Corporate report

Annual Report February 2026: fire and rescue services

Published 25 February 2026

Recommendations 29 and 30 

Inquiry reference	Status	Responsibility	Accepted
113.51	In progress	Government	In principle
113.53	In progress	Government	In principle

Recommendation 

29: That the government establish [an independent College of Fire and Rescue] immediately with sufficient resources to provide the following services nationally: 

• practical training at all levels supplementary to that provided by individual fire and rescue services 

• education in the form of lectures and seminars on different aspects of the work of the fire and rescue services in order to share experience and promote good practice 

• research into matters that may affect the work of the fire and rescue services, including major fires 

• the development of equipment, policies and procedures suitable for ensuring the effectiveness of fire and rescue services nationally and the safety of firefighters and the public 

• setting and maintaining national standards of managerial competence for senior managers, including control room managers, and providing management training for, and regular assessment of, senior ranks by reference to such standards. 

30: That [the college] should have a permanent staff of sufficient size to manage its operations and develop its functions in response to the demands of fire and rescue services nationally and the requirements of the board. The college will need access to permanent facilities, including facilities for practical training and education. We envisage that much of the training and education will be delivered and led by firefighters of suitable experience drawn as the occasion requires from fire and rescue services around the country. 

What we have done 

In March, ministers met sector stakeholders to discuss aims; as published in our May progress report, we continued engagement and began planning a public consultation. 

In September we announced our working group to support the delivery of the consultation and recommendation, the working group provides insight from key partners, and considerers the key aims of the college and the functions it should fulfil. 

In December, we set out our plans to launch the consultation by May 2026, allowing more time to refine proposals and collect stronger evidence; the working group continues to meet regularly to consider aims, functions and cost‑effective delivery models. We also met with Samantha Dixon, Minister for Building Safety, Fire and Democracy, to seek her approval for us to pursue key policy areas within the college of fire, which the Minister granted.  

Responsible department 

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government 

Responsible person 

Peter Lee, Director, Fire Policy 

Implementation Timeline 

2026 

• Publication of consultation to gather views on the aims, functions, delivery model and funding model for a college of fire and rescue. 

• Public consultation closes and team begins analysis of feedback to develop policy proposals for ministerial clearance. The team will also begin developing the government’s official response to the consultation. 

• Government to publish response to the public consultation. This will set out the college model we are looking to deliver. 

2027 

• Organisational design work to determine the organisational form and governance arrangements for the college. 

2027 to 2029 (when parliamentary time allows) 

• Introduction of primary legislation. 

2028 to 2029 

• Implementation of solution to deliver college functions begins.

Recommendations 31, 32 and 33 

Inquiry reference	Status	Responsibility	Accepted
113.55	Complete	HMICFRS	In full
113.56	Complete	HMICFRS	In full
113.57	Complete	HMICFRS	In full

Recommendation 

31: That His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (“the Inspectorate”) inspect the London Fire Brigade as soon as reasonably possible to assess and report on: 

• the extent to which the control room is now integrated into the organisation 

• the effectiveness of the arrangements for identifying the training needs of control room staff, delivering effective training and recording its outcomes 

• the effectiveness of the control room generally 

• the ability of the control room to handle a large number of concurrent requests for advice and assistance from people directly affected by fires or other emergencies 

• the quality and effectiveness of the arrangements for communication between the control room and the incident commander. (113.55) 

32: That as soon as reasonably possible the Inspectorate inspect the London Fire Brigade to examine and report on the arrangements it has in place for assessing the training of incident commanders at all levels and their continuing competence, whether by a process of revalidation or otherwise. (113.56) 

33: That as soon as reasonably practicable the Inspectorate inspect the LFB to examine and report on its arrangements for collecting, storing and distributing information in accordance with section 7(2)(d) of the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004, and in particular its arrangements for identifying high-risk residential buildings and collecting, storing and distributing information relating to them (113.57) 

What we have done 

His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) continued to evaluate London Fire Brigade’s control room arrangements, drawing on their February 2024 inspection, published in November 2024. 

In May we reported that Fire officials were evaluating whether the inspection addressed the recommendation in full, and in September, we reported that their existing Round 3 inspection covered the three recommendations and an assurance process would be undertaken before formally closing the recommendations. 

In our December progress report, we published that assurance will conclude in early 2026 to ensure the recommendations are implemented at the highest standard before any formal closure decisions. 

‎The necessary assurance has since taken place, and this recommendation is complete and has been fully discharged 

Implementation Timeline 

2026 

• Assess whether this recommendation has been discharged. – Complete 

• Review the assessment and reports and decide whether any further action is required. – Complete

Recommendation 34 

Inquiry reference	Status	Responsibility	Accepted
113.58	In progress	London Fire Brigade (LFB)	In full

Recommendation 

That the London Fire Brigade establish effective standing arrangements for collecting, considering and effectively implementing lessons learned from previous incidents, inquests and investigations. Those arrangements should be as simple as possible, flexible and of a kind that will ensure that any appropriate changes in practice or procedure are implemented speedily. 

What we have done 

The London Fire Brigade (LFB) 

London Fire Brigade (LFB) completed consultation on its Operational Learning Policy (PN825 and associated documents) and the policy was published in December 2025. The policy covers effective standing arrangements for collecting, considering and effectively implementing lessons learned from previous incidents (local, national & international), inquests and investigations. The arrangements set out an agile approach to learning including key performance indicator’s  for the early and timely distribution of risk critical learning and the completion of formal structured debriefing.  

LFB continues to use the Operational News Flash methodology as an agile system for sharing and adopting new learning. 

LFB is developing a peer audit to be completed in Q4 2025/26 to provide assurance against the 113.58 recommendation and LFB’s approach to organisational learning. 

LFB is also engaging with the broader NFCC GTI 2 assurance workshop programme, and the LFB workshop is scheduled to take place in February 2026. The workshop will provide an insight into how other fire and rescue services are approaching the GTI 2 recommendations, including the organisational learning recommendation directed specifically to LFB (but applicable to all FRS) and provide assurance that the LFB approach is effective and sustainable. 

The LFB Business Assurance Team will also be conducting a review of the GTI 2 improvement activity, commencing in early 2026, and will be completed and a report submitted by the end of Q4, 2025/26. 

The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) 

Throughout 2025, the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) developed and progressed an action and delivery plan to address the recommendations, sharing it with key stakeholders. This work was informed by a survey of fire and rescue services to identify gaps and support needs. 

During the same period, the NFCC consulted on, approved and published an Organisational Learning Good Practice Guide, following an extended consultation. The NFCC also published an interim Organisational Learning Library and set out proposals for a future system, subject to available funding and resources. 

LFB Implementation Timeline 

2025 

• Policy review of London Fire Brigade’s (LFB) Operational Learning Policy. – Complete 

2026 

• LFB to undertake internal assurance exercise as part of business assurance process. This will be supplemented by participation in the NFCC GTI 2 assurance workshop programme and a peer review and audit. (Q2)

Recommendations 35 and 36 

Inquiry reference	Status	Responsibility	Accepted
113.59	In progress	Fire and rescue services (FRS)	In full
113.60	In progress	Fire and rescue services (FRS)	In full

Recommendation 

35: That fire and rescue services that continue to use low power intrinsically safe radios as part of breathing apparatus consider reserving them only for situations in which there is a real risk of igniting flammable gases and generally using radios of higher-power, particularly in high-rise buildings. 

36: That all fire and rescue services give consideration to providing all firefighters with digital radios. 

What we have done 

The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) 

From April 2025, the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) developed an action and delivery plan to respond to the recommendations, using a survey of fire and rescue services to understand current practice and identify where further support may be needed. The plan was then shared with key stakeholders, including MHCLG. 

As work progressed, the NFCC focused on improving understanding of radio provision and performance in operational settings. This included preparing materials for workshops with services, reviewing past learning cases and relevant research, and bringing this together in a report on radio issues. The NFCC also committed to gathering further case studies from services using higher‑powered digital radios to better understand their impact. 

By December 2025, the NFCC had compiled and shared the report with the National Operational Learning User Group. It was agreed that the learning cases did not identify any conclusive position on the issues with digital radios. As more learning submissions are received, they will be reviewed and added to the report. 

The NFCC Implementation team began delivering assurance workshops to services, with a programme in place to complete this work across all fire and rescue services by Autumn 2026. Workshops have been delivered to 14 fire and rescue services as of January 2026. 

The London Fire Brigade (LFB) 

As published in our September 2025 progress report, the London Fire Brigade (LFB) had introduced new dual‑function radio handsets that operate in both analogue and digital modes. These handsets are intrinsically safe, have increased power, and can connect directly to breathing apparatus facemasks, improving communications in line with Phase 1 recommendations. The rollout was supported by a mix of online and face‑to‑face training, covering radio use, channels and etiquette. Over 80% of staff had completed new e‑learning on managing communications at incidents, with work underway to raise completion to 90% by the end of the year. 

In December we published the rollout of the new radios was complete and training had been fully delivered. All four e‑learning modules had achieved completion rates above 90%, alongside ongoing face‑to‑face training. LFB had completed its work on these recommendations, while the NFCC will continue to report on progress at a national level. 

The LFB Business Assurance team will be conducting a review of the GTI 2 improvement activity, commencing in early 2026, and will be completed and a report submitted by the end of Q4 2025/26. 

LFB is also engaging with the broader NFCC GTI 2 assurance workshop programme, and the LFB workshop is scheduled to take place in February 2026. The workshop will provide an insight into how other fire and rescue services are approaching the GTI 2 recommendations and provide assurance that the LFB approach is effective and sustainable. 

NFCC Implementation Timeline 

2025 

• Development of workshop materials to better understand the current position of radio provision in fire and rescue services. – Complete 

• Produce a report on the findings of previous research, and Organisational Learning cases. – Complete 

• Fire and rescue services to supply any case studies and evaluation on the use of different radios and communication techniques. – Complete 

• A learning case from fire and rescue services case studies and evaluation on the use of different radios and communication techniques will be generated. – Complete 

2026 

• Delivery of the radio provision in fire and rescue services workshops. 

• Completion of the radio provision in fire and rescue services workshops.

Recommendation 37 

Inquiry reference	Status	Responsibility	Accepted
133.61	In progress	Fire and rescue services (FRS)	In full

Recommendation 

Since radio communications are inherently unreliable in certain environments, we recommend that firefighters be trained to respond appropriately to the loss of communications and to understand how to restore them. 

What we have done 

The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) 

The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) began developing an action and delivery plan to address the recommendations. This work was informed by a survey of fire and rescue services to understand current arrangements and identify where further support might be needed. The plan was subsequently shared with key stakeholders, including MHCLG. 

In September 2025 we published the NFCC had identified the need to strengthen how communication strategies are established and tested at high‑risk premises, and to better support services in understanding common radio issues and limitations. During this period, the NFCC also started reviewing National Operational Guidance on fireground radios and asked services to share any learning materials on loss of communications. 

Following this, the NFCC completed their review of national guidance and new guidance was being developed, with approval and publication planned in June 2026. While only limited learning materials were received from services, this highlighted that loss‑of‑communications training is often covered through exercises rather than dedicated training. As a result, the NFCC began developing a series of “micro learn” content, due to be quality assured and published by March 2026. 

The NFCC Implementation team have delivered workshops to 14 fire and rescue services so far, providing support and assistance around communications guidance. 

The London Fire Brigade (LFB) 

As published in our September 2025 progress report, the London Fire Brigade (LFB) continued the rollout of improved communications arrangements; supported by a mix of online and face‑to‑face training, covering radio use, channels and etiquette. Over 80% of staff had completed new e‑learning on managing communications at incidents, with work underway to raise completion to 90% by the end of the year. Communications training was also built into the three‑year high‑rise training cycle, which includes practical learning on equipment use, signal interference, restoring communications and setting up reliable systems. 

In December we published that the rollout of the new radios was complete and training had been fully delivered. All four e‑learning modules had achieved completion rates above 90%, alongside ongoing face‑to‑face training. LFB had completed its work on these recommendations, while the NFCC will continue to report on progress at a national level. 

The LFB Business Assurance team will be conducting a review of the GTI 2 improvement activity, commencing in early 2026, and will be completed and a report submitted by the end of Q4, 2025/26. 

LFB is also engaging with the broader NFCC GTI 2 assurance workshop programme, and the LFB workshop is scheduled to take place in February 2026. The workshop will provide an insight into how other fire and rescue services are approaching the GTI 2 recommendations and provide assurance that the LFB approach is effective and sustainable. 

Implementation Timeline 

2025 

• Review and propose changes to current national operational guidance relating to the loss of communications and how to restore them. – Complete 

• Review learning materials received from fire and rescue services and consider whether they should be shared on the fire and rescue services Learn platform. – Complete 

• Agree the scope and content of additional material to supplement existing guidance relating to the loss of communications and how to restore them. – Complete 

2026 

• Guidance and Learning Scrutiny Panel to approve draft supplementary product. 

• Updated guidance and supplementary product to launch. 

• National Fire Chiefs Council to approve proposed changes to guidance. 

• Publish updated national operational guidance relating to the loss of communications and how to restore them. 

Recommendation 38 

Inquiry reference	Status	Responsibility	Accepted
113.62	In progress	Fire and rescue services (FRS)	In full

Recommendation 

That basic training on the structure and operation of the water supply system, including the different types of hydrants in use and their functions, be given to all firefighters. Training should also be given on effective measures to increase water flow and pressure when necessary. 

What we have done

The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) 

The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) began developing an action and delivery plan to address the recommendations. This work was informed by a survey of fire and rescue services to understand current arrangements and identify where further support might be needed. The plan was subsequently shared with key stakeholders, including MHCLG. By September 2025, the NFCC had identified water supply issues as a recurring theme in organisational learning cases, both in the UK and internationally. Services were asked to share existing learning materials on water supply systems and hydrants, alongside detailed consideration of whether national guidance or learning materials needed to be strengthened. Services were also invited to share wider learning for potential publication on the FRS Learn platform. 

At the time of our December progress report, only limited learning materials had been received, suggesting a gap in training provision on water supply and hydrants. As a result, planned publication on FRS Learn was delayed. The materials received, along with proposals to address the identified gaps, were considered by the Operational Training and Education Group om 6 January 2026. It has been agreed that a series of “micro learn” content will be developed and published and learning materials from West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue service will be uploaded to FRS Learn before the end of March 2026. 

The London Fire Brigade (LFB) 

‎In September 2025 mandatory e‑learning on water management and planning had been rolled out to all station‑based staff and level 2 officers. While more than 80% of staff had completed the training, completion of the required knowledge check was lower. Officers were working with area leads to increase both overall completion and knowledge check results, with a target of reaching 90% by the end of the year. This learning was supported by face‑to‑face training delivered by the Central Training Team. 

By December, completion rates had improved significantly. More than 90% of staff had completed both the e‑learning modules and the knowledge check to the required standard. The training programme, combining online and in‑person learning, was complete. LFB had completed its work on these recommendations, while the NFCC will continue to report on progress at a national level. 

The LFB Business Assurance team will also be conducting a review of the GTI 2 improvement activity, commencing in early 2026, and will be completed and a report submitted by the end of Q4, 2025/26. 

LFB is also engaging with the broader NFCC GTI 2 assurance workshop programme, and the LFB workshop is scheduled to take place in February 2026. The workshop will provide an insight into how other fire and rescue services are approaching the GTI 2 recommendations and provide assurance that the LFB approach is effective and sustainable. 

NFCC Implementation Timeline 

2025 

• Review existing fire and rescue services learning materials relating to water supply systems, including the different types of hydrants. – Complete 

• Develop options for changes to existing guidance, and, if applicable, whether National Fire Chiefs Council learning materials need to be developed. – Complete 

• Review learning materials received from fire and rescue services and consider whether they should be shared on the fire and rescue services Learn platform. – Complete 

2026 

• Updated guidance, and, if applicable, new learning materials relating to water supply systems, including the different types of hydrants.

Recommendation 39 

Inquiry reference	Status	Responsibility	Accepted
113.63	Complete	Fire and rescue services (FRS)	In full

Recommendation 

That all fire and rescue services establish and periodically review an agreed protocol with the statutory water undertakers in their areas to enable effective communication between them in relation to the supply of water for firefighting purposes. 

What we have done:

The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) 

The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) began developing an action and delivery plan to address the recommendations. This work was informed by a survey of fire and rescue services to understand current arrangements and identify where further support might be needed. The plan was subsequently shared with key stakeholders, including MHCLG. 

We published in September 2025 that the NFCC had worked with Water UK to update the National Guidance on the Provision of Water for Firefighting, with all proposed changes accepted and published. The NFCC also shared survey findings with Ofwat, submitted evidence to inquiries on water sector reform, and raised fire and rescue service concerns through the Environment Agency’s consultation. 

By the end of 2025, further discussions had taken place on the need for a more comprehensive review of the guidance, particularly around accessibility and readability. The NFCC continued engagement with Ofwat and other stakeholders, including responding to consultations and planning further work following the Water Reform White Paper. 

The recommendation is now complete and has been fully discharged. 

‎The London Fire Brigade (LFB) 

‎Engagement with water companies increased following the London Fire Commissioner’s correspondence in early 2025. Discussions were held with Thames Water, Affinity Water, and Essex & Suffolk Water, with ongoing collaboration to support operational arrangements. 

Water companies were also involved in reviewing and contributing to London Fire Brigade’s (LFB) training, and data provided by Affinity Water and Thames Water is being used through LFB systems to help operational teams identify water supply zones. A revised National Guidance Document on water provision for firefighting was published, setting out clearer protocols and training expectations. 

Later in the year, this engagement continued with water undertakers across the London area, working alongside other fire and rescue services and the National Fire Chiefs Council. Work focused on standardising protocols, sharing information, and embedding best practice to support continuous improvement. 

The use of shared data tools remains in place, and the revised national guidance continues to underpin stronger operational and training arrangements between LFB and water companies. 

Recommendation 40  

Inquiry reference	Status	Responsibility	Accepted
113.64	In progress	British Standards Institution (BSI)	In full

Recommendation 

That the British Standards Institution amend BS 750 to include a description of the circumstances under which the flow coefficient to which it refers in paragraph 10.2 is to be measured. 

What we have done

Work to revise the standard began with a panel of experts brought together to take the recommendation forward, as published in our May 2025 progress report. The recommendation was formally accepted, and during early discussions the panel also agreed to make some additional, unrelated changes on the proposed scope to the standard. The British Standards Institution’s Content Development team began meeting with the panel to start drafting revised wording and to agree a likely timetable for issuing a draft for public consultation. 

As work progressed, approval was secured for the internal business case to amend the standard. With this in place, a drafting panel was formed, and began developing a draft version of the revised standard for consultation. 

By the end of 2025, the panel had completed the consultation draft and publication was expected shortly. Subject to the volume and nature of consultation responses, the amended standard is expected to be published in the first quarter of 2026. 

Implementation Timeline 

2026 

• Public consultation on draft amendments to BS 750 to begin. (Q1) 

• Closure of public consultation on draft amendments to BS 750. (Q1) 

• Updated BS 750 to be published. (Q2)

Recommendation 41 

Inquiry reference	Status	Responsibility	Accepted
113.65	In progress	National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC)	In full

Recommendation 

That National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) consider whether, and if so in what circumstances, firefighters should be discouraged from departing from their instructions on their own initiative and provide appropriate training in how to respond to a situation of that kind. 

What we have done

The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) began developing an action and delivery plan to address the recommendations. This work was informed by a survey of fire and rescue services to understand current arrangements and identify where further support might be needed. The plan was subsequently shared with key stakeholders, including MHCLG. 

Survey results showed that most services had already provided training on effective communication, situational awareness and the deployment of breathing apparatus users. Recognising the importance of clear briefing, understanding, debriefing and real‑time communication, the NFCC reviewed the relevant national guidance to ensure these areas were fully covered. 

The review was completed in September 2025 and led to proposed updates to the Incident Command guidance, including new hazards and control measures. Drafting of the new guidance is complete and awaiting review by the National Command and Control User Group. The revised guidance will then go through the usual governance steps and subject to approval, is expected to be published in June 2026. 

Supporting learning materials relating to the updated guidance will be developed and are expected to be published alongside the guidance before the end of June 2026. 

Implementation Timeline 

2025 

• Review and propose changes to the current National Operational Guidance relating to the dynamic nature of firefighting (particularly by breathing apparatus crews) and the need for firefighters to be able to respond to changing circumstances and make decisions for their and other people’s safety. – Complete 

• Agree content of learning materials to support updated guidance. – Complete 

2026 

• National Fire Chiefs Council subject matter advisers to approve proposed changes to National Operational Guidance. 

• Publish updated guidance. 

• Develop and draft learning materials to support updated guidance. 

• Guidance Learning and Scrutiny Panel to approve learning materials. 

• Publish learning materials to support updated guidance.