Conservative Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Zoë Metcalfe has appointed Mat Walker as the new deputy chief fire officer of North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service.

Mr Walker, a 43-year-old father-of-three who has been in the role on an interim basis since June, will receive a salary of £95,294 plus an operational allowance.

He joined the fire and rescue service in 2003 in South Yorkshire before moving to a national role where he was involved in the response to major incidents including east coast flooding and the Salisbury Novichok attacks.

He has since worked in the West Yorkshire service, most recently as an area manager responsible for service assurance and improvement.

Mr Walker was appointed after three candidates were interviewed by an independent panel.

Commissioner Zoë Metcalfe said:

“I am delighted to be able to appoint Mat into this permanent role. He faced a strong challenge from an excellent field of candidates but I’m confident he’s the right person to help lead North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service on its continuing transformation.

“This is also an exciting time to be joining the service as we begin to put in place our refreshed plans on how to keep the people of North Yorkshire safe, and feeling safe over the next two years.”

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Mr Walker takes up the role at a time when unions have raised concerns over cuts worth around £8m a year.

At Harrogate fire station, it means the number of night-time fire engines will be reduced to just one.

At a meeting this month, it was revealed North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s fire engine availability was classed as being at a “critical” level for 10% of the time during May this year.

This level refers to the service having fewer than 32 staffed engines and other appliances available across North Yorkshire. Commissioner Metcalfe described availability as “incredibly concerning”.

North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Zoë Metcalfe has called issues with fire crew availability in the county “incredibly concerning”.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s fire engine availability was classed as being at a “critical” level for 10% of the time during May this year.

That status refers to the service having fewer than 32 staffed engines and other appliances available across North Yorkshire.

The fire service said that “ongoing challenges” were affecting firefighter availability in the county.

The statistics were presented during the monthly public accountability meeting chaired by the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.

After the high in May, the period of time spent at the critical level decreased to 4% in June.

Ms Metcalfe said that the situation reaffirmed the need for the fire service’s risk and resource model consultation.

Read more

• Last chance to comment on proposed Harrogate Fire Station changes
• Councillors have ‘major concerns’ about plans to reduce Harrogate fire engines

The consultation, which closed last month, proposed upgrading Harrogate’s 24-hour tactical response vehicle to a full fire engine, but only during the day.

Harrogate Fire Station is currently one of only of five in North Yorkshire to have staff on a 24-hour basis.

Elsewhere in North Yorkshire, the commissioner proposed moving some stations from full-time operation to being ‘on-call’.

That is where firefighters principally work in other jobs but respond to incidents when needed.

Ms Metcalfe said:

“That’s why… the fire service invests in the on-call model and that the service uses its resources in the very best way in the future.”

Zoe Metcalfe, North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.

“Our availability is inverted to our demand”

The fire service’s director of assurance, area manager James Manning, told the meeting that the current method of employing staff on-call had led to some issues.

He said:

“Our availability is inverted to our demand.”

The data showed that fire crew availability was higher in the evenings and overnight but lower during the daytime when fewer firefighters were able to be on-call.

Roughly around double the number of incidents happen in the daytime compared to overnight.

Mr Manning added that May also saw “slightly higher than normal” levels of leave and sickness but that the service was working on becoming more flexible in its staffing arrangements.

A senior North Yorkshire Police officer has called the force’s average 999 response time of 20 seconds an “unacceptable number.”

Head of Operational Training, Planning & Logistics Superintendent, Michael Walker, made the comments as part of his update on the force’s performance at the monthly Public Accountability Meeting chaired by Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Zoë Metcalfe. He said:

“The average speed of answer is 20 seconds. The target is obviously 10 seconds, so that number is an unacceptable number, which I know is an unacceptable number. Which is why we’ve put in several measures… to improve that.”

Under Home Office targets, 90% of emergency calls should be answered in under 10 seconds.

The Stray Ferret reported last week that in July North Yorkshire Police were only answering 39.9% of these within the target period – the lowest in the country.

However, Supt Walker aimed to reassure the public that work was being done to reduce the problem.

He promised that there would be 10% more staff in the force’s York control room by the end of September.

Recruitment and training of new call handlers was already underway.

In the meantime, he explained, 20 police staff with previous experience of call handling had been brought in to assist the team.

This included serving police officers, though Supt Walker confirmed that they had only been moved where it had been deemed safe to do so.

He added that the force had a “determination” to improve.

Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Zoë Metcalfe and Superintendent Michael Walker in the Public Accountability Meeting.

Increased demand and pocket dials

Also discussed in the meeting was the increasing number of emergency calls.

The number of people calling 999 has increased since 2018, with a peak during the pandemic.

Supt Walker also revealed that one in 10 emergency calls were pocket dials.

That meant the force had to spend time call people back to ensure that there was no emergency taking place.

New figures show that North Yorkshire Police is now the worst police force for responding to 999 calls.

Forces are expected to meet the Home Office target of answering 90% of emergency calls within 10 seconds.

Home Office data showed that, in July, North Yorkshire only managed this 39.9% of the time.

The best performing force was Nottinghamshire Police, which achieved 87% – still below the 90% target.

North Yorkshire Police has often been close to the foot of the table but this was the second month in a row when it was actually last.

The force’s own statistics show its latest average 999 response time for the month of July was 20 seconds. This was higher than its 36-month average of 18.84 seconds.

The figures will come under the spotlight at the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner’s monthly public accountability meeting next Tuesday, August 30.

Data published by the commissioner’s office in advance of the meeting revealed the number of 999 calls increased by 8% in July 2022 compared with the same month last year.

Zoe Metcalfe, North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.

‘A huge increase’

The North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner’s office was approached for comment on the slow response times but a spokesman said the issue would be discussed at next week’s meeting.

Commissioner Zoë Metcalfe told the Stray Ferret in June that she was working to reduce delays in answering 101 and 999 calls in the police control room.

She said there had been a “huge increase” in 999 and non-emergency 101 calls.

Ms Metcalfe has pledged £140,000 to increase the number of staff working in the force control room.

There are just a few days left for people to comment on controversial plans to cut the number of night-time fire engines in Harrogate to just one.

This Sunday is the final day of a three-month consultation on the proposals from the North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service.

The county’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Zoë Metcalfe is running an online survey on the plans which she said would “continue to provide an immediate emergency response” during the night when emergencies are less likely to occur.

She has also insisted the proposals are not cost-cutting measures as the fire service already has a balanced budget.

Yet union officials and councillors have raised concerns over the plans which have been described as “seriously concerning” and “putting money before lives”.

Read more:

• Fire Brigades Union ‘seriously concerned’ over cuts to Harrogate service
• Harrogate firefighter brands plans to rely on one fire engine ‘farcical’
• Harrogate fire station changes won’t increase risk to life, says commissioner

Steve Howley, secretary at the North Yorkshire Fire Brigades Union, said the proposed move would leave the area with a “second-rate emergency response service that will put lives at risk” as he also urged commissioner Metcalfe to fight for more funding from the government.

The proposals are included in the fire service’s new risk and resource model which sets out how it will deploy staff and equipment over the next three years.

There are similar proposals for fire stations in Scarborough and Huntington which commissioner Metcalfe said along with the Harrogate plans would save over £1.5 million a year to allow for investment in fire prevention.

She added the proposals are based on an “extensive risk assessment” which has identified the likelihood of fires, road traffic collisions and other emergencies.

Commissioner Metcalfe said: 

“The assessment shows that in our area, the risk of having a fire in your home is generally low, with pockets of higher risk in some of our urban areas and also in the south-east of the service area.

“In fact, other emergencies, such as collisions on our roads or rescues from water during storms and floods, make up a larger proportion of what our service responds to.

“Based on this evidence, your fire and rescue service has put forward proposals that it feels will ensure it has the right people with the right equipment in the right place at the right time to reduce the risk of harm in our communities.

“Before I make my decision on whether to implement them, I want to know what you, the people of North Yorkshire and York, think of them.”

To have your say go to www.TellCommissionerZoe.co.uk.

A review is to be carried out into how stalking and harassment is dealt with in North Yorkshire.

The review aims to help police and partners respond better to such incidents.

It is being funded by £100,000 of government money secured by Zoe Metcalfe, the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.

The review will be conducted in partnership with the Suzy Lamplugh Trust, a charity that aims to reduce the level of violence and aggression in society.

A press release by Ms Metcalfe’s office said:

“It will see a victim-focused assessment of local systems, processes, training and practice carried out to help North Yorkshire Police and partners understand and respond better to stalking and harassment.

 

“Bespoke training will be provided to police officers and staff from partner organisations to become ‘stalking and harassment advocates’ and provide information, support, advice and guidance to their colleagues.”

£700,000 to protect homes 

Me Metcalfe has also secured £700,000 to prevent neighbourhood crime with an extension of her office’s Protect Your Home scheme.

More than 1,000 homes and 90 farms along the borders of Harrogate borough and Craven district will use the funding to prevent burglaries and protect individuals, families and businesses,

Security upgrades include new locks for vulnerable doors, windows, garages and sheds, and alarm systems for farms and small holdings.

Eligible residents will receive a registration pack through the post shortly.

North Yorkshire Police will also purchase additional Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras and upgrade Rural Watch signs in specific locations to detect and deter potential burglars.

Read more:

• Commissioner to be quizzed over planned cuts to Harrogate’s night-time fire crews
• North Yorkshire Police reveals scores of detective vacancies

Total funding of £809,095 has been secured for the two schemes from the Home Office Safer Streets Fund, which the government launched in 2020 to reduce and prevent crime.

Preventing neighbourhood crime and addressing violence against women and girls are two of Ms Metcalfe’s priorities as commissioner.

She said the schemes will have “a real, tangible impact on how safe people feel both in and outside their homes”, adding:

“This is the fourth time the commissioner’s office has secured additional Home Office funding to support residents across North Yorkshire and York be safe and feel safe and I am confident that what these two schemes will deliver will make a huge difference to individuals, families and communities.”

Parishes eligible for the Protect Your Home scheme are:

• Spofforth with Stockeld
• Kirk Deighton
• North Deighton
• Allerton Mauleverer with Hopperton
• Long Marston
• Leathley
• Sicklinghall
• Kirk Hammerton
• Clapham cum Newby
• Lawkland
• Cononley
• Lothersdale

North Yorkshire’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner is set to face further scrutiny over plans to cut the number of night-time fire engines in Harrogate to just one.

Commissioner Zoë Metcalfe will face councillors at a special meeting of North Yorkshire County Council’s Harrogate and Knaresborough Area Constituency Committee next Thursday.

The plans, which are currently out to consultation, have already been criticised as “putting money before lives”.

The Fire Brigades Union also described the proposals as “seriously concerning”.

The plans would see Harrogate fire station continue to have two fire engines during the day, but just one between 10pm and 9am when fewer incidents usually occur.

The move would also mean some of the fire station’s 40 crew members are moved to different stations or roles.

Harrogate Fire Station on Skipton Road

A report to Thursday’s meeting said Harrogate is of a “predominantly low combined fire risk” and that this “does not warrant” two 24-hour fire engines.

Commissioner Metcalfe has also insisted the fire service would “continue to provide an immediate emergency response” during the night.

Yet concerns remain that the move would increase response times if multiple emergencies occur during late hours and back-up vehicles have to travel further from outside of Harrogate.

Steve Howley, secretary of the North Yorkshire Fire Brigades Union, previously urged the public to reject the proposals which he said would “put lives at risk.” He said:

“The Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner needs to fight for the correct funding from government, not simply mask underfunding by slashing services and providing the public of North Yorkshire with a second-rate emergency response service.”

Save £1.5m a year

Ms Metcalfe said the plans – which also include cuts to services in York and Scarborough – would save over £1.5 million a year, yet she insisted they are not cost-cutting measures.

She also said the savings would allow for investment in fire prevention.

Read more:

• Harrogate firefighters battle extreme heat as five fields go up in flames
• Harrogate fire station changes won’t increase risk to life, says commissioner

The proposals are part of the fire service’s Risk and Resource Model which sets out how it will deploy staff and equipment across North Yorkshire over the next three years.

The consultation will run until August 14 and residents are being urged to give their feedback online.

Commissioner Metcalfe said in a statement:

“The role of a fire and rescue service has changed and continues to change, with only 26% of our incidents last year relating to a fire emergency.

“We want to ensure we are addressing our current and future challenges and that we have the capacity to prevent and stop incidents happening in the first place.

“Inevitably, there are some areas where the setup of the service would change but I’m confident the right people, right equipment and the right support would continue to be available to everyone.”

To have your say go to www.TellCommissionerZoe.co.uk

A government minister has said that funding of North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue is adequate, despite concerns over cuts to its capital grant.

In a written question to the Home Office, York MP Racheal Maskell asked the government whether it had carried out an assessment of the adequacy of the service’s funding.

She also asked what the anticipated funding for the service will be over the next three years.

The question comes as ministers cut North Yorkshire’s capital grant, meaning it could have to borrow up to £31 million to cover maintenance costs.

In response, Kit Malthouse, minister of state at the Home Office, said:

“Fire and rescue services including North Yorkshire FRS have the resources they need to do their important work.

“In 2022-23, North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority has a core spending power of £33.5m, an increase of £1.4m (4.5%) compared to 2021-22.

“The government is committed to ensuring that funding allocations for fire and rescue authorities are based on an up-to-date assessment of their needs and resources.”

Read more:

• Fire Brigades Union ‘seriously concerned’ over cuts to Harrogate service
• Harrogate firefighter brands plans to rely on one fire engine ‘farcical’
• Harrogate fire station changes won’t increase risk to life, says commissioner

The response comes as unions have raised concern over the fire service’s finances.

The cut to the service’s capital grant is worth around £8 million a year.

Steve Howley, Fire Brigades Union North Yorkshire brigade secretary, said previously that the service would be left snuggling to buy basics as a result of the cut.

Meanwhile, in an interview with the Stray Ferret last week, Zoe Metcalfe, North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, described the cut as “very unfair”.

She added that she was “working hard for additional funding” to ensure the service was not in a position outlined by the unions.

North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Zoe Metcalfe has rejected claims that proposed changes to Harrogate’s night time fire service will increase the risk to lives.

Ms Metcalfe is consulting on a three-year plan for fire services in the county in the face of severe financial pressure.

One of the proposals is to reduce the number of fire engines operating overnight at Harrogate and Scarborough fire stations from two to one.

This has been criticised by firefighters and trade unions, who fear it could cost lives.

But in her first interview with the Stray Ferret since she was elected commissioner in November, Ms Metcalfe said she disagreed with this assessment:

“From everything I’ve seen I’m confident that won’t happen. This is a genuine consultation. I would really urge everyone to engage with it.”

Ms Metcalfe’s Risk and Resource Model 2022 to 2025 Consultation, published in May, sets out how the fire service will deploy its resources over the next three years. It puts the emphasis on fire prevention, especially during the day when most fires occur.

Firefighters tackling a recent blaze in West Tanfield.

Harrogate and Scarborough currently both have an emergency fire engine and a tactical response fire engine operating 24 hours a day.

The model proposes both stations have two emergency response vehicles during the day but only one at night. They would lose their tactical response engines altogether.

Ms Metcalfe was accompanied at the interview by Dave Winspear, who is part of the senior management team at North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service.

Mr Winspear, who is based in Ripon, said the changes would enhance the current fire service model across the county, adding:

“During the times when we know we are busiest we are providing additional resource into those two towns by bringing in a different type of fire engine.

“It improves the ability to respond to a wide range of incidents.

“We are looking to remove a fire engine in the evening when we are quiet but based on the fact that we have robust arrangements in around the Harrogate and Scarborough area from other fire stations that can respond into that area.”

He added the tactical response engine, which will be lost, had “limited response capability” compared to emergency fire engines.

Harrogate fire station

Harrogate currently employs 40 firefighters across four watches and five could be affected by the changes. Mr Winspear said they would be offered the chance to be redeployed.

Government cuts £8m a year

The new model for fire services is being drawn up against a bleak financial backdrop.

The government recently axed North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s capital grant, worth about £8m a year.

It means the service could have to borrow up to £31 million over the next five years. Steve Howley, Fire Brigades Union North Yorkshire brigade secretary, has said the service would be left struggling to buy basics.

Ms Metcalfe described the decision to cut the capital grant as “very unfair” at the time it was announced and this week told us she was “working hard for additional funding” to ensure the service didn’t end up in the position outlined by the union.

Zoe Metcalfe

Delays answering 101 and 999 calls

Ms Metcalfe, who was born in Ripon, went to school in Harrogate and now lives in Aldborough, also said she was working to reduce delays in answering 101 and 999 calls in the police control room.

Home Office figures last month showed that North Yorkshire police took on average 30 seconds to answer 999 calls — the third worst performance in the country. The calls should be answered within 10 seconds.

“Over the last couple of years there has been a huge increase in the volume of calls, especially 999 and they come first.”

The commissioner’s office has pledged £140,000 to address the issue. When will people noticed a difference?

The force control room should currently employ 146 full-time equivalent employees across communications and dispatch when it is fully staffed.

Read more:

• Fire Brigades Union ‘seriously concerned’ over cuts to Harrogate service
• Harrogate firefighter brands plans to rely on one fire engine ‘farcical’

There are currently 141. With the commissioner’s additional investment, there will be a revised target of 161.

Ms Metcalfe said a third of calls to police involved mental health issues and it was important to understand the data better and work with other organisations to tackle the issues.

She said her background as a Conservative councillor on Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council meant she was familiar with many of the agencies involved in mental health.

Asked whether she, as a senior Conservative politician, shared Harrogate and Knaresborough Conservative MP Andrew Jones’ lack of confidence in Prime Minister Boris Johnson, she said:

“I will leave that to MPs in the parliamentary party.”

You can find out more about the proposed changes and take part in the consultation here.

A Harrogate firefighter has spoken out against proposals to cut the number of overnight fire engines in the town.

North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner’s Office held a roadshow in Harrogate town centre yesterday to discuss its new three-year plan for the county’s fire service.

Its proposals include reducing the number of fire engines stationed in Harrogate overnight from two to one.

The plans would also see the station lose its tactical response vehicle, which would be moved to an on-call station elsewhere in the county.

The Stray Ferret went along to yesterday’s roadshow, which was not attended by Zoe Metcalfe, the police, fire and crime commissioner.

We spoke to Harrogate resident and firefighter of 16 years, Steve Applewood, who described the plans as “ridiculous” and a matter of huge concern.

He said a large fire or a fire that puts lives at risk required two water pumps and therefore two fire engines.

Harrogate Fire Station on Skipton Road.

If only one was available at night, Harrogate firefighters would have to wait 10 minutes for a crew to arrive from Knaresborough, he added.

“A 10-minute wait at a house fire is a long time. It also doesn’t give your first breathing apparatus crew a back-up team so in 10 minutes they could have worn down their air supply but with the delay on the second unit there isn’t another crew to take over straight away.

“Or sometimes, tactically, we send two teams in two directions and we wouldn’t have that option straight away.”

Changes are ‘farcical’

Currently one emergency fire engine and a tactical response unit operate in Harrogate overnight, which Mr Appleword accepted did not guarantee two crews with breathing apparatus. But he said the driver of the tactical response unit could become another member of the breathing apparatus crew if necessary.

He said colleagues thought the proposed changes were “farcical” adding:

“I’m against most of them, I think it’s ridiculous they’re looking at cutting the cover in Harrogate by 50%. It’s a real concern for us, a 10-minute wait could be the difference between life and death.”

Read more:

• Councillors raise concern over Harrogate fire station cuts
• Ripon firefighters save pony stuck in mud

Currently, 10 crew members cover each shift in Harrogate and Mr Appleyard said the amount of new housing being built in the town  was an added factor to consider with any planned reduction in service.

Councillors and a firefighter’s union have raised their concerns in recent weeks.

Tom Thorp, deputy monitoring officer for the commissioner’s office, who spoke to people at yesterday’s event, told us:

“It’s been a mix [of opinions], people can see the sense in some of it and for others it’s a concern. For us it’s about explaining the proposals and getting people’s opinions.”

Staff from the commissioner’s office will be holding pop-up roadshows across the county over the next nine weeks, returning to Harrogate on July 19.

People are encouraged to complete a survey on the proposals and share their views.

Focus on preventing fires

Ms Metcalfe has previously said her proposals focus on preventing fires.

“The role of a fire and rescue service has changed and continues to change, with only 26% of our incidents last year relating to a fire emergency.

“We want to ensure we are addressing our current and future challenges and that we have the capacity to prevent and protect to stop incidents happening in the first place and prevent harm before it can take place, while also having the capacity to respond to emergencies when they do take place. We are confident these proposals would do that.

“Inevitably, there are some areas where the setup of the service would change but I’m confident the right people, right equipment and the right support would continue to be available to everyone.”