Assetco Regulatory News (ASTO)

11 Mar 2008 07:02

AssetCo PLC11 March 2008 For Immediate Release 11 March 2008 AssetCo releases Independent Survey on the Fire Service - 'AssetCo Fire and Rescue Report 2008: and they put out fires too...' AssetCo plc, is pleased to launch its first ever independent industry survey.The study was conducted some five years into a major change programme which hasseen the remit of the fire service broaden significantly from one which focusedprimarily on fighting fires to one which now embraces community safety and fireprevention duties, such as the fitting of smoke alarms, alongside rescuecoverage in the event of terrorism, flooding and major accidents. In addition to over 80% of Chief Fire Officers (CFOs) in the UK who took part inthe study, 966 members of general public were also surveyed on their opinions ofour ever-changing fire service. Despite having reported good progress on the first phase of this major nationaltransformation programme, AssetCo's survey has revealed that nine in ten CFO'santicipate future funding shortages in the Fire and Rescue Service (FRS), whichmany think will inevitably lead to them having to focus more on traditionalroles or consider station closures, whilst a highly supportive public seeminglyhave little awareness of the changes underway. A summary of the key findings of the report follows: 1) Ever-increasing responsibilities for the Fire Service In general, fire chiefs believe they have made good progress adopting theirbroader responsibilities: * 95%+ support all aspects of the new, redefined Service * 90%+ of FRAs have completed the strategy with respect to major road collisions * Two thirds have now implemented their fire prevention programmes * However, more than 60% have yet to complete the process of planning for dealing with local flooding CFOs throughout the FRS report that they are wrestling with a combination ofdifficult challenges: * effectively managing the complexity and speed of the changes they are being asked to make * continuing to deliver and maintain current standards of service delivery with tightening levels of funding * meeting political expectations * securing staff commitment to embed changes in working practices. 2) Funding is of critical concern to CFOs a) 80% of CFOs report being under financial pressure. This sense of pressure has arisen from two sources; i) extending the role of theService, which CFOs estimate has required an additional 4% over and above theirprevious budgets and ii) efficiency savings they have been required to make inthe last five years (estimated at 9% on average), and the further efficiencysavings they are expected to make in the next five years (estimated at 7%). Only a quarter of the additional funding for the extended role of the FRS camefrom new sources, such as New Dimensions which was set up following the eventsof 9/11, and 73% of CFOs believe these sources will, in any case, diminish ordry up completely in the coming years. * 90%+ of CFOs expect to be facing a deficit in the funding levels required to deliver the current style of service provision in the next five years. * 78% of CFOs believe they will have to use alternative sources of capital funding in the years ahead, including private finance, leasing / contract-hire and outsourcing. b) The potential consequences of funding deficits * 67% of those CFOs who predict a future deficit say they may have to focus more on their core traditional roles * 52% of these say they will have to consider shutting stations that they otherwise would not, and * 76% say they will be forced to look at alternative sources of income. 3) What do the public think? The general public rated the fire service significantly higher than the police,local, or national government on honesty, reliability, integrity andresponsibility (on average scoring more than eight out of 10 on all theseattributes). An underlying message in these results may suggest a lack of public appreciation of the role of theelected councillors/local Fire Authorities which govern the highly regarded fireservices. Despite this regard for the standing of the FRS, the public, in contrast withfire chiefs, is yet to be convinced about the changes underway in its work,having been left behind in terms of awareness of the new shape and role of theFRS. * 48% of the general public agree with adoption of the new responsibilities, but the rest either reject the idea, or are sitting on the fence * 43% think the additional new roles will reduce public confidence, and a majority, * 54% are worried that 'they will be less focussed on putting out fires David Smith, Managing Director, AssetCo who commissioned the study commented: "Firstly I would like to thank everyone who has contributed towards this report.We feel privileged that so many of the leaders of the UK FRS chose to take partin the research and have been delighted with the interest shown in the report bythose in authority keen to ensure the appropriate evolution of the shape andorganisation of a world class fire and rescue service. "At the outset we did not know what to expect but the results have been veryilluminating. Clearly they highlight some considerable issues to be addressed,not about the performance of the Service, but possibly about the structure ofthe Service which is certainly a factor in how much it costs to operate." *** ends *** For further information please contact: AssetCo plc: Sue Alsop Tel: +44 (0) 7870 270840 Buchanan Communications Tel: +44 (0) 20 7466 5000 Isabel Podda Notes for editors: About The AssetCo Fire and Rescue Report 2008, "and they put out fires too..." 1. Charts referred to in the body of this release are available as an attachment or by request to sue.alsop@assetco.com 2. The "AssetCo Fire and Rescue Report 2008; and they put out fires too," is an independent survey commissioned to gain a sense of progress achieved by the Fire and Rescue Services in response to the improvement process described by the Fire and Rescue Service National Framework. 3. All Chief Fire Officers were contacted about the study's aims and invited to anonymously share the benefit of their first hand experiences of some of the changes they have been asked to implement. Over 80% of Chief Fire Officers participated in the study - an exceptionally high level of response. During the autumn of 2007 interviews were undertaken with 49 of the Chief Fire Officers (CFOs) in the UK. To supplement this quantitative research, and to ensure a rounded view, in-depth qualitative interviews were also commissioned with people in roles or external bodies (referred to as 'inside observers') who influence have direct interest in or can influence the role or organisation of the FRS. Where quotes are attributed from these interviews in the report the individuals concerned were asked for their permission to do so. Full details on the methodologies employed are provided in detail in the report. 4. The study also combined and contrasted the results of this unique research with interviews of members of the public and with new analysis of publicly available data. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with 966 members of the general public, sampled to be representative of the adult population of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, asking them about their views on the Fire and Rescue Service. 5. The work was undertaken and this report prepared for AssetCo by Jon Francis of Market Intelligence Management Ltd (www.miml.co.uk). The research fieldwork used in the compilation of this report was provided by TNS and Swift Research, and was managed according to MRS guidelines. 6. As a small thank you for the generous participation of Chief Officers who kindly shared their time and knowledge, AssetCo were delighted to pledge a £5,000 donation to the Fire Service Benevolent Fund. About AssetCo (www.assetco.com) AssetCo plc, (AIM : ASTO), is a leading providerof outsourced and managed support services to the emergency and homelandsecurities markets in Great Britain and Northern Ireland and emerging marketsoverseas. The company employs some 860 people in 12 locations. Subsidiaries of AssetCo plc include: AssetCo Emergency Limited AssetCo Group Limited Papworth Specialist Vehicles Limited AS Fire and Rescue LimitedCollins Youldon FSE LimitedTodd Research Limited BlueAmberRed LimitedSimentra Limited AssetCo Emergency Resource Limited AES Group UV Modular Limited The Vehicle Application Centre This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange