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A NEW Statutory Instrument has been issued which makes it mandatory for fire and rescue authorities in England to make provision for emergencies involving chemical, bio-logical, radiological or nuclear (CBRN) materials, or urban search and rescue (USAR).
The Fire and Rescue Services (Emergencies) (England) Order 2007 makes it a core activity for fire authorities to make provision for these types of emergencies. It has been issued because the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004 only places discretionary powers on authorities in relation to these types of emergencies.
The Order is designed to improve resilience to CBRN and USAR emergencies, but its scope does not extend to flooding, tunnel collapses and incidents involving vessels.
Fire and Rescue Services (Emergencies) (England) Order 2007 (Statutory Instru-ment No. 735) is available from: www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2007/20070735.htm.
Fire and Rescue Circular 13/2007, which provides guidance on the Order, is available via the ‘Fire and resilience’ section of website: http://www.communities.gov.uk/.
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