IRS - FAQs

Your questions answered

Who can I speak to learn more, or discuss an issue?

The contact details for the project office are:

IRS Project Office, Fire Statistics Branch, Communities and Local Government, Hempstead House, 2 Selden Hill, Floor 1, Hemel Hempstead, Herts HP2 4XN. firestatsprojectoffice@communities.gsi.gov.uk.

IRS Helpdesk

A helpdesk for users of the system has been established and its effectiveness demonstrated during the pilot. The helpdesk is now available. Please email the IRS helpdesk at IRShelp@communities.gsi.gov.uk for support when using the system and to be provided with initial User Account details. The helpdesk telephone number is 0845 3777 888.  

Please visit FRS Online for further information on IRS including key documents.

http://www.frsonline.fire.gov.uk/perfomance.

Does more data collection mean more work?

Under IRS more data will be collected - data entered for each individual primary fire, secondary fire and special service attended. Although more information than under previous data collection, the benefits of electronic data capture are considerable. The new system will improve data timeliness, quality and detail, all of which is necessary for FRS to conduct IRMP risk planning as required by the Fire Services Act 2004. The new system should be more efficient, so whilst more data is being collected this should not mean there is more work.  

What's involved for an FRS?

FRSs will have a choice of using an on-line form to report their incidents or using XML schema to provide data downloads to CLG. The on-line form will be provided by CLG, as will the format of the XML schema. FRSs should undertake an impact assessment, which assesses their current methods for providing data and options for providing data in the future. An impact assessment can then be undertaken on the options available and a decision made on the most appropriate for each FRS’s circumstances. 

Who were the pilot FRSs?  

Nine FRSs took part, representing a mixture of metropolitan, combined and county services: Buckinghamshire, Dorset, Greater Manchester, Hampshire, Leicestershire, Merseyside, Warwickshire, West Midlands and West Yorkshire. These FRSs have a population of approximately 13m and accounted for a third of the fires reported in England in 2005. Each of these FRSs is happy to be contacted to provide advice and information - the project office can provide contacts.  

How were the pilot FRSs chosen?

All volunteered to be in the pilot. They represent a variety of FRS types and family groups and contain a mix of on-line form users and those wishing to use the XML option. 

Won't it be expensive to implement?

The entire cost of the system development is being met by CLG in developing IRS. It is not envisaged that use of the on-line form will generate any significant extra cost to FSRs. Those FRSs using XML schema will need to make some changes to their existing electronic data systems to match the data specifications in the CLG XML schema. CLG are providing technical assistance for this and have made sample code available. The new system should be more efficient, so whilst more data is being collected this should mean efficiency savings for FRSs.  

Are FRS software suppliers being consulted?

CLG have met with all the software suppliers of which CLG are aware. CLG have explained how IRS works and many of the suppliers are considering ways in which they will respond and adapt to the new system.  

Will IRS be a 'new burden'?

No - CLG expect the savings arising from implementing IRS will offset any net additional costs of introducing the system.  

How does IRS relate to Firelink?

Both systems will link to FiReControl in England. FiReControl will provide incident data required by FRSs to submit into IRS. FiReControl will interface with the Firelink radio system to deliver mobilization messages to firefighters.  

How does IRS relate to e-fire/Fire Gateway?

As with FiReControl and FireLink, CLG are aware of the developments being pioneered in the Fire Gateway. To enhance compatibility, IRS uses the same Achieve Forms platforms for the on-line form.  

Will IRS users be able to use the FiReControl MDTs to complete the IRS data?

There are no plans to facilitate this. 

Will there be IRS training available to FRSs?

A programme of training for IRS users will be provided by Informed Solutions and CLG staff. CLG will run a series of sessions to train FRS trainers, who then train relevant staff in each FRS. The timing of these sessions will depend on FRSs implementation plans, following their initial impact assessment. An e-learning package has also been developed. There is also a separate training system on the IRS system for use by FRSs.  

What guidance will there be for IRS users?

Full technical guidance on IRS will be provided in the form of a manual and as on-line help.  

Will IRS be mandatory?

Using the existing data collection (FDR1, FDR2, FDR3, OPS 4 and 5), all FRSs already supply the majority of these data and statistics to CLG (although in aggregate form, apart from FDR1). The introduction of IRS will not change this arrangement. The data collection benefits both CLG and FRSs in that a consistently based national picture of FRS activity can be derived from this information, which can then be used for accurate risk management planning.  

Will FRSs be able to access their data?

IRS will enable FRSs to access their own validated incident data, this will either be in the form of standard reports, for example, BVPIs or customised data downloads.  

Why are there two ways of supplying incident data?

FRSs differ in their use of IT and the ways in which they collect and store incident data. Having the option of an on-line form will assist those FRSs that do not have Management Information Systems (MISs) which can use the XML schema. Those with MISs which can use the XML, can download data relatively easily.  

How difficult is it to build an interface?

This obviously depends on the skills an experience of the developers involved.  During the Pilot, those FRS who had experience did not have any problems. FRSs that didn't have relevant experience found it more difficult - as a result of this CLG are going to provide example code and a sample application as part of the XML schema pack. This should make it easier for FRSs to build interfaces.  

What help will you provide to build an interface?

As each FRS has different mobilising and MIS systems CLG cannot provide a standard interface, however example code is being provided. Where an FRS's impact assessment highlights significant IT problems CLG may be able to offer assistance, whilst seeking to ensure that relevant skills are transferred to FRSs wherever possible.  

How long does it take to build an interface?

Again this depends on the skills/experience of the developers and the complexity of the interface being built - are you submitting all data or only pre-populating the online form with mobilising data? Experience from the pilot suggests that to build and test an interface to pre-populate the form will take from 10-25 days effort. 

Is it essential to build an interface?

It is not necessary; users can use the online forms system to enter all data manually. Experience from the pilots has shown that it is highly desirable to pre-populate some data. Without an interface, users will have to re-enter data that is already available in the mobilising system, as well as causing duplication of effort this can also lead to data entry errors.  

How can we retrieve our data?

The system will allow each FRS to retrieve their data in CSV or XML format. The XML format is the complete data for each incident whereas the CSV format provides a reduced set of data. Each FRS will then be able to import the data into their own systems for analysis. As part of the XML schema pack CLG are providing example codes to import the XML data into an Access database.  

What was the outcome of the pilot?

 A pilot wwEvaluation report is available which describes what was achieved in the pilot and what the findings were. This is available on FRS Online.  

What did the pilot FRSs do?

Each Pilot FRS has completed an impact assessment which is available on FRS Online. These describe what each Pilot FRS achieved and what they needed to do to implement the system. 

Why not wait for FiReControl?

FiReControl is four years away for some FRSs. The experience of the pilots is that the key issues are around business change and the training effort, rather than IT. Business change and training for IRS are fairly independent from FiReControl, so there will be little benefit in waiting for FiReControl but there will be considerable benefits in the high quality information IRS will provide, for example to assess risk and improve performance is required now.  

How long will it take to input the data?

This depends on the type of incident and whether the data is being pre-populated. For example, CLG estimate:

• a false alarm with data pre-population four questions need to be answered and CLG estimate it will take four minutes. This is the most common incident type (approx 40% of incidents)
• a primary fire with a casualty could have between 70 and 80 questions and take 30 minutes to complete correctly - but this relates to 0.7% of incidents and is comparable with the effort required to complete an FDR1.  

What data are being collected in relation to equality and diversity?

Following consultation with CFOA, gender and ethnicity will be recorded for all individual fire casualties, and information will be collected on the human factors that contributed to a fire starting, including disability. Although initially no information will be collected about the ethnicity of households, or in relation to fires with no casualties or non-fire incidents, this be will the subject of further discussions with CFOA as will the collection of equality and diversity data in relation to other aspects of service delivery. CLG will also undertake an annual review of the data collection.  

Will the system be updated in the future?

CLG will undertake an annual review of the data collection, including the questions asked, the guidance and the use of the system. This annual review will include users of the data and the system and should help to continually improve it.