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- Healey welcomes Fire and Rescue Chief Adviser's report on floods
Healey welcomes Fire and Rescue Chief Adviser's report on floods
| Published | 17 March 2008 |
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Floods Recovery Minister John Healey today welcomed an important review into the fire service's response to last summer's floods.
John Healey thanked the report's author Sir Ken Knight, the Government's Chief Fire and Rescue Adviser, and his team for his report Facing the Challenge , which praises the fire service's response but said more can be done to make it even more effective, especially in dealing with emergency calls.
The Government welcomes Sir Ken's recommendations and will work with fire authorities, the Chief Fire Officers Association and other bodies to take them forward, in the light of the final Pitt Review due to be published in the summer.
Floods Recovery Minister John Healey said:
"Last summer's floods really stretched fire services across the country, but they met the challenge with bravery and dedication. In Gloucestershire, Yorkshire and Humberside, I saw for myself the value of new equipment that helped to quickly pump flood waters away from homes, schools, power supplies, water treatment works and other utilities. However, there are lessons to be learned. That's why the Government asked Sir Ken to undertake this review. I welcome this report and support for the changes underway to better handle emergency calls and to ensure swift responses."
The Government has invested £1 billion to equip the fire service to deal with emergencies like natural disasters, industrial accidents, and terrorist incidents. This has included specialist equipment used during the summer floods that can pump water three times faster than a traditional appliance, at a rate of 7,000 litres per minute, as well as being able to work at a depth 9 times greater than a standard pump.
At present the Fire and Rescue Authorities in England run 46 separate standalone control rooms relying on differing technologies and operating procedures. The gap between the most advanced and the rest is stark, as shown by Sir Ken's report, where some calls even had to be faxed between control rooms. The new fire control centres will ensure that all parts of the country have the best available service to deal with emergency calls.
Notes to editors
1. Sir Ken Knight was commissioned by Communities and Local Government to carry out a review of the Fire and Rescue Service operational response to the flood related emergencies that occurred in the summer of 2007.
2. The report Facing the Challenge ISBN 978185112891-4, is published on the Communities and Local Government www.communities.gov.uk. It is also available priced £10.00 through the Publications Centre, PO Box 236, Wetherby, LS23 7NB. Tel 08701 226 236.
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