News and Blog

HMICFRS highlights the value of OARS software in fire and rescue service workforce planning

His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) has recognised the positive impact of OARS (On-call Availability, Recruitment and Skills) software in strengthening workforce planning and on-call availability across fire and rescue services. 

In its latest inspection report for Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, HMICFRS highlighted the growing value of OARS software. The inspectorate praised the Service for its strong workforce planning processes, noting on page 40 that ‘innovative software such as OARS’ has become an integral part of how managers identify skills gaps and plan future availability. 

The report described how one station manager used OARS to analyse staffing at an on-call station, identifying the firefighters that could most improve overall crew availability if given additional skills training. By running scenarios through OARS, the manager was able to demonstrate how availability could rise from 52.4% to 64.8% with the successful qualification of just two new recruits.

A section of the report on page 45 highlights the Service’s ‘good workforce planning’ and demonstrates how Lancashire uses OARS’ workforce planning tool to review staff shortages, upcoming retirements and training needs that may introduce risk. For example, the Service has increased the number of drivers in its workforce by sending more staff on driver training. OARS has also been used to identify those staff to put forward for the Safe to Command course who will have the greatest effect on availability.

Beyond its application in local workforce planning, OARS was also cited as part of Lancashire’s wider transformation programme. Inspectors noted that the Service is investing in digital systems, data and technology to improve productivity, including software such as the Dynamic Cover Tool and OARS.

OARS is used by strategic managers within fire and rescue services, and utilises data, analysis and modelling to provide actionable insights for strategic decision-making. It is already actively helping UK fire and rescue services to improve recruitment, workforce diversity planning and resource management.

If you’re interested in knowing more about how OARS can help your Service, please contact enquiries@orhltd.com.

ORH lead the cover story of the Fire Gazette, April 2025!

Following the release of our On-call Availability, Resource and Skills tool (OARS) in October 2024, we are proud to announce that the tool has made the front cover of the Fire Gazette for April!

The story, titled ‘Overcoming On-call Challenges with Data-driven Solutions’ takes focus upon our study alongside re-enkindle to understand the difficulties associated with On-Call Firefighting; exploring how as an emergency service sector, fire services can effectively utilise this cost-effective and performance-benefitting practice.

The article also covers how OARS uses our data-driven methodologies to effectively test scenarios on alternative plans for recruitment, retention and optimise availability

The full article can be found on pages 27-30 and can be read by following the link here.

Alternatively, if you are a subscriber to the Fire Gazette, you can access the full magazine by following the link here.

ORH trialling a nine-day fortnight

To support ORH’s commitment to employee wellbeing, ORH is trialling a nine-day fortnight, as part of the national four-day week campaign pilot.

Since September, we have been attending training and workshops on managing the change to fewer working hours, to help ensure that the transition is a smooth one and that we can work more productively and continue to deliver effectively for our clients.

This is the second pilot organised by the campaign – the first pilot ran in 2022.  Employers that successfully made the switch in the first pilot claim to have improved work-life balances for their employees, experienced higher productivity and been better able to attract new recruits thanks to the more flexible working arrangement.

We, along with other participants in the trial, are being tracked by academics at the University of Cambridge, Boston College in Massachusetts, and the Autonomy Institute.

ORH launches OARS to help fire and rescue services tackle on-call challenges

At the recent National Fire Chiefs Council On-call Conference, ORH proudly introduced OARS – our new software application designed to optimise On-call Availability, Recruitment, and Skills utilisation. Developed in partnership with re-enkindle, OARS is the result of four years’ research into factors that make a measurable impact on on-call fire engine availability, including understanding expected availability and incident demand.


OARS enables fire and rescue services to use data more effectively to address critical challenges in recruitment, diversity, and workforce planning, particularly in the light of shortages of emergency response drivers and incident commanders, and a growing recruitment and retention crisis.
We’re very grateful to the National Fire Chiefs Council for giving us the opportunity to present this innovative solution to fire and rescue leaders across the UK, and to Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service in particular for supporting the inaugural project.


OARS is used by strategic managers within fire and rescue services, and utilises data, analysis and modelling to provide actionable insights for strategic decision-making. It is already actively helping UK fire and rescue services to improve recruitment, workforce diversity planning and resource management.


Listen here to the co-chairs of the NFCC On-Call Steering Group discuss OARS towards the end of this podcast:
In conversation with DCFO Steve Healey and ACFO Andy Cole – Priority Message | Podcast on Spotify

Highlights from ORH’s inaugural Ambulance Client Conference

March 2024 saw ORH host its first ambulance client conference. The two-day event, held at the Select Car Leasing stadium in Reading, brought together representatives from seven ambulance services across the UK. The conference served as a platform for those involved in service planning to share experiences and discuss common challenges, and included a mix of speakers from ORH and our clients.

Day 1 was the AmbSim User Group session, where clients who use ORH’s ambulance simulation model, AmbSim, within their service planning team met to discuss the software. Sessions included forecasting and planning, getting the most out of the in-built visualisations, and discussing the approach taken by different clients.

A social networking event was organised in the evening of Day 1 to bring ambulance service colleagues and ORH staff together.

Day 2 focused on the challenges facing ambulance services, and included sessions on:

  • Different options for handling relief in rosters
  • Operationalising the outputs from strategic reviews
  • Workforce Planning
  • Differences in operating models in the dispatch functions across the UK
  • ‘Silo-busting’ service planning in an ambulance service

The event concluded with a round-table discussion about what the future holds for ambulance services, and likely challenges. Feedback from the event was very positive, and we will soon be planning our next client conference. If you’d like to receive any information on future events, please get in contact at enquiries@orhltd.com

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