Translate the text from English to Welsh.



 
 


 


 


 


 


Today I have published a report produced by my Assistant Fire and Rescue Adviser which explores the impact of false alarms in Wales.  


In 2013\-14 the Fire and Rescue Service in Wales attended over 15,000 false alarms. This amounts to 40% of all the calls attended.


Over the previous decade there has been a marked reduction in the overall number of incidents that the Fire and Rescue Services attend, and I commend the specific contribution Fire and Rescue Authorities (FRAs) have made in achieving this through their prevention activity.  However, whilst the number of all incidents attended has reduced by 28%, the number of false alarm calls attended has only reduced by 13%.  


Responding to false alarms costs the Fire and Rescue Services in Wales in the region of £3 million each year.  Then there are the opportunity costs of attending non\-incidents.  Firefighters’ time could and should be used more productively.  


False alarms also cause disruption in the premises where they occur. They are particularly common in residential care settings, where they may cause annoyance and distress to vulnerable people.  False alarms in commercial premises mean staff have to interrupt their work, customers also have to leave, and may not return. This loss of productivity and custom caused by false alarms in commercial premises costs around £28 million per year in Wales.    


 


 


The report identifies automatic fire alarm systems as being the main cause of false alarms.  This happens when such systems are either badly maintained, or installed in a way which means they are activated by dust, steam, cooking fumes or other non\-fire phenomena. As such, they are completely avoidable.   Hospitals and care premises, universities and other education establishments, and retail premises are among those experiencing the highest levels of false alarms.


My Statement in January regarding Fire and Rescue Service Efficiency referred to the importance of deploying resources as efficiently and effectively as possible.  This is more   important now than ever given the strain on public sector resources as a result of UK Government austerity measures.


More can and should be done to tackle this problem.  FRAs clearly need to manage their resources according to local needs and risks.  Some of those risks – for instance in care homes – are so great that any alarm will always require a response.  Elsewhere, though, there is clear evidence that more robust approaches to automatic alarm calls can save significant resources without imperilling safety in any way.  The report sets out several such approaches, and I expect FRAs to consider them carefully and adopt those which appear most viable.  I am pleased that North Wales FRA has already implemented a new risk based approach to responding to automatic fire alarms. This has saved them £20k in cashable and non\-cashable savings since its implementation in April.  


However there are issues for the wider public sector. Health and education establishments in particular should ensure they are not placing an unnecessary burden on Fire and Rescue Services, as a result of old or faulty alarm systems.  I will be discussing with my Cabinet colleagues how we as a Government can help to make that happen, and will make a further statement as appropriate.    

 


 


 


 


 


 







Translation:


 
Heddiw, rwyf wedi cyhoeddi adroddiad a luniwyd gan fy Nghynghorydd Tân ac Achub Cynorthwyol sy'n edrych ar effaith galwadau diangen yng Nghymru.    
   
Yn 2013\-14, ymatebodd y Gwasanaeth Tân ac Achub yng Nghymru i dros 15,000 o alwadau diangen. Mae hyn yn 40% o'r holl alwadau yr ymatebwyd iddynt.

Dros y degawd diwethaf, mae gostyngiad amlwg wedi bod yn nifer yr achosion y mae'r Gwasanaethau Tân ac Achub yn ymateb iddynt, ac rwy'n canmol y cyfraniad y mae'r Awdurdodau Tân ac Achub wedi'i wneud i gyflawni hyn drwy eu gwaith atal. Fodd bynnag, er bod nifer yr holl ddigwyddiadau yr ymatebwyd iddynt wedi gostwng o 28%, mae nifer y galwadau diangen wedi gostwng o 13% yn unig.  

Mae ymateb i alwadau diangen yn golygu costau o tua £3 miliwn i'r Gwasanaethau Tân ac Achub yng Nghymru bob blwyddyn. Rhaid hefyd ystyried y costau cyfle wrth ymateb i ddigwyddiadau pan nad oes angen. Gallai a dylai amser diffoddwyr tân gael ei ddefnyddio'n well.  

Mae galwadau diangen hefyd yn amharu ar yr eiddo dan sylw. Maent yn arbennig o gyffredin mewn lleoliadau gofal preswyl, lle gallant achosi poen meddwl i bobl sy'n agored i niwed. Mae galwadau diangen i eiddo masnachol yn amharu ar waith staff, mae'n rhaid i gwsmeriaid adael, ac efallai na fyddant yn dychwelyd. Mae'r golled hon mewn cynhyrchiant a chwsmeriaid yn sgil galwadau diangen mewn eiddo masnachol yn costio tua £28 miliwn y flwyddyn yng Nghymru.    

Mae'r adroddiad yn nodi mai systemau larymau tân awtomatig yw prif achos galwadau diangen. Mae hyn yn digwydd pan fo'r systemau hyn naill ai'n cael eu cynnal a'u cadw'n wael, eu gosod mewn ffordd sy'n golygu bod llwch, stêm, mwg wrth goginio a phethau eraill ar wahân i dân yn eu hysgogi. Felly, mae modd eu hosgoi yn gyfan gwbl. Mae ysbytai a lleoliadau gofal, prifysgolion a sefydliadau addysg eraill, ac eiddo manwerthu ymhlith yr rhai sy'n profi'r lefelau uchaf o alwadau diangen.

Yn fy Natganiad ym mis Ionawr am Effeithlonrwydd y Gwasanaeth Tân ac Achub, cyfeiriais at bwysigrwydd defnyddio adnoddau mewn ffordd mor effeithlon ac effeithiol â phosibl. Mae hyn yn bwysicach nawr nag erioed, o ystyried y straen ar adnoddau'r sector cyhoeddus o ganlyniad i fesurau caledi Llywodraeth y DU. 

Gall mwy gael ei wneud, a dylai mwy gael ei wneud, i fynd i'r afael â'r broblem. Mae'n amlwg bod angen i Awdurdodau Tân ac Achub reoli eu hadnoddau yn unol ag anghenion a risgiau lleol.  Mae rhai o'r risgiau hynny \- er enghraifft mewn cartrefi gofal \- mor fawr y bydd angen ymateb i unrhyw larwm bob tro. Ond mewn mannau eraill, mae tystiolaeth yn dangos yn glir y gall dulliau mwy cadarn o ymdrin â galwadau larymau awtomatig arbed adnoddau sylweddol heb beryglu diogelwch mewn unrhyw ffordd. Mae'r adroddiad yn amlinellu sawl dull o'r fath, ac rwy'n disgwyl i'r Awdurdodau Tân ac Achub eu hystyried yn ofalus a mabwysiadau'r dulliau mwyaf ymarferol. Rwy’n falch bod Awdurdod Tân ac Achub y Gogledd eisoes wedi gweithredu dull newydd yn seiliedig ar risgiau o ymateb i larymau tân awtomatig. Mae hyn wedi arbed £20k iddynt mewn arbedion ariannol ac anariannol ers iddo ddechrau ym mis Ebrill. 

Fodd bynnag, mae'n effeithio ar y sector cyhoeddus ehangach. Dylai sefydliadau iechyd ac addysg yn arbennig sicrhau nad ydynt yn rhoi baich diangen ar Wasanaethau Tân ac Achub, o ganlyniad i hen systemau larwm neu rai diffygiol. Byddaf yn trafod gyda fy nghydweithwyr yn y Cabinet sut y gallwn ni fel Llywodraeth helpu i sicrhau bod hynny'n digwydd, a byddaf yn gwneud datganiad pellach fel sy'n briodol.