Fire Authority for Northern Ireland: Fleet Management

  1. Mr John Dowdall, Comptroller and Auditor General for Northern Ireland and Head of the Northern Ireland Audit Office, today reported the results of his examination into fleet management in the Fire Authority for Northern Ireland.
  2. The examination focused on arrangements for deploying the fleet, acquisition and disposal of vehicles, vehicle maintenance, and future developments likely to affect management of the fleet. The fleet consists of approximately 400 vehicles including fire appliances, vans and cars allocated to staff.

Managing Fleet Deployment (Part 1 of the Report)

  1. The report recommends that the Authority should undertake a full review of vehicle deployment, leading to updated allocations and rotation policies. This would ensure that vehicles are allocated where they can achieve best value for money and would highlight vehicles that are under-used. Since this review would depend on accurate records, staff should be required to complete full log-books in respect of all journeys.

Managing Acquisition and Disposal (Part 2 of the Report)

  1. The Audit Office examined a sample of large transport-related payments and noted shortcomings, such as payment in advance of need. Purchases of the sort identified are contrary to good practice and the report recommends that the Authority should complete preparation of formal financial procedures without delay.
  2. It is estimated that up to £65,000 could be saved over three years by leasing cars rather than buying and maintaining them in-house. In addition, instead of purchasing cars from one supplier, the Authority should consider other models which satisfy its specifications.

Managing Maintenance (Part 3 of the Report)

  1. The Authority's entire vehicle maintenance and servicing function is undertaken in-house, either in one of its three workshops or at local stations by one of six mobile mechanics. The Audit Office found that costs for a sample of routine jobs were high and not competitive. For example, one job costing £189 in the private sector could cost between £368 and £1,014, depending on which of the Authority's workshops undertook the work. The report says that there is scope for improving control over labour costs in a number of areas. It recommends that the Authority should carry out a comparison with other workshop service providers in order to identify potential for reducing costs and improving quality of service.
  2. The report recommends that new procedures for repairs and maintenance should be introduced and that full records should be kept of the nature and cost of repairs and vehicle time spent in the workshops.

Future Developments (Part 4 of the Report)

  1. The report says that the Authority's Transport Manager lacks the basic management information required to enable him to identify and eradicate areas of inefficiency and waste. It recommends that full use should be made of the new management information system without further delay.
  2. The Audit Office recommends that no additions or relocations should be made to the Authority's workshops until the effects of the recommended fleet review are known.