§ Andrew MackinlayTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister what is the minimum number of fire fighters recommended to attend a domestic dwelling in order to meet the requirements of(a) breathing apparatus procedures, (b) safe working systems and (c) command and central procedures; and what records does his Department hold on the extent to which these criteria are met in each Brigade area. [99631]
§ Mr. RaynsfordCurrent guidance recommends that a minimum of seven firefighters attend any incident requiring breathing apparatus to be worn in order to meet the requirements of breathing apparatus procedures. Guidance on incident command is set out in the Fire Service Manual, Volume 2 (Fire Service Operations: Incident Command), published by Her Majesty's Fire Service Inspectorate. Safe working systems are determined on an individual basis by a dynamic risk assessment carried out by the incident commander, and command and control procedures vary according to the size and complexity of each incident. As incidents are assessed on an individual basis under the dynamic risk assessment process, no records are held on the number of firefighters attending different incidents.
§ Andrew MackinlayTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment has been made of the additional(a) resources and (b) personnel each fire brigade would require as a result of the Save Life methodology set out in the Review of Standards Emergency Cover; and if he will make a statement. [99633]
§ Mr. RaynsfordI assume that my hon. Friend is referring to the Fire Service Emergency Cover Methodology, which was developed by the Task Group on the Fire Cover Review.
That methodology was used by the Task Group to predict resources and personnel requirements for the brigades in the Pathfinder trials and, by extrapolation, nationally. Two alternative ways of allocating firefighting resources to cover risk were modelled; one by the Task Group and one later by the Fire Research Division of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. Both sets of findings were reported on the website of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister at the end of last year1.
However, the early research encountered a number of teething problems. These led the Task Group to reject the detailed calculations from the model it had used which is also regarded as being more indicative than precise. Further research is currently under way to resolve these issues.