GPSJ Autumn 2024 ONLINE - Flipbook - Page 28
GPSJ
FLOODS FEATURE
National Fire Chiefs Council
(NFCC) renews calls for action
to tackle the impact of flooding
The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) has renewed calls for Government to consult on a statutory duty for 昀椀re
and rescue services in England to respond to 昀氀ooding incidents.
The call comes in after recent
multiple 昀氀ood warnings and one
year on from Storm Babet, which
caused widespread 昀氀ooding
and damage across northern
and western Europe, with seven
people tragically losing their lives
in the UK. NFCC is calling for
the Government to consult on a
statutory duty for 昀椀re and rescue
services in England to respond
to 昀氀ooding incidents which pose
a risk to life and says this should
be underpinned by initial 昀椀nancial
investment and ongoing funding.
Fire and rescue services
across the UK already undertake
activities in response to extreme
weather events. However, there
is no statutory duty for 昀椀re and
rescue services in England in
relation to 昀氀ooding and inland
water rescue, which can result
in discrepancies in equipment,
training and standards between
services. This is also leading to
inconsistent levels of safety and
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preparedness across the four UK
nations, with Scotland, Wales and
Northern Ireland already having
some statutory duties in place.
NFCC Chair, Mark
Hardingham, said:
“With climate change leading
to more frequent and severe
weather events - as witnessed
recently in the United States with
Hurricane Helene and Hurricane
Milton - 昀氀ooding remains a
signi昀椀cant risk, including to
communities here in the UK. Last
year’s Storm Babet highlighted
the critical need for coordinated
and well-resourced 昀氀ooding
response e昀昀orts.
“Fire and rescue services
across the country played a vital
role during the storm, responding
to rising waters, evacuating
residents, and protecting
property. It is vital that they have
the tools, training and resources
to prepare and respond.
“I am encouraged that the Fire
Minister recently con昀椀rmed to me
that Home O昀케ce o昀케cials would
undertake further work with
Defra, NFCC and other relevant
parties to understand whether
there are gaps in 昀氀ooding
response and resilience, and I
look forward to this work being
taken forward to help ensure that
our communities are protected
from the growing risks posed by
extreme weather”.
National Fire Chiefs Council
(NFCC) has also published three
new policy position statements
calling for further action to tackle
the impact of wild昀椀res, 昀氀ooding,
and the e昀昀ect of increased rainfall
and hotter summer temperatures
on inland water safety.
The frequency and magnitude
of 昀氀ooding is increasing due to
climate change. The UK Health
Security Agency estimates that
approximately 6.1 million people
in the UK are at signi昀椀cant risk
of 昀氀ooding, with the number
GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC SECTOR JOURNAL WINTER 2024/2025
expected to rise to between 9.8
million and 13.3 million by 2050.
The risk of water safety
incidents is also being ampli昀椀ed
by the e昀昀ects of more extreme
weather. Hotter summer
temperatures can result in
more people participating in
water-based leisure activities or
entering the water to cool down,
heightening water safety risks.
The summer of 2022 was the
hottest on record for the UK, and,
according to statistics from the
National Water Safety Forum,
recreational activities accounted
for 58% of accidental drowning
fatalities that year.
The government recently
launched a long-awaited
consultation on a strategic
land-use framework for England.
While the ALC should form a core
part of these deliberations, in its
current form it cannot reliably
inform the critical decisions
that need to be made about
competing land uses.
Climate change is already
drastically reducing the amount of
land suitable for food production,
with 60% of England’s highestgrade farmland now at high risk
of 昀氀ooding. Meanwhile, land
is under increasing pressure
for housing, renewable energy
infrastructure and nature
restoration.
Without an updated ALC
system incorporating accurate
assessments of agricultural
land quality, there is a real risk
that irreversible decisions will
be made about land use that
compromise the nation’s ability to
produce its own food.
