Our Community Risk Management Plan

What do we currently do?

We have clear targets for how quickly we respond to house fires, as they are the biggest risk to life and safety. Our response times depend on the risk level in each area. We are also reviewing where our fire stations and specialist equipment are located to make sure they meet future demand for the types of emergencies we respond to.

We work with partner agencies to assess the risk of major fires and develop response plans for industrial accidents, including incidents involving explosions. We also have mutual aid agreements with neighbouring services to support large-scale incidents.

Climate change is making wildfires more likely in the Humber area, so we make sure we are ready to respond. We are reviewing the equipment we have and could need for emergency response in the future. Additionally, we help other services using specialist equipment and expertise from National Resilience when required.

Fires at landfill and recycling facilities are becoming more frequent. To address this, we have Waste Fire Tactical Advisors who help Incident Commanders, providing tactical support and ensuring pollution control measures are implemented in collaboration with the Environment Agency.

All our fire engines carry specialist rescue tools and we keep heavy rescue equipment in key locations for major road traffic collisions. We are reviewing these locations to make sure they meet future needs. We work closely with the Police, Ambulance Service and other agencies, participating in joint training for extrication techniques and trauma care.

We manage high-risk, but rare, rescue scenarios, including confined space, water, and height rescues, often in coordination with other agencies. We have trained rescue boat operators for flood and water rescues, following Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs(DEFRA) Flood Rescue Concept of Operations.

The waterways in the Humber area present significant risks to life. All firefighters are trained in water rescue techniques, and we have Water Rescue Technicians and equipment available for rescues from fast flowing water.

Flooding is a major concern. We work with the Humber Local Resilience Forum to ensure effective planning and response. Our flood response resources include powered rescue boats, flood rafts, and teams trained to DEFRA standards for both local and national emergencies.

We are enhancing our response capabilities for terrorist attacks through improved training, equipment and collaboration with the Home Office and other emergency service partners.

As a coastal service, we also respond to fires, chemical incidents and rescues involving shipping in the Humber Estuary. Our marine response framework makes sure that our firefighters are well-trained and supported by our own marine firefighting training facility.

Specialist Equipment and Resources

We hold a variety of assets to tackle different risks. Some of these are part of National Resilience arrangements and can be deployed nationally when required:

• A range of different vehicles with water for firefighting, such as fire engines, compact fire engines and tactical response vehicles.

• Detection Identification and Monitoring (DIM): A specialist vehicle to identify hazardous materials and support multi-agency decision-making.
• Environmental Pod: Stores equipment to contain leaks and spills.
• Drones (UAVs): Used for aerial assessment and supporting partner agencies.
• Aerial Ladder Platforms: For rescues and firefighting at height.
• High Volume Pumps (HVP): Move large volumes of water for major fires and floods.
• Incident Command Support Unit: Supports larger incidents with real-time electronic information sharing.
• Mass Decontamination Unit (MDU): Provides decontamination facilities for hazardous material incidents.
• Rescue Support Units (RSU): Carry heavy rescue and cutting equipment.
• Technical Rescue: Holds equipment for water rescue, confined spaces, height rescues, and large animal rescue.
• Welfare Vehicles: Multi-use vehicles with air-conditioning, toilets, and changing areas to support crews at incidents.

What Do We Plan to Do?

We have consulted on key areas for improvement. Based on feedback, we are launching eight projects to improve our response to emerging risks, such as extreme weather events.

• We will review our flood and water rescue response across the Humber region to meet emerging needs.
• We will review new technology to improve firefighter safety, such as new Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
• We will continually review our equipment and how we deploy resources to make sure we have the right assets in the right places.
• We will explore expanding our response to medical emergencies to better serve our communities.