FOCUS
Appreciating value Warren Spencerconsiders if the value of fire safety officers will be properly appreciated, and looks at the significant drop in their numbers nationwide
that one day there would be a fl at fi re which would make everybody sit up and take notice of the lack of fire safety provision in flats, houses in multiple occupation and shared accommodation. I have now had conduct of over 170 cases under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order [FSO], prosecuting and defending, and dealing with appeals against enforcement and prohibition notices. Approximately one third of those cases have been prosecutions involving living accommodation. This percentage is reflected in the national statistics, which show that approximately 500 prosecutions have taken place since the FSO came into force in October 2006, and 165 of those prosecutions have involved living accommodation. Despite agreements held between fi re
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services and local borough councils in respect of joint investigations, inspections and cooperation, predominantly it has been the FSO and not the Housing Act that
44 FEBRUARY 2018
www.frmjournal.com
OON AFTER I began prosecuting fire safety cases more than 12 years ago, I was told by a senior fi re safety offi cer
has been used to bring ‘rogue landlords’ to justice. This unforeseen additional workload has to be considered against the background of consistent cuts to fi re safety departments over the past 10 years.
Cuts and reductions
The same austerity cuts that have been applied to police services and other government agencies over recent years have applied equally to fire authorities. Understandably, and quite rightly, those cuts have not necessarily hit the number of fi refi ghters on the frontline, but appliances have been reduced, stations have been closed and staff numbers in community departments have been slashed. This means that there has been a
signifi cant reduction in fi re safety offi cers. These officers are often highly qualified, experienced firefighters with a high level of technical understanding in how fires occur, how they progress and how people react in the event of fi re. Part of their role is to educate and liaise with employers, owners and occupiers of premises; inspect and
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