Operational Preparedness

In order to prepare for and provide an operational response, fire and rescue services must be able to evidence consideration of and actions taken in relation to these key activities:

1. Legislative responsibilities
2. Data management
3. Risk management
4. Health and safety management
5. Site-Specific Risk Information
6. Emergency response plans
7. Operational assurance
8. Competence and training, including validation and revalidation#
9. Operational learning
10. Participation in legal proceedings relating to operational training or activity

To achieve this Fire Standard, a fire and rescue service must:

11. Undertake all appropriate risk assessments, as required under legislation, to prepare for an operational response
12. Review existing cover models, resources, equipment and training against all appropriate risk assessments
13. Carry out capabilities-based planning to support emergency preparedness and response from a national to a local level
14. Determine their responsibilities for operational response and be fully prepared to deliver them
15. Have a health and safety policy for the operational environment that clearly outlines the responsible parties and their obligations
16. Undertake a review of how the organisation is structured and functions, to confirm its ability to support operational preparedness; if there are any gaps identified there should be a clear plan for making appropriate changes
17. Develop and embed operational policies, procedures and tailored guidance based on the National Operational Guidance, unless by evidenced exception its content is not relevant to the service
18. Deliver the strategic actions provided in the suite of National Operational Guidance, unless by evidenced exception a strategic action is not relevant to the service; the strategic gap analysis tool may be used to support this process
19. Train its operational and fire control personnel to use the hazard and control measure approach provided in the National Operational Guidance, applying risk assessment, decision-making and risk management skills
20. Align relevant policies, procedures and tailored guidance in preparation for working with other fire and rescue services or responder agencies

Fire and rescue services are responsible, under legislation and regulations, for developing policies and procedures and to provide information, instruction, training and supervision to their personnel about foreseeable hazards and the control measures used to reduce the risks arising from those hazards.

There are many references to relevant legislation and regulations made throughout the National Operational Guidance framework. Some of the fundamental ones are shown below.

Fire and Rescue Services Act

This act is the principal legislation for the fire and rescue services of England and Wales. It describes the duties and powers placed on the fire and rescue service, in particular:

• To provide an operational response (sections 7, 8 and 9)
• The power to respond to other types of emergency (sections 11 and 12)

Civil Contingencies Act

The act relates to planning for emergencies, with responsibilities to:

• Assess the risk of an emergency occurring
• Assess the risk of an emergency making it necessary or expedient for the person or body to perform any of their functions
• Maintain plans for the purpose of ensuring, so far as is reasonably practicable, that if an emergency occurs the person or body is able to continue to perform their functions
• Maintain plans for the purpose of ensuring that if an emergency occurs or is likely to occur the person or body is able to perform their functions so far as necessary or desirable for the purpose of:
  • Preventing the emergency
  • Reducing, controlling or mitigating its effects
  • Taking other action in connection with it

National Risk Register of Civil Emergencies

This captures the range of emergencies that might have a major impact on all, or significant parts of, the UK. It forms the basis for capabilities-based planning to support emergency preparedness and response from a national to a local level, including what responsibilities are placed on emergency responders in order to prepare for them.

Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act

This act imposes a duty on employers to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable:

• The health, safety and welfare at work of all of their employees (section 2)
• The health and safety of others is not affected by the work carried out by their employees (section 3)

The act also means that employees have a duty to take reasonable care for the health and safety of themselves and of other people who may be affected by their acts or omissions at work (section 7).

Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations

Regulation 5 states that every employer has to make and record appropriate arrangements for the effective planning, organisation, control, monitoring and review of preventive and protective measures.

Fire Standards

• Operational competence
• Operational learning