Posted: 10/08/2011

The FRCO provides clarity and certainty for emergency planners and rescue services that are called to provide a response to flood events.  Clear guidance provides clarity on the command roles and responsibilities for each area of rescue response at operational, tactical and strategic command levels. More importantly there is provision for a national mutual aid scheme including rescue teams and specialist subject matter advisors. These assets are categorised (typed) to ensure that requesting authorities have some certainty that the resources they receive are capable of doing the job effectively and safely.

Whilst we await the outcome of Watermark, it would be fair to say that there is a need to do more to ensure that this clarity and certainty becomes fully embedded within the minds of emergency responders at every level.  Many strategic coordinating groups are not aware of the newmutual arrangements. Fire & Rescue Services are unsure of their role in inter-agency coordination at Bronze and Silver level.  Voluntary rescue agencies are unaware of the new incident management protocols. Many LRF plans for severe weather events do not extend to such things as interoperability and communications.

Flood events, although predictable, provide a special set of circumstances that are outside the scope of the usual response.  Experience shows that the command system fails to stay ahead of operational demand leading to what can only be described as ‘Best Endeavour’.  At best this leads to inefficient rescue; at worst it compromises the safety of the rescuer and the casualty.  Given the accumulated experience and knowledge of the emergency service community, this situation should no longer continue.

Incident commanders and emergency responders need a new way of thinking,a different kind of command template. The FRCO makes use of the biggest advantage emergency responders have over the flood; predictability.  Used effectively, this advantage leads to proactive and intelligent analysis of warnings providing pre-deployment of rescue and command resources into affected areas before they are required.  

The apparent lack of awareness of the principles of incident management contained within the FRCO raises serious concerns.  There is a real need to train operational and tactical incident managers to meet the training competences contained within Module 5 of the FRCO.  Only then will there be certainty that the right skills are available at the right time; avoiding ‘Best Endeavour’ and promoting a more considered, calculated rescue response; one that is proficient and safe.

The national register of subject matter advisors should be strengthened through a comprehensive training programme that meets the requirements of the FRCO Module 6 at operational, tactical and strategic level.  

Finally, there is a need to raise the awareness within the emergency planning community of the need for detailed inter-agency response arrangements.  This should include national and local mutual aid arrangements, supported where necessary by operational protocols.

Exercise Watermark will undoubtedly show how much progress has been achieved over the past few years in terms of rescue response.  However, it will also show that there is much more work to be done before we can say there is clarity and certainty for emergency flood rescue responders.

Note on Author
Paul Amos is a former Chair of the CFOA Inland Water Technical Group with considerable experience of flood rescue management at operational, tactical and strategic levels.  He was a member of the CFA Major Flood Emergency Project and the DEFRA Flood Rescue National Enhancement Project leading to the publication of the Flood Rescue Concept of Operation and the draft Chief Fire & Rescue Advisor’s Operational Guidance on Flooding and Water Safety.  He is currently developing incident management training with Outreach Rescue and the Fire Service College.