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COMMUNITIES and Local Government (CLG) has announced more details of its review of the fire and rescue service response to the major flooding that hit England and Wales in June and July.
The review, which is being undertaken by chief fire and rescue adviser Sir Ken Knight, will focus on operational lessons learnt during the incidents. The findings will be passed to CLG ministers by the end of the year and will link into the overarching review of the flooding by the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
While the review will focus on a small number of fire and rescue authorities that were affected massively, all fire authorities that had a significant operational demand during the flooding will be asked to contribute.
The review will look at:
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risk analysis and integrated risk management plans
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operational preparedness
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mobilising arrangements, including the role of fire controls and communi-cations, both locally and nationally
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operational effectiveness – functionality and overall resource deployment
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mutual aid and broader resilience arrangements
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the role of retained staff
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national coordination arrangements
The review will also inform the debate on the role of the fire and rescue service in carrying out water rescues, and whether there is a case to standardise and enhance the level of provision of boats available within the service for flood rescue.
Two detailed reports will be produced: one summarising the sequence of events for the two flooding incidents and reviewing the operational response; the other drawing out key lessons and making recommendations for improvements.
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