The Scottish Government

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STRATEGIC ISSUES FOR THE FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICES

ATTACKS ON FIRE SERVICE PERSONNEL

94. This year's figures show a slight decrease on last year with a drop of 2.5%. The Fire and Rescue Service showing the largest decrease is Grampian with a 43% drop in attacks from 14 to 8.

Attacks on Fire Service Personnel, 2006-07

Attacks on Fire Service Personnel, 2004-04 to 2006-07

FAIRNESS, DIVERSITY, EQUALITY AND CULTURAL POSITION OF THE FIRE SERVICE

Disability Discrimination Act 2006 - New Duty to promote

95. The Fire and Rescue Service has had a busy year preparing for the new equality duty to promote disability which was introduced in December 2006. This required all Services to develop a Disability Equality Scheme setting out their plans to promote and improve disability provision and awareness for the coming 3 years.

96. All Services now have their plans in place and there has been extensive consultation and involvement of stakeholders in their production.

Preparation for Gender Duty

97. Following the development of the new Disability Scheme, the Services have been preparing for the introduction of the new Gender Equality Scheme. Again this will involve extensive involvement and consultation with stakeholders.

Formation of a New Equality Forum

98. This year saw the formation of the new Equality Forum which will report directly to the Service Delivery Advisory Forum ( SDAF) and then through to the Ministers. At the inaugural meeting, the group elected the Fire Brigades' Union to take the Chair. The agenda of the Forum includes, taking forward the issues emerging from the recent Cultural Audit and Performance Audit, attempting to harmonise maternity and paternity provision, the creation of a single Equality Scheme, harmonising reporting methods, the development of guidance on emerging equality issues, i.e. Religion and Belief and Sexuality and consideration of other issues such as recruitment.

Equality Impact Assessment training

99. A number of FRS's have taken advantage of HMI staff to deliver training, on behalf of the Scottish Fire Services College, to assist them in undertaking their legal duty to equality impact assess all relevant policies and procedures. The impact assessment process which has been adopted by all Scottish FRS's includes assessment along all six equality themes regardless of whether there is a legal requirement to do so or not. This is an area of good practice across the whole sector.

BREAKDOWN OF SCOTTISH FIRE SERVICES EMPLOYMENT PROFILES

100. The Inspectorate monitor diversity and representation within the Fire Service through the annual statistical returns submitted from the Fire and Rescue Services during routine inspections.

Diversity Profile of Scottish Fire Services, All Sectors, 2000-01 to 2006-07

Diversity profile of Scottish Fire Services by Sector 2006-07

HEALTH AND SAFETY TRENDS

101. This year's figures show a slightly different picture compared with the 2005/06 figures. The number of near misses continues on a slow decline with a drop of 8.4% on last year but the number of accidents has risen by 11%.

Note: The figures for 2002-03 are not directly comparable to the others, as service was withdrawn through industrial action for parts of this period.

MANAGING ATTENDANCE

102. The mean rates of absence for wholetime operational and control room employees in each Fire and Rescue Service, together with the overall rates of absence for Scotland, are given in the tables below. As noted in previous years, there are significant variations between Services in levels of absence. However, this reporting year's absence rates show a 4% decrease from the 2005/06 figures.

Average Absence per employee 2006-07

Average Absences per year 2003-04 to 206-07

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