SYFRS to end free HFSV for everyone

[Jet]

As the title suggests, South Yorkshire are to end giving everyone a free home fire safety visit. They will instead only intervene and provide home visits to the most vulnerable people in society.

Changes to Home Safety Checks service

I for one welcome this initiative. For years now, HFSVs have been too target driven and the focus has been on quantity not quality. They are right to think that there are sections of society that can effectively look after themselves with some advice from the fire service and provide their own means of safety and security.

Thoughts?

[SteelCity]

I think the existing system is abused slightly, I've turned up at £1m+ houses that we've been called out to attend to a beeping smoke detector, our current policy in Shropshire on a refit is to also carry out a safe and well visit and asking these home owners about heating problems etc is a bit pointless. I think the system that SYFRS are implementing that screens these calls is ideal, if you pass the criteria (ie over 75 in Shropshire or a lone parent etc) then you still get the visit. Partner referrals (ie Age UK, Oxygen users and drug and alcohol dependents etc) still obviously get a visit no questions asked.

Thumbs up from me.

Also bear in mind that there will still be post incident visits to surrounding properties and areas of general high risk will still get detectors fitted as well.

[Firefant]

We have already done this. HFSV's have now been replaced with Safe and Well visits. These are targeted to the vulnerable households and we get our referrals from social services, BOC, concerned relatives etc. We don't just do a HFSV now, it's also falls assessment, alcohol assessment, quit smoking and vulnerability to crime. So we give advice on all these and if necessary make referrals to the relevant borough council departments.

 

[Jet]

I would much rather give focused, good quality safe and wells to people that need them rather than have to blanket cover everyone on the station ground. It seems a much more productive and effective way of protecting people that genuinely need our help.

Get rid of targets and cold calling and replace with a proper programme of targeted referrals. 

[HoldFast]

I think this is a much better way of doing it. Due to high targets the result is absolutely quantity over quality. It also has a detrimental effect on operational training. 

[Jet]

Totally agree with your training comment @HoldFast. For me this should be what we spend most of our non-response time doing. 

[HoldFast]

Absolutely @Jamiejet. We will regularly spend several hours a shift driving around housing estates without even making a dent in the target. Training gets fitted in around this ‘priority’. Totally backwards and half the time no one is even home anyway!

[Jet]

It annoys me @HoldFast. When you think about how anyone can deliver HFSVs, whereas only we are the only ones trained and equipped to actually put out fires and deal with other incidents. Why isn’t our ‘priority’ to train for this?

[HoldFast]

Hmm we both know the real answer to this. It’s a shame there isn’t a competition between brigades for who can do the most training . Maybe if our drill yards incorporated a public viewing gallery and it came under what we were seen to be doing? I could go on 

[Jet]

But of course according to politicians and journos we are ‘under-worked’ because we only spend 5-10% of our time at incidents. By that logic just how ‘under-worked’ are our soldiers? What percentage of their time is spent actually at war?? Funny that doesn’t make the headlines...

[HoldFast]

@Jamiejet you make an interesting point. We’ll have to get them out cold calling the over 75’s to offer advice on what to do if the Germans invade. They’ll be offering advice around health issues and utility bills in no time 

[Messyshaw]

23 hours ago, SteelCity said:

I think the existing system is abused slightly, I've turned up at £1m+ houses that we've been called out to attend to a beeping smoke detector, our current policy in Shropshire on a refit is to also carry out a safe and well visit 

I find that incredible and absolutely amazing. Are you sure of your facts??

A £1m house in Shropshire? Whatever next? ?

[HoldFast]

Just out of curiosity do others in the service have specific targets to meet when it comes to safe & well’s/HFSV’s? So many per year? Per tour? Or do you just have visits booked in as and when they are required?

[Crog]

Not sure about on call, but currently 60 per month per pump whole time. Soon to rise to 120 per month per pump. 

[HoldFast]

120 per pump per month?!?? ? I can’t see how that is at all sustainable. What an absurd amount. Not to second guess you at all @Crog but are you sure that’s right?

[Jet]

1 hour ago, Crog said:

Soon to rise to 120 per month per pump. 

At the complete detriment to the quality of the visits. May as well just give smoke alarms to the postman ?

[Crog]

We’ve had the same reactions. To be fair, as long as we can document reasons for not hitting target (incidents, training, etc), then we get some leeway on it. 

Not sure when the change is, but it is going to 120.

[HoldFast]

4 hours ago, Jamiejet said:

At the complete detriment to the quality of the visits. May as well just give smoke alarms to the postman ?

Bang on mate absolutely ?

 

1 hour ago, Crog said:

We’ve had the same reactions. To be fair, as long as we can document reasons for not hitting target (incidents, training, etc), then we get some leeway on it. 

Not sure when the change is, but it is going to 120.

I am not surprised! Ours is currently around 60 a month for each pump as well which in my opinion is already double what it should be.