USAR Skills Payments

The request was successful.

Dear Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service,

I would be grateful if you would answer the following questions in relation to your Urban Search and Rescue (USAR ) personnel.

1. With the annual firefighter salary at £29.934, What additional payment(s) are given to USAR personnel (ie USAR Technician and USAR Advisor) in your brigade for undertaking training and delivery of the USAR capability ?

2. What on call/recall payments are made to USAR personnel (if additional to above)

3. Do USAR technicians undertake USAR/Technical Rescue only or do they also have full firefighting and CFS responsibilities?

4. How many USAR personnel do you have?

5. Please provide a breakdown of your annual USAR budget and expenditure.

6. Please explain the expected training requirements of USAR personnel.

Kind regards

Yours faithfully,

Joe McMahon

DP&FOI, Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service

Dear Sir

Freedom of Information Request - FOI 846/18

I am writing further to your email of 14 May 2018 where you requested information relating to USAR Skills Payments.

Your request is being dealt with under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and will be answered as soon as possible and at the latest within 20 working days, (12 June 2018).

In the unlikely event that we are not able to respond within 20 working days we will write to you to explain why and provide an anticipated completion date.

In line with guidance published by the Information Commissioner’s Office, LFRS may make a charge for the provision of information – for example in order to cover the costs of postage (in line with the relevant postal charges) or charges for printing and copying (which will reflect photocopying charges levied by public libraries).

You will be informed if a fee is to be applied before information is to be provided.

If you have any queries about this request do not hesitate to contact the Incident Information Officer quoting the reference number given in the subject line of this acknowledgement.

Yours faithfully

Corporate Programme and Intelligence
Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service
Email: dp&[email address]
SMOKE ALARMS SAVE LIVES
Call 0800 169 1125 to book a free Home Fire Safety Check.
Visit our website: www.lancsfirerescue.org.uk
Facebook: Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service
Twitter: @LancashireFRS

show quoted sections

DP&FOI, Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service

1 Attachment

Dear Sir
 
Freedom of Information Request - FOI 846/18
 
I am writing further to your email of 14 May 2018  where you requested
information relating to USAR Skills Payments.
 
Please find our decision below:
 
1. With the annual firefighter salary at £29.934, What additional
payment(s) are given to USAR personnel (i.e. USAR Technician and USAR
Advisor) in your brigade for undertaking training and delivery of the USAR
capability ?
 
All USAR personnel are on Day Crewing Plus (DCP) Stations and have the
same payments as any other DCP personnel - there is no additional
allowance for the USAR capability.
 
2. What on call/recall payments are made to USAR personnel (if additional
to above)
 
On call as above - DCP terms; Recall paid in line with grey book (and all
other operational personnel) minimum of 3 hrs and thereafter in 15 min
blocks all at double time.  Recall is not a part of the planning
assumptions and would only be used in exceptional circumstances.
 
3. Do USAR technicians undertake USAR/Technical Rescue only or do they
also have full firefighting and CFS responsibilities?
 
USAR staff currently undertake USAR/Firefighting/Technical Rope Rescue
duties along with all CFS/School visits and other preventative work.
 
4. How many USAR personnel do you have?
 
28 trained USAR technicians across the relevant stations. 2 National NRAT
trained Tactical advisors. Reserve cohort of 13 trained USAR Technicians
for resilience/relief duties.
 
5. Please provide a breakdown of your annual USAR budget and expenditure.
 
LFRS do not budget for USAR separately, this function is part of the
business as usual operational provision of the relevant stations, all
budgets are set at Area level.  The only exception to this is as follows:
 
USAR PPE - £23,000
USAR Timber - £12,000
USAR Consumables - £23,000
USAR Dog - £7,000
USAR Oxygen - £1,000
 
 
6. Please explain the expected training requirements of USAR personnel.
 
 
 
Please see attached.  “I” represents Individual, “T” represents Team.
 
If you are unhappy with the information you have received in relation to
your request and wish to make an appeal or request a review of our
decision, you should write to the Director of Strategy and Planning at the
address shown below or by e-mail.
 
The Director of Strategy and Planning Delivery
Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service
Fire Service HQ
Garstang Road
Fulwood
Preston
PR2 3LH
 
Appeals or reviews should be made within 40 working days of our response
to your request being issued.  Any appeals or requests for review received
outside of the 40 working days will be refused.  Please note this is in
line with the Information Commissioner’s own working practices.
If you are not content with the outcome of your appeal or review, you may
apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision. Generally,
the ICO cannot make a decision unless you have exhausted the complaints
procedure provided by Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service.
 
The Information Commissioner can be contacted at:
 
Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire SK9 5AF
Telephone: 08456 30 60 60 or 01625 54 57 45
[1]www.ico.gov.uk
 
Should you have any queries with regards to this email or require any
additional information, please contact me on the details listed below 
 
Yours faithfully
 
Corporate Programme and Intelligence
Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service
Email: [2]dp&[email address]
SMOKE ALARMS SAVE LIVES
Call 0800 169 1125 to book a free Home Fire Safety Check.
Visit our website: [3]www.lancsfirerescue.org.uk
Facebook: [4]Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service
Twitter: [5]@LancashireFRS
 

show quoted sections