Appendix B: Incident assurance

The areas where further assurance is identified as being required, and who will carry this out, will be specific to each fire and rescue service, and commissioned on a case-by-case basis. Considerations for areas on which to base any investigation, reality testing, sampling or observations can include:

Incident command

• Was overall command and control effective
• Were sufficient resources mobilised
• Were resources used to their best advantage
• Was a tactical adviser contacted or mobilised
• Was a National Inter-Agency Liaison Officer (NILO) contacted or mobilised
• Were specialist teams requested, and if so were they mobilised
• Were external specialists contacted for advice or assistance, and if not, should they have been
• Was BA rapid deployment used
• Was operational discretion applied, and if so, was it justifiable and appropriate

Risk information

• Did the site have risk information available, and if not, should it have been
• If the site did have risk information, was it suitable, sufficient and accurate
• Was the risk information used during the incident

Operational practices and procedures

• Did operational tactics match existing fire and rescue service policies, procedures, tailored guidance and training
• Were all hazards and risks at the incident identified and assessed
• Were available control measures used effectively, and did they manage the hazard safely

Equipment

• Consider whether and how equipment was used
• Was it adequate for the task
• Did any equipment fail in use
• What alternative or additional equipment might have been appropriate

Communications

• How effective was incident ground communication
• Were messages to and from the fire control room timely and effective
• Were messages between the fire control room and other control rooms timely and effective
• Was other Information used effectively for example information available on mobile data terminals

Stakeholder communications

• Were media briefings well organised and regular
• Were arrangements put in place and maintained to warn, inform and advise the public
• Were there adequate and accurate press office liaison activities

Community liaison

• Were the responsible person, owners, occupiers and neighbours kept informed
• Were post-incident welfare considerations appropriate and timely

Inter-agency liaison

• Were the JESIP principles applied and were they effective from the response phase through to the recovery phase
• Was liaison with partner organisations effective

Health and safety

• Was there the potential for any impacts on the health and safety of personnel involved in the incident
• Were there any impacts on the health and safety of personnel involved in the incident
• Are there ongoing or long-term impacts on the health and safety of personnel involved in the incident

Welfare

• Has the welfare of fire and rescue personnel been effectively managed
• Are there ongoing or long-term welfare issues still being managed