Agenda item

(To receive a report by Mark Baxter, Chief Fire Officer, which presents to the Scrutiny Committee an update on the flooding incidents that Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue (LFR) has attended since 2017, to enable Members to be aware of the risk in Lincolnshire)

The Committee considered a report from Mark Baxter, Chief Fire Officer, which provided an update on flooding incidents Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue (LFR) had attended since 2017, and the demand that placed on LFR operational response.

It was noted that the report was part of the four-year trend analysis on LFRs capabilities to respond to flooding. Members were assured that LFR was able to respond to flood threats year-round, including during high-risk periods.

The Chief Fire Officer stated that flooding incidents that required fire appliances were the most frequent due to their broad pumping capacity and assured Members that all firefighters had necessary personal protective equipment (PPE) and were trained to respond to all flooding incidents. Furthermore, it was LFR policy to respond to every incident where someone had disclosed flooding was entering their property or if they were in physical danger.

Severe weather was acknowledged as a real and emerging risk affecting every area in Lincolnshire, but it was concluded that LFR had significant capabilities to deal with this emerging challenge.

During discussion of the item, the following was noted:

?       LFR maintained close contact with other departments relating to flooding incidents. The Control Centre had a substantial list of contacts, and the Emergency Planning Team liaised between them. Additionally, a Tactical Coordination Group was in place to coordinate a multi-agency response, and the LFR informed Highways on flooding incidents;

?       The data collated by LFR was subject to annual review as part of the risk analogy process at LCC;

?       The Committee considered the boats used by LFR. The Chief Fire Officer informed Members that rescue rafts were the most capable for the majority of incidents because they were inflatable, carried equipment and were able to access precarious locations. In contrast, demand was negligeable for rigid boats;

?       The LFR was intrinsically linked to the national coordination of flood response known as ‘National Resilience’ which enabled LFR to request personnel, equipment and advice on a national scale;

?       It was noted that St. Giles in Lincoln experienced vast surface water flooding, and the Chief Fire Officer assured that the trained staff within the call centre responded according to the severity of the incident. Members were also informed that if the surface flooding was not endangering life or property, then LFR would liaise with the relevant agency to offer residents support;

?       A wide range of flooding pumps were available for LFR. Members were informed that the standard pump was found on the fire appliance. Additionally, high volume pumps were available for protracted incidents as they could deal with high volumes of water;

?       The provision of sandbags fell under the remit of the District Council and was facilitated through the Emergency Planning Department. The Chief Fire Officer advised that LFR maintained a conduit role and brought partners together under these circumstances;

?       Reassurance was given that resources were positioned tactically and were situated in proximity of high-risk areas, but distant enough to avoid damage by flood incidents themselves;  

?       All firefighters in Lincolnshire were trained to operate in ankle-deep surface flooding with access to a dry suit and necessary PPE, and some were trained to operate in fast flowing flooding. It was noted that LFR did not respond to sub-surface flooding, although they informed the police who responded to these incidents; and 

?       Members were informed of the potential dangers of low-level flooding for both residents and firefighters due to hazards such as displaced manhole covers. There was ample communication to the public surrounding this, and the Chief Fire Officer was happy to work with the Committee to develop a winter safety message for residents about shallow flooding.

The Chairman on behalf of the Committee extended his thanks to the Chief Fire Officer for his presentation.

RESOLVED

1.      That the report presented be received and that the Committee’s satisfaction in relation to the service performance be recorded.

2.     That the comments and suggestions made by the Committee be taken into consideration by relevant officers.