Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 2 April 2015
243. Deputy Arthur Spring asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management will publish the isochrone drive time maps associated with the keeping communities safe document. [13846/15]
View answerThe National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management commenced a project to develop a national 'Risk Based Approach' (RBA) to fire cover. This involved analysis of three years of fire services data and has enabled analysis and comparison of trends down to fire station level. The first phase of the RBA project was the production of the “Risk Based Management Report – National Analysis”, which looked at the individual station and authority information and compiled it into a national data set, which was distributed to local authorities.
The second phase of the “Risk Based Management Approach” project, which is currently being progressed, involves creation of reports providing detailed analysis and information on the deployment of fire services resources on a national basis, with a view to giving effect to the principle of “nearest available resource” being mobilised to emergency incidents irrespective of administrative boundaries. The purpose of these reports is to provide guidance to fire authorities in reviewing and redefining the pre-determined attendances in their areas of responsibility.
The Isochronal sets referred to in the Deputy's question are one element of the second phase of the RBA project developed by the Regional Communications Centres in conjunction with local authorities. Accordingly, these are local documents, developed to support the local situation and are the property of each of the local authorities.
As such, decisions on whether or not to publish RBA reports and make them available to interested parties are matters for the individual local authorities to consider.
