Section 3. National Resilience

3.1 Gap Analysis

Fire and rescue authorities’ risk assessments must include an analysis of any gaps between their existing capability and that needed to ensure national resilience. Fire and rescue authorities are required to assess the risk of emergencies occurring and use this to inform contingency planning. To do this effectively, fire and rescue authorities are expected to assess their existing capability and identify any gaps as part of the integrated risk management planning process.

How to we meet these requirements?

As part of the development of the Safety and Wellbeing Plan, we conduct a comprehensive review of the risk profile across the county. This supporting information is published on our website.
We are a key organisation within the Kent Resilience Forum (KRF). The KRF is a local resilience forum, one of a number across England, which has been set up to ensure that agencies and organisations plan and work together, to ensure a co-ordinated response to emergencies that could have a significant impact on communities in Kent.
The National and Kent Community Risk Registers contain hazards and threats identified by government departments and local agencies. The KCRR is based on the national risk register and is a statutory requirement of the Civil Contingencies Act 2004.
The Authority works with partners in the South East and nationally on a number of projects to support national resilience.
Kent leads on the National Fire Chief’s Council (NFCC) Fire and Rescue Marine Response Group (FRMR) and the NFCC Operations Co-ordination Group.
We plan for and undertake regular operational exercises against the current risks and threats in Kent and Medway. These test the efficacy of our emergency planning and the use of joint emergency services interoperability principles (JESIP). In 2018/19 a three year training and exercise plan was developed. The Authority will participate in 21 service level exercise events in 2018/19. The scenarios and location of the service level exercises are determined by giving close consideration to risks in the National Risk Register, our multi-agency Kent Community Risk Register and the information the Authority holds relating to specific premises within its Premises Risk Management System.

Where do we get assurance from?

Safety and Wellbeing Plan 2018.
Safety and Wellbeing Plan update. Outcomes of consultation. KMFRA, February 2019 (Item No C1).
Safety and Wellbeing Plan – Outcomes of the Consultation and Next Steps. KMFRA, February 2018 (Item No: B1).
Supporting Information to the Safety and Wellbeing Plan 2018
Kent Community Risk Register
Issues regarding this are reported to Members, but it should be recognised that due to the sensitive nature of this area, limited information is detailed in the public domain.
Bi-national exercises are undertaken with the Authority’s counterparts in France, Belgium and Holland. The most recent of these was BINAT 28, a joint UK-French exercise in the Channel Tunnel involving a scenario in which there were a large number of casualties. Operational Update. KMFRA, June 2018 (Item C1). As part of the MIRG EU, the Authority has entered into an agreement with counterparts in France, Holland and Belgium for an agreed response and procedures to incidents in the English Channel.
Exercise Programme Update. KMFRA, February 2019 (Item No: C1). In the first quarter of 2019, five exercises were undertaken: these included live exercises at a complex building (in this case a large school), a regulated industrial site and a power station. In addition a table top exercise of a fire in a high-rise and a test and review of organisational and corporate response to the scenarios presented within some of those exercises.

3.2 National Co-ordination and Advisory Framework (NCAF)

The NCAF has been designed to provide robust and flexible response arrangements to major emergencies that can be adapted to the nature, scale and requirements of the incident. Fire and rescue authorities must proactively engage with, and support, the NCAF arrangements including the NFCC’s lead operational role.

How to we meet these requirements?

We are able to offer resources via the National Resilience Fire Control.
Kent Fire and Rescue Service maintains a Critical incident Framework (CIF) that ensures we are able to respond to critical and major incidents, and continue to maintain essential services. The framework ensures that KFRS has suitable management and coordination arrangements in place to respond to such incidents. This includes arrangements for categorising and escalating incidents. Within this the links to local, regional and national coordination processes are set out. This includes identifying the need to report ‘trigger’ incidents into the NCAF Electronic Support System.
The KFRS procedure for reporting ‘trigger’ incidents is managed through the KFRS Control Centre. A Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) is held on the control system. This SOP lists the ‘trigger’ incident types that require reporting to NCAF ESS, as defined within Appendix A of the NCAF. A prompt to consider activation of this SOP is also listed against the incident type within the mobilising system, ensuring that NCAF reporting is carried out at the point at which the incident type is defined and confirmed.
The CIF arrangements are tested annually as part of the KFRS Strategic Exercise. This includes consideration of NCAF reporting. This exercise is subject to a full and robust debrief and operational assurance process. The most recent example of KFRS utilisation of the ESS for incident reporting involved an accident on the major road network within the Brexit related “Brock” infrastructure.

Where do we get assurance from?

Greater Manchester moorland fire deployment, July 2018. When almost 6,000 acres of moorland caught alight in what became the largest wildfire Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service had ever dealt with, the Authority deployed its two all-terrain vehicles to assist with the incident. Operational Update. KMFRA, October 2018 (item No: C1).
The CIF and Major Incident Plan – reviewed and approved by CMB in early 2019.
The NRAT reporting procedure and SOP held by control.

3.3 Response to Terrorist Attacks or MTFA

Fire and rescue services must be able to respond to the threat of terrorism and be ready to respond to incidents within their areas and across England. Fire and rescue services should also be interoperable to provide operational support across the UK to terrorist events as required.

How to we meet these requirements?

We plan for and undertake regular operational exercises throughout the year. These test the efficacy of our emergency planning, the use of joint emergency services interoperability principles (JESIP).
The issues raised in the recommendations of the Kerslake Report into the terrorist attack at Manchester Arena on May 2017, are supported by the Authority’s plans and activities contained within the Customer and Corporate Plan 2018-22. During 2019/20, we will undertake a range of exercises to test our response to, and ensure we are prepared for, the key current risks and threats in Kent and Medway.
Further commentary on this section is withheld due to the sensitivity of the area.

Where do we get assurance from?

Operation Shakespeare, in 2018 a large multi-agency exercise was undertaken based on an armed terrorist scenario at Bluewater shopping centre. This plan tested the use of joint emergency services interoperability principles (JESIP) to ensure a successful outcome. KMFRA, June 2018 (item No: C1).
Operational Update. KMFRA, April 2018 (Item No: C1).
Exercise Programme Update. KMFRA, February 2019 (Item No: C1).

3.4 National Resilience Assurance

Fire and rescue authorities must continue to work collectively and with the Fire and Rescue Strategic Resilience Board and the national resilience lead authority to provide assurance to government that:

existing national resilience capabilities are fit for purpose and robust; and
risks and plans are assessed and any gaps in capability that are needed to ensure national resilience are identified

Fire and rescue authorities with MTFA teams must work with police forces and ambulance trusts to provide tri-service assurance of this capability.

How to we meet these requirements?

Kent leads on the National Fire Chief’s Council (NFCC) Fire and Rescue Marine Response Group (FRMR) and the NFCC Operations Co-ordination Group.
The Authority hosts and manages the Kent Resilience Team (KRT). The KRT is a multi-agency initiative to transform the delivery of emergency planning services in order to achieve better outcomes for the people of Kent. It does so by improving the effectiveness of the planning, response and recovery from emergencies.
All of those premises identified at the county and local level are included in the Authority’s Premises Risk Management (PRM) system and have been assessed to determine the potential level of risk they pose to the Authority and the community it serves.
During 2019/20 we plan to undertake a bi-national exercise to test response to an incident in the Channel Tunnel.
As part of the MIRG EU, the Authority has entered into an agreement with counterparts in France, Holland and Belgium for an agreed response and procedures to incidents in the English Channel.

Where do we get assurance from?

Bi-national exercises are undertaken with the Authority’s counterparts in France, Belgium and Holland. The most recent of these was BINAT 28, a joint UK-French exercise in the Channel Tunnel involving a scenario in which there were a large number of casualties. Operational Update. KMFRA, June 2018 (Item C1).
Kent Resilience Forum
Kent Community Risk Register
Exercise Programme Update. KMFRA, February 2019 (Item No: C1).