The London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority, which oversees the London Fire Brigade, has today published a draft plan setting out how it will respond to fire and rescue calls, as well as the threat of terrorism and incidents of flooding over the next four years.
The London Safety Plan draws on the recommendations of Lord Harris’s recent review of London’s 999 services, including boosting the number of firefighters trained to work alongside police in the aftermath of a terrorist incident. It also proposes introducing attendance time targets for the brigade’s Fire Rescue Units (FRUs), in line with Anthony Mayer’s recent review of its finances and resources.
Before the new plan can be adopted, the Authority must ask Londoners for their views and reflect these in the final document.
Fire commissioner Ron Dobson said: “This year has been a monumental one as we’ve celebrated 150 years of the service firefighters have given to London. Modern firefighters face a range of challenges from road traffic collisions, to flooding and chemical spillages.
“We also need to plan for the very worst. Even though we hope it never happens, we must prepare our firefighters to be part of the response to a terrorist incident.
“This consultation is a chance for Londoners to have their say on a range of work we are doing to keep Londoners safe for the next four years and how we deal with changing threats.”
The London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority is expected to be abolished early next year, with responsibility for the Brigade’s work passing to Mayor Sadiq Khan.
Encouraging Londoners to take part in the consultation, Mr Khan said: “As the capital faces new challenges and threats, we need to make sure our Fire Brigade is prepared and ready to respond to whatever may be around the corner.
“This new plan sets out a series of proposals for the coming years and I encourage all Londoners to have their say in the consultation, and help make sure we are doing everything we can to keep our capital city protected.”
