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Pitt recommends FRS Statutory responsibility for managing floods
The Chief Fire Officers’ Association (CFOA) welcome the report by Sir Michael Pitt, ‘Learning Lessons from the 2007 Floods’, in which he recommended that fire and rescue services should have a statutory duty for dealing with flood events.
CFOA President Steve McGuirk said, “I am pleased that Sir Michael Pitt recognises the importance of a statutory duty for the overall management and coordination of the emergency response to inland flood and water events. It is even more pleasing that Sir Michael sees the fire and rescue service as the most appropriate body to deliver on that statutory duty, co-ordinating the work of partners and stakeholders, to protect our communities from the significant threat to life and public health posed by flooding. We believe that Sir Michael’s recommendations will bring clarity to a situation that is presently confused – this can only be good for communities and those who will respond in the event of an emergency.”
Mr McGuirk concluded, “The 2007 summer floods also clearly demonstrated the nation’s vulnerability in terms of responder safety, critical national infrastructure and property. A key lesson from these floods showed us that local need will almost always require national mutual aid to resolve the situation and this is what makes flooding a national issue which requires a national, properly resourced response capability.”
