The Difficulties In Reaching And
Effectively Communicating With
Vulnerable Groups Within The
Community
A London Perspective
making London a safer city
Steve Turek
Assistant Commissioner
Community Safety
London Fire Brigade
making London a safer city
Overview
• London and its challenges
• The identification of Vulnerable groups
• Strategies for effectively reaching them
making London a safer city
The Capital City
• One of the worlds leading financial centres (33% of Fortune 500
Organisations’s have their EU HQ here)
• Major retail, entertainment and cultural facilities (40,000 shops)
• A concentration of important heritage and nationally significant
sites
making London a safer city
The Capital City
• Population currently 7.4m and set to increase by over 10% in
the next few years
• A population density of 4,659 per square Km
• Over 27 million visitors a year
making London a safer city
Challenges for London
• Some of the highest poverty rates in the UK
• Second highest unemployment rate in England
• Annual net migration of people from outside the UK of 190,000
• 29% of Londoners are from minority ethnic groups, speaking
300 different languages
making London a safer city
London’s Fire Fatalities
A recent thematic study on fatal fires between 2001 – 2005 showed:
• Dwelling Fires accounted for 82% of the fatal fires in London
in the five year period ending 2005
• 55% of victims were over 60 years old
• 24% increase in 40-59 age group
making London a safer city
London’s Fire Fatalities
• 40% of Fatal fires were due to smoking
• People with limited mobility and alcohol impaired are at
higher risk
• 60% of fatal dwelling fires had no smoke alarm
• Fatal fires occur disproportionately in areas of high social and
economic deprivation
making London a safer city
London’s Fire Fatalities
26 Fire Fatalities this year to date:
60
97
83
27
79
72
January
78
65
63
45
86
25
February
47
42 55
64
84 17 23 46 66 72
April
80
44
33
March
42
May
making London a safer city
Vulnerable Groups
Often involve people from identified vulnerable groups within the
community
• Reclusive older people
• Young people
• Those with mobility problems
• Those with mental health problems
making London a safer city
Vulnerable Groups
• Those with alcohol/nicotine/drug dependencies
• Those who hoard combustible materials, (newspapers,
magazines, rags etc.)
• Those for whom English is not their first language including
refugees.
making London a safer city
Vulnerable Groups
These people are vulnerable because they:
• Often live alone and have poor lifestyle habits
• Live on low incomes and live in accommodation that is either
rented or poorly maintained
• Have limited social contact, (Community nurses and
professional carers)
• Often live in closed cultural or sectarian communities.
making London a safer city
Vulnerable Groups
They are also vulnerable because they:
• Are very difficult groups to reach
• Often have entrenched behaviours which are difficult to modify
making London a safer city
Our Role
• LFEPA exists to make London a safer city by minimising the
risks, and social and economic costs, of fire and other hazards
while providing the highest standards of fire cover for the
capital
making London a safer city
Corporate Strategies and Targets
the
London Safety Plan
2005 -2010
making London a safer city
Corporate Strategies and Targets 2005 - 2010
• Reduce fires in people’s homes by 5%
• Reduce accidental fire related deaths by 20%
• Reduce deliberate fires by 10%
• Reduce hoax calls (malicious calls) by 5%
• Maintain first appliance attendance times
• Improve attendance time for second appliances by about 3% across
London
making London a safer city
Corporate Strategies and Targets 2005 - 2010
• Reduce fires in people’s homes by 5%
• Reduce accidental fire related deaths by 20%
• Reduce deliberate fires by 10%
• Reduce hoax calls (malicious calls) by 5%
• Maintain first appliance attendance times
• Improve attendance time for second appliances by about 3% across
London
making London a safer city
Our achievements
• Between 1999/00 and 2004/05 we achieved:
– 18% reduction in fires overall
– 19% reduction in fire deaths
– 20% reduction in deaths from accidental fires in the home
making London a safer city
Prevention, protection and partnership
• These improvements have been achieved through our strategy
that “prevention is better than cure”
• A sharper focus on preventing fires from happening
• Ensuring that people know what to do if a fire breaks out and
how to get out safely
making London a safer city
Prevention, protection and partnership
• The cornerstone initiative is to deliver 100,000 Home Fire Safety
Visits and install free smoke alarms in at risk communities per
year
• 40,000 by LFB Staff through referrals and canvassing
• 60,000 in partnership with Agencies who work with the known
at-risk vulnerable groups within the Community
making London a safer city
Home Fire Safety Visits and smoke alarm
installations
• Referrals are received by 0800 Phone, Canvassing and promotions
• LFB Home Fire Safety Visits are scheduled by a dedicated call
centre
• Each Station provides appointment slots each week and these are
electronically filled in station diary’s
• Crews carry out HFSV’s and install free smoke alarms
making London a safer city
Internal Barriers
• A largely white male workforce that does not always relate to
community values and cultures
• Uniformed presence is often intimidating (particularly to
refugee communities)
• There is a problem with distraction Burglaries in London so
people are resistant to callers entering their homes even with
ID
making London a safer city
Diversity
To overcome this we continue to diversify our workforce
– 10% of operational staff from BME (national target 7%)
– 3% women (national average 2.1%)
– 22% of new entrant firefighters were BME (year ending
October 2006)
– 5.86% were women
– 18% women applicants in last campaign
making London a safer city
Partnership HFSV’s and Smoke alarm
installations
• Partners are identified and contracts entered into
• Partners are trained by LFB to deliver Fire Safety information and
install smoke alarms
• Partners are provided with Smoke Alarms by LFB
• Partners deliver HFSV’s to their clients and tenants etc.
making London a safer city
Partnership HFSV’s and Smoke alarm
installations
Current Partnerships include:
• Housing Associations (Rental Tenants)
• Help The Aged and Age Concern (Elderly)
• Various Faith Group Societies (Ethnic Groups)
• Registered Care Organisations (elderly and disabled)
making London a safer city
Prevention, protection and
partnership
A Borough Commander
is appointed to work in
close liaison with each
diverse community and
to identify their local
needs
making London a safer city
Prevention, protection and partnership
• Borough Commander’s responsible for Community safety,
Regulatory Fire Safety and Operational Service delivery
• Also responsible for
– Closer links with the local councils
– Crime and disorder panels
– Local community engagement schemes
making London a safer city
Community Fire Safety Officers
making London a safer city
Community Fire Safety Officers
• Offer essential fire safety advice and support
and work closely with agencies who seek to build relationships with
the following:
- The Elderly
- Young people
- Londoners with physical and learning disabilities
- Isolated ethnic and faith groups
- People with mental illness or drug and alcohol addictions
making London a safer city
Community Fire Safety Officers
CFS Events Organised and Cultural and Religious Gatherings
Attended
making London a safer city
Thank You
Any Questions?
making London a safer city
making London a safer city