The Service
Incident Recording System : FAQs - Basics...
IRS stands for Incident Recording System
The FDR1 has long been seen as out of date. In light of the Bain Review and the Fire Services Act 2004, where Fire and Rescue Services (FRS’s) have had more statutory responsibilities for Special Service incidents, FRS’s must collect more data on these incidents; coupled with the introduction of IRMP and the National Framework, it was time to update the data collection process to reflect the new responsibilities.
No, one is needed to be completed for every incident attended.
No! The FDR1, FDR2, FM/7/6 and AFA Reduction forms will cease with the introduction of the IRS.
The person in charge of the first attendance, whatever the rank. On larger incidents this may be reviewed and another officer nominated.
If there is a split attendance between Wholetime and Retained – The Wholetime Supervisory officer will take responsibility on a responding pumping appliance only. See service order
If you are the only appliance in attendance then you will complete the IRS. If a home appliance attends as well then you should ensure that they will be completing even if you were first in attendance. The territorial fire service should take ownership and this is a responsibility at the incident.
This will depend entirely on the incident you attended. An AFA or False Alarm will result in (after pre-population) about four questions. However, a Fire or Special Service call will be substantially more.
Firstly, it has to be remembered that this is a data collection for all incidents not just fires. Therefore, areas that have never been reported on before will now require data collected. Every question unlike the FDR1 has been reviewed and a business case presented for its inclusion, therefore every piece of data is required. There are more relevant questions such as Fire Safety (RRO) and Hazardous Materials as well as more questions relating to Road Traffic Collisions and the extrication of persons from vehicles.
There is a requirement to collect more casualty information even if HFRS has not attended to them as well as their ethnic origin.
The following is a list of data collection differences from the FDR1
No. Once all FRS’s are live with the IRS, the CLG will undertake an annual review of the structure and content of the system. Therefore, we must be prepared for frequent changes to the content and its look and feel. Whilst this could be hard to keep on top of it is also a great opportunity for anyone to influence the future questions contained within the IRS.
Training will start in January 2009 an run until March 2009. Every role will be trained as well as FDS Officers and those fire-fighters that are ICS Level One trained.
Everybody will be expected to remain competent with the system and therefore, a minimum of three incidents will need to be completed to ensure this. These incidents will be the bigger more involved types rather than AFA’s to ensure that everyone understands what is required from the system and also to start to make the new data collection requirements more familiar.
Yes. The CLG will provide a training environment and a live environment. There is no big difference in the two systems therefore you will need to be careful as to which system you are in. There will be a training logon given to you at your training course and a different logon for the live system. The training environment has ‘Training Environment’ under the Incident Recording System title and is the only difference between the two systems.
The IRS will go live on the 1st April 2009 at 00:00:01seconds. From this time all previous paper forms will no longer be required but outstanding incidents will still need to be completed.
The incident is ready to be completed when Control classify the incident, so ideally it would be good to come back from the incident whilst details are fresh and complete the IRS. However, the time limits are the same as the FDR1 with completion required within seven days.
It has been decided that the next role up will quality assure the information contained within the IRS. Therefore, if a Crew Manager has completed the IRS then his or her Watch Manager will need to validate the data and publish the “form”. They have seven days to QA the entry.
Then the next line manager will take on responsibility for checking your IRS. Therefore, a Crew Manager could have the IRS checked by a Station Manager or even a Group Manager.
It is the responsibility of the first officer in charge to complete the IRS, but ultimately the Station Manager who will be responsible for ensuring that all the stations incidents have been completed in time.
There will be performance indicators based on the stations IRS performance and this will be part of beacon status.
Actually no! It's yours.
The decision has been made to speed up the completion process that any wholetime attendance with a retained resource will require the wholetime officer to complete the IRS even if he/she is of a lower rank than the retained officer.
No. Only attendances to actual incidents where the appliance booked in attendance will require the completion of the an IRS.
The first person completes the IRS which is known as ‘Recording’ The line manager Quality Assures the data and then ‘Publishes’ the IRS. This will send all the data to the CLG. They will then check it and may wish to return it if they have any queries or the data is not logical. Once it has passed this stage it is said to be ‘Closed by national statistics’ and all the data will be taken for the national statistics by the CLG as well as sent to the Office for National Statistics where it will form part of the Neighbourhood Statistics publication.
If you hit the ‘Instant Exit’ button it will save what you have entered and log you off of the IRS.
Or after twenty minutes of inactivity it will also log you off. But it will only save any data completed up until the last screen completed and it will lose any data on the current screen.
Firstly, check through these FAQ sections.
Secondly, the IRS has three places to access the online guidance. On the menu screen there is a link in the top right hand corner, one in the bottom right hand corner and to go directly to the question concerned guidance following each question click on the pink question mark. Failing this, please contact the HFRS IRS help desk for assistance.
Supplied to every pumping appliance is a laminated double sided pro-forma. This is a guide to help you remember all the new data requirements as well as allowing those who wish to complete the information on the sheet as a reminder for when actually completing the IRS.
When the IRS has gone live, a tear off pad will be issued for those who wish to record the details.
All operational incidents will require one to be filled out. Even “Over the Border” incidents where you are the sole appliance will need one completed.
The only exceptions are if you are sent to standby and do not move or sent as a relief crew. If you are sent onto another incident whilst on Stand by then you will be required to complete an IRS for that incident.
FDS officers will be expected to complete a form for every incident they attend. The only exception will be when they “make-up” for an appliance to deal with the incident.
The prepopulation will occur when the incident has been closed and classified by Control. Within minutes of this occurring the incident will appear on the system.
If the Incident has been Closed & Classified and the incident is still not showing on IRS after 15 minutes – Contact IRS Helpdesk (Office Hours)
The IRS only deals with incidents that were attended by a resource and therefore, if you were returned by Control the IRS may still create a “form” but it will need to be deleted - Contact IRS Helpdesk (Office Hours)
As from 1st April – There will be no requirement to send GPS References to control as the exact location of the Incident will be confirmed by the form completer using the IRS System.
For Incidents occurring on motorways etc it will still be required to advise control of the marker post number.
