On 27 June 2019, the UK Government officially set a target to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, becoming the first major economy to legislate a net-zero target. This strategy, which aims to achieve carbon neutrality, will have implications for those relied upon to respond to incidents. While it is impossible to predict the exact impact as policies and strategies may evolve over time, there are some predictable areas that could be influenced such as equipment and vehicles, energy efficiency and emissions reduction, training and the use of technological advancements.
Following on from major or critical incidents, it is often the case that modifications to training schedules, or the introduction of new content is required locally, regionally, or in some instances nationally. As the Fire and Rescue Service respond to the impacts of climate change, whether that be through dealing with an increase in floods, wildfires, alternatively fuel vehicles, or battery energy storage systems, personnel will require contemporary, realistic and relevant training and resources to address these new challenges.
It is often extremely difficult to anticipate certain incident types, and this could not be more applicable now than ever due to such rapid technological advancements. If Fire and Rescue Service personnel, at all levels, are going to continue to be well-trained, enabling them to be safe and effective, we need to see even closer collaboration and coordination between key stakeholders. There needs to be strong working relationships amongst emergency services, government agencies, local authorities, academia, energy providers, local communities and private sector organisations, through which joint planning, exercising and sharing of information data and resources would lead to safer communities and responders alike.
As the providers of the Chemsafe scheme, on behalf of the Department for Transport, the National Chemical Emergency Centre have noticed an increase in battery-related incidents over recent months. You don’t have to scroll through LinkedIn or Twitter for long to see another incident that has been caused by a malfunctioning lithium-ion-fuelled device, and whilst there is still no clear stand-alone solution for dealing with such incidents, organisations are working hard to come up with viable tactical options.
Alternative fuels are a high priority for achieving our net-zero targets, and there is rightly a lot of emphasis on developing the required skills to respond to such incidents. However, it is only through high-quality training which enables practice, that experience is developed, which then leads to experience and competence, making anticipation an even more important phase of integrated emergency management as it buys time for this activity. Whilst it is imperative that organisations focus on developing responders to deal with the current spate of battery-related incidents, there must also be a focus on what’s just around the corner such as methanol-related incidents as an increasing number of organisations look to use it as a blend with diesel for greater efficiency, or the wider use of hydrogen, whether that’s as a blend in mains gas, in industry, or as a fuel for vehicles.
The Government-set net-zero targets we all now work towards means the role of the firefighter is changing as so many more incidents now involve direct hazardous materials elements. The additional resource challenge highlights the importance of cross-sector collaboration but also a competency and capability challenge, and it’s key to both responder safety and efficacy that they are well-equipped, trained and prepared to respond.
About the Author
Ed Sullivan is the NCEC Hazmat Academy Manager.
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