A new way of measuring risk for Fire and Rescue Service in the UK

What is it about?

In 2004 when I was a senior civil servant in the office of the Deputy prime Minister we introduced the 2004 Fire and Rescue Services Act. Amongst other things this changed the way that Fire Services in the UK assesssed risk. Prior to 2004 the focus was on risk to buildings, premises and property. Afer 2004 Fire and Rescue Services also needed to assess the risk to people and communities. This inevitably meant a major re-assessment of risk and inevitably a subsequent reconfiguration of services. In 2010 Nottinghamshire FRS commissioned myself (by then at Nottingham Business School) and a colleague Kirsten Greenhalgh to help them operationalise and apply the new approach. To that date no FRS had felt they had the skills data and expertise to attempt to do it throughout thier administrative area. This is the account of what and hopw we did it.

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Why is it important?

It was a bit of a catalyst for change. Not only have all FRS in the UK adopted the new approach but the people centred approach (rather than building centred approach) now underpins the approach to risk assessment in most of Europe, in Australasia and in canada - with theUSA and other s working towards it.

Perspectives