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Your Fire and Rescue Service
Humberside is an area around the Humber Estuary, covering parts of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. The River Humber, formed by the Trent and Ouse, divides the region, joined by the River Hull and smaller outlets. It has a North Sea coastline with sandy beaches, eroding cliffs, and notable features like Spurn Point. Major roads include the M62, A63, A15 (which crosses the Humber Bridge), M180 and A180. The Humber region is served by five major ports, offering access for leisure travel and the transportation of goods nationwide and beyond. Key towns are Kingston upon Hull, Grimsby, Scunthorpe, Goole and Beverley. Landmarks include the Humber Bridge, the Yorkshire and Lincolnshire Wolds, international ports and a strong tradition of fishing and agriculture.
Understanding Risks in our Area
Under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004, we help create the Humber Community Risk Register. The Humber Local Resilience Forum (LRF) manages this process by compiling, approving and publishing the register. The LRF includes local emergency services, public bodies, private sector representatives and other organisations. It also considers National Risks identified by the Government in the National Risk Register.
The risks in the Humber Community Risk Register (HCRR) help shape this plan, along with the National Risks most likely to affect our communities, such as the National Security Risk Assessment (NSRA). By combining National, Local and fire and rescue service-specific risks, we work together to plan for emergencies.
Some risks could also affect our day-to-day services. These include power cuts, cyber threats, fuel shortages and staff shortages. We reduce these risks through our Business Continuity plans.
Reasonable Worst Case Scenario Planning helps us make sure our response and command teams are ready for the most serious fires and other emergencies across the region. We use different systems to check that our resources match the risks and planning includes incidents in four main areas:
- Accidents and system failures (major fires, explosions)
- Natural and environmental hazards (severe flooding, extreme weather)
- Societal (public disorder, such as riots and mass crowd events)
- Terrorism (marauding terrorist attack, chemical attacks in urban and non-urban areas)
Fires
Even though the number of fires in homes and businesses is getting smaller each year, we keep checking our Fire Fatality Profile and the work of our Prevention teams and firefighters to make sure everyone stays safe from fire. We have heritage risks in the area where many of the buildings would be irreplaceable should they be destroyed or damaged. Our heritage risks exist in both urban and rural settings include a mix of religious sites, historic market towns and stately homes, such as Burton Agnes Hall.
Industry and COMAH (Control of Major Accident Hazards)
The Humber area has many sites classified as top-tier COMAH sites, which means they need specific safety plans from the relevant agencies. The area has the most COMAH sites in the UK, with 56 in total and 29 of these are upper-tier sites. Strict safety rules and careful planning help reduce the risk of major accidents. We work closely with site operators and partner agencies to plan and train together for potential incidents. As new industries emerge in the Humber region, the number of COMAH sites may increase. We will continue monitoring this with partner agencies.
Water Risks in Humberside
The Humber area has different bodies of water, both inland and coastal. These include rivers (like the Humber, Hull, Trent and Ouse), drains, lakes, ponds and other still bodies of water. Many of these runs through areas where people live. In rural areas, there are also lakes and meres (shallow lakes). These areas naturally attract swimmers and bathers, especially during warm weather. However, they also provide risk to life due to the danger of drowning and accidents in and round the water. Alongside these risks, coastal erosion is an increasing concern, particularly along the North Sea coastline, where land is being lost to the sea. This erosion can impact communities, infrastructure, and increase risks near cliffs and coastal areas.
Road
The Humber area has a well-connected road network, with the M62 providing a key east-west route linking Hull to Leeds and Manchester. The A63 connects Hull to the M62, while the A15 runs north-south, crossing the Humber Bridge. The A180 links Grimsby and Cleethorpes to the wider national motorway network. To improve road safety, we work closely with Safer Roads Humber, supporting local initiatives and awareness campaigns.
Over the past ten years, the risks to our communities have changed a lot. Incidents like the Manchester Arena attack, severe weather causing wildfires and floods, the Grenfell Tower fire and the COVID-19 pandemic show how emergencies are becoming larger, more complex and lasting longer. We continuously monitor data to assess potential risks from changes in industry and road networks across the region. This has also changed the types of emergencies we now respond to more often.
Increased Risk of Weather-Related Incidents
Our analysis shows that the impact of climate change is producing more extreme weather. Predictions say that in the UK, we will see more wildfires, floods, storms, strong winds and rising sea levels in the future.
Working Together to Prepare
To help reduce these risks, we are working more closely with other agencies:
- Flood Plans: The Local Resilience Forum (LRF) has identified three types of flooding as the most dangerous and is making plans to reduce these risks. Regular training and practice take place to stay prepared.
- Emergency Plans: We are working with Local Authorities on plans for dealing with flooding and improving drainage. Other flood-prone areas are getting similar plans. There are procedures in place for responding to floods and helping clear water from affected areas.
- Mutual Aid Agreements: Fire services in England have agreements to help each other out. This means we can send resources like rescue boats and flood equipment to other areas when needed.
What We Plan to Do
We are reviewing our vehicles to make sure we have the best resources for weather-related emergencies:
- Specialised Vehicles: We are looking into vehicles that can handle specific weather problems, like high-capacity water pumps for floods and off-road vehicles for wildfires in remote areas.
- Modernising Our Fleet: We will update our, making sure they have the latest equipment and technology for safe and efficient for responding to different emergencies.
Helping Our Communities to help themselves: We will continue to support our communities by providing information about how to prepare for more weather-related incidents. This information is available in accessible formats on our website and as printed leaflets for visits and events.