Kent Fire and Rescue Service
Creating a safer future – together: Our delivery plan 2025 to 2029

• With partner agencies and water suppliers working through the Kent and Medway Resilience Forum to plan for and exercise the response to possible water infrastructure failures.
• We provide bulk water carriers and high-volume pumps to ensure that we can move water for firefighting into areas where the public water supply has failed.
• Our engagement team works with partner agencies and water companies to help spread public messaging in relation to water shortages and/or failures in water supply.
• We have invested in Compressed Air Foam systems that look to maximise limited water supplies.

• In the event of water supply issues, we join partners in Strategic and Tactical Coordinating Centres to understand the likely scale and duration of incidents.
• We move specialist response resources such as bulk water carriers and hose layers, moving them into the affected areas.
• We send more appliances, enhancing the pre-determined attendance, to reported fires in the affected areas to provide more water for the initial fire attack.
• We can if required use our community volunteers along with operational and corporate colleagues to support the distribution of water supplies to vulnerable people, along with colleagues from partner agencies

• Develop and implement technical and industry analysis – research implemented, including: 

1. Hydrant supplies.
2. Water infrastructure. 
3. Location and impact of pressure restriction valves and/or systems.
4. Open water supplies and access. 

• Work with the water industry to enable the sharing of information and data so that KFRS can ensure the safety of our customers.
• Influence developers, councils, and water companies to establish emergency water supplies as appropriate in areas where water provision or pressure is poor. 
• Ensure robust fire hydrant testing arrangements in place, to ensure they are functioning properly and meet firefighting requirements. 
• Review our attendance time standards, allowing us to make better resourcing decisions.
• Redesign our workforce to be able to scale resources quickly according to demands.
• Review the capability, location and type of vehicles and equipment providing or transporting water for firefighting.
• Explore new firefighting equipment that uses less water to achieve the same operational outcomes.
• Develop digital mapping and analysis to inform risk areas.
• Ensure fire control colleagues understand the risks associated, gather risk critical information, and can give customers key safety advice.
• Develop prevention campaigns, addressing the importance of fire hydrants, the need to report any issues and keeping them clear of obstruction.
• Review of operational policy and procedure considering evolving risks and changes.
• Work closely with water companies during the planning phase of new developments to ensure firefighter water needs are incorporated into the infrastructure design.
• Review and update SSRI information at relevant premises and sites, using data analysis to identify areas of potential water supply risks.
• Ensure fire service representation on zoning and planning committees to advocate for fire safety considerations.
• Review incidents where water supply issues affected firefighting operations, noting any areas for further action

• 100% of building consultations for new developments completed within 15 working days.

Colleague preparedness:

• Number and percentage of fire hydrants that have been tested and are fully functioning.
• Availability of bulk water carriers.

Fire Control Programme