risk-based fire safety assessment system is run.

·  It was disappointing to see a reference to Grenfell in relation to party house fire safety in Bath. We will be doing everything in our power to keep you updated.”

 

Cllr Rob Appleyard felt that the feedback that had been provided was of a high quality and extremely useful. The language that is used future discussion needs to be responsible and measured.

 

Robin Kerr added his thanks to the information provided.