Reports & recommendations
104 recommendations from 2 reports, each with the government response on the record. Filter by government response, report, nation or delivery status.
Reports (2)
Recommendations (46)
Require external wall information for fire services
The owner and manager of every high-rise residential building be required by law to provide their local fire and rescue service with information about the design of its external walls together with details of the materials of which they are constructed and to inform the fire and rescue service of any material changes made to them.
The Home Office reported in February 2025 that implementation of the recommendation was complete following the commencement of the Fire Safety Act and the entry into force of the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 in January 2023 (Home Office, Feb 2025). The department stated that under these regulations, responsible persons for high-rise residential buildings are required to prepare a record of the design and materials of external walls and send it electronically to their local fire and rescue service (Home Office, Feb 2025).
Train fire personnel on external wall fire risks
All fire and rescue services ensure that their personnel at all levels understand the risk of fire taking hold in the external walls of high-rise buildings and know how to recognise it when it occurs.
In February 2025, the Home Office reported that delivery of the recommendation was complete, relaying National Fire Chiefs Council confirmation that all 43 fire and rescue services had reviewed training and trained all relevant staff using its products, while the London Fire Brigade had also trained all operational and control staff (Home Office, Feb 2025). In September 2024, the department had reported progress as ongoing, with Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service being the only service with the training still outstanding (Home Office, Sep 2024).
LFB to review PN633 Appendix 1
The LFB review, and revise as appropriate, Appendix 1 to PN633 to ensure that it fully reflects the principles in GRA 3.2.
The Home Office stated in February 2025 that the London Fire Brigade had completed the recommendation (Home Office, Feb 2025). The department reported in that February 2025 update that guidance previously contained in the brigade's High-Rise Firefighting policy had been reviewed and incorporated into its Management of Operational Risk Information policy, with all operational staff completing mandatory training on the revision (Home Office, Feb 2025). It noted in February 2025 that this improved guidance assisted operational staff to understand risks within their station areas, alongside new National Operational Guidance maintained by the National Fire Chiefs Council (Home Office, Feb 2025).
Train LFB officers on high-rise inspections
The LFB ensure that all officers of the rank of Crew Manager and above are trained in carrying out the requirements of PN633 relating to the inspection of high-rise buildings.
The Home Office reported in February 2025 that the London Fire Brigade considered the recommendation complete, noting that all operational staff had completed mandatory training on the revised Management of Operational Risk Information policy to better understand risks within London's built environment (Home Office, Feb 2025). The department had previously recorded the brigade's position that the recommendation was complete in February 2024 (Home Office, Feb 2024).
Require building floor plans for fire services
The owner and manager of every high-rise residential building be required by law to provide their local fire and rescue services with up-to-date plans in both paper and electronic form of every floor of the building identifying the location of key fire safety systems.
In February 2025, the Home Office reported that implementation of this recommendation was complete, following the entry into force of the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 in January 2023 (Home Office, Feb 2025). The department explained that these regulations require the responsible person for a high-rise residential building to prepare floor plans showing the location of lifts and key fire-fighting equipment, submit them electronically to their local fire and rescue service, and place hard copies in an on-site secure information box (Home Office, Feb 2025).
Require premises information boxes
The owner and manager of every high-rise residential building be required by law to ensure that the building contains a premises information box, the contents of which must include a copy of the up-to-date floor plans and information about the nature of any lift intended for use by the fire and rescue services.
The Home Office reported in February 2025 that implementation of this recommendation was complete, noting that the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 came into force in January 2023 (Home Office, Feb 2025). The department stated in February 2025 that under the regulations, the responsible person for a high-rise residential building must install a secure information box containing building floor plans, a single-page building plan, and contact details (Home Office, Feb 2025). It also noted in February 2025 that building guidance had been amended to require secure information boxes in all new residential buildings over 11 metres (Home Office, Feb 2025).
Equip fire services to receive electronic plans
All fire and rescue services be equipped to receive and store electronic plans and to make them available to incident commanders and control room managers.
In February 2025, the Home Office reported that the National Fire Chiefs Council considered the recommendation complete, with every fire and rescue service in England equipped to receive and store electronic plans and share high-rise residential building risk data with control room managers and incident commanders (Home Office, Feb 2025). The department also recorded in February 2025 that London Fire Brigade treated the recommendation as complete, using an interim solution while procurement and outstanding requirements workstreams for its One Risk project continued (Home Office, Feb 2025).
Require monthly firefighter lift inspections
The owner and manager of every high-rise residential building be required by law to carry out regular inspections of any lifts that are designed to be used by firefighters in an emergency and to report the results of such inspections to their local fire and rescue service at monthly intervals.
The Home Office stated in February 2025 that the recommendation was complete, following the commencement of the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 in January 2023 (Home Office, Feb 2025). The department noted in the same February 2025 update that the regulations require the responsible person for a high-rise residential building to undertake monthly checks of firefighter lifts and report any fault taking longer than 24 hours to resolve to the local fire and rescue service (Home Office, Feb 2025). HM Government had previously accepted the recommendation in principle in January 2020 (Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government response, Jan 2020).
Require monthly lift control mechanism tests
The owner and manager of every high-rise residential building be required by law to carry out regular tests of the mechanism which allows firefighters to take control of the lifts and to inform their local fire and rescue service at monthly intervals that they have done so.
In February 2025, the Home Office reported that implementation of this recommendation was complete following the introduction of the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, which came into force in January 2023 (Home Office, Feb 2025). The department stated in February 2025 that under these regulations, the responsible person for a high-rise residential building must undertake monthly checks of lifts for use by firefighters and evacuation lifts, and electronically report any fault taking longer than 24 hours to fix to their local fire and rescue service (Home Office, Feb 2025).
LFB review control room communications policy
The LFB review its policies on communications between the control room and the incident commander.
The Inquiry recommended that the London Fire Brigade (LFB) review control room communications policies. In February 2025, the Home Office reported that the brigade considered the recommendation complete (Home Office, Feb 2025). The department stated that the brigade published a revised fire survival guidance policy in March 2021 following an extensive training programme for operational and control staff (Home Office, Feb 2025). This update describes enhancements to exchanging fire survival guidance information between control and the incident ground, while communications with the incident commander are not mentioned (Home Office, Feb 2025).
Train incident commanders on control room communications
All officers who may be expected to act as incident commanders (i.e. all those above the rank of Crew Manager) receive training directed to the specific requirements of communication with the control room.
The Home Office reported in February 2025 that the London Fire Brigade had completed this recommendation (Home Office, Feb 2025). The department stated that a revised policy on fire survival guidance was published in March 2021 and 95 percent of watch officers and senior officers had received face-to-face training (Home Office, Feb 2025). It added that this learning was being embedded through exercises involving residential high-rise fire scenarios (Home Office, Feb 2025).
Train control room operators on incident commander communications
All CROs of Assistant Operations Manager rank and above receive training directed to the specific requirements of communication with the incident commander.
The Inquiry recommended training senior control room operators on communicating with incident commanders. The Home Office stated in February 2025 that the London Fire Brigade (LFB) reported the recommendation had been completed (Home Office, Feb 2025). The department noted that all control staff had received training on a revised Fire Survival Guidance policy issued in March 2021 and were taking part in residential high-rise exercises to embed learning (Home Office, Feb 2025). That update did not mention training directed to communications with the incident commander or staff of Assistant Operations Manager rank (Home Office, Feb 2025).
Dedicated control room to incident commander link
A dedicated communication link be provided between the senior officer in the control room and the incident commander.
In February 2025, the Home Office reported that the London Fire Brigade considered this recommendation complete (Home Office, Feb 2025). The department stated in February 2025 that the brigade had published a revised fire survival guidance policy in March 2021, establishing procedures for a dedicated communication link between the control room and the bridgehead on the incident ground (Home Office, Feb 2025).
Distinguish between advice and rescue callers
The LFB's policies be amended to draw a clearer distinction between callers seeking advice and callers who believe they are trapped and need rescuing.
The Home Office reported in February 2025 that the London Fire Brigade considers this recommendation completed (Home Office, Feb 2025). According to the department, the brigade produced guidance to draw a clearer distinction between callers seeking advice and callers who believe they are trapped and need rescuing within Appendix 1 of Policy Number 790 on fire survival guidance (Home Office, Feb 2025). This guidance was published in March 2021 following a brigade-wide training programme (Home Office, Feb 2025).
Regular refresher training for control room operators
The LFB provide regular and more effective refresher training to CROs at all levels, including supervisors.
The Inquiry recommended regular, effective refresher training for control room staff. In February 2025, the Home Office reported that the London Fire Brigade considered the recommendation completed (Home Office, Feb 2025). The department stated that control staff began training on revised Policy Number 790 on Fire Survival Guidance in December 2020 (Home Office, Feb 2025). It added that maintenance of competency requirements was set out within the control element of the brigade's Development and Maintenance of Operational Professionalism (DaMOP) framework established in July 2020 (Home Office, Feb 2025).
Develop policies for handling multiple FSG calls
All fire and rescue services develop policies for handling a large number of FSG calls simultaneously.
The Inquiry asked fire services to create policies for handling multiple simultaneous survival guidance calls. In February 2025, the Home Office reported that all fire and rescue services in England had completed the recommendation, based on a survey by the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) (Home Office, Feb 2025). The department stated that services had reviewed their policies and training to manage multiple fire survival guidance calls, alongside adopting technological systems to share information simultaneously (Home Office, Feb 2025). It also recorded that London Fire Brigade (LFB) had completed the recommendation following the rollout of revised operational guidance and associated training (Home Office, Feb 2025).
Electronic FSG recording and display systems
Electronic systems be developed to record FSG information in the control room and display it simultaneously at the bridgehead and in any command units.
In February 2025, the Home Office reported that the recommendation was complete across fire and rescue services, relaying a National Fire Chiefs Council survey confirming that all 43 services in England had taken actions to effectively capture and share information, while the London Fire Brigade considered the measure complete following the launch of its application in March 2022 (Home Office, Feb 2025). Previously, in September 2024, the department had reported that Buckinghamshire and Royal Berkshire were the final two services completing assurance and testing of their new systems (Home Office, Sep 2024).
Develop stay put to evacuation transition policies
Policies be developed for managing a transition from 'stay put' to 'get out'.
In February 2025, the Home Office reported that action on the recommendation was complete across all fire and rescue services, citing a National Fire Chiefs Council survey confirming that every service in England had completed the necessary steps (Home Office, Feb 2025). The department also recorded that the London Fire Brigade had completed the recommendation, having published revised fire survival guidance and new evacuation and rescue policies in March 2021 and trained all operational and control staff (Home Office, Feb 2025).
Train control room staff on evacuation advice changes
Control room staff receive training directed specifically to handling such a change of advice and conveying it effectively to callers.
In February 2025, the Home Office reported that this recommendation had been completed across fire and rescue services (Home Office, Feb 2025). It recorded that a National Fire Chiefs Council survey found all 43 English services had completed the action, while the London Fire Brigade confirmed that training for control room staff was complete and embedded through exercises (Home Office, Feb 2025).
Investigate inter-control room information sharing
Steps be taken to investigate methods by which assisting control rooms can obtain access to the information available to the host control room.
Relaying assurances from the National Fire Chiefs Council, the Home Office reported in February 2025 that delivery across fire and rescue services was complete, with shared Airwave talk groups embedded across all 43 services (Home Office, Feb 2025). The department explained in the same February 2025 update that while the Multi Agency Incident Transfer electronic system was connected to 18 control rooms serving 26 services, ten further connections were anticipated by March 2025 and the final six would be connected "in slower time" due to local integration work (Home Office, Feb 2025).
LAS and MPS review FSG call protocols
The LAS and the MPS review their protocols and policies to ensure that their operators can identify FSG calls (as defined by the LFB) and pass them to the LFB as soon as possible.
The Inquiry asked ambulance and police services to review fire survival guidance call protocols. In February 2025, the Home Office reported that the London Ambulance Service (LAS) and the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) had reviewed their protocols to ensure calls are passed to the London Fire Brigade (LFB), which shared its revised policy and briefing note, and the department considered the recommendation complete (Home Office, Feb 2025). Earlier, in October 2019, Paul Woodrow OBE, Director of Operations at the ambulance service, stated that it welcomed the findings and accepted the recommendations relating to it (Paul Woodrow OBE, Oct 2019).
LFB improve deployment control policies
The LFB develop policies and training to ensure better control of deployments and the use of resources.
The Home Office reported in February 2025 that the London Fire Brigade had completed the recommendation through its revised High-Rise Firefighting policy introduced in June 2021 (Home Office, Feb 2025). The department noted in February 2025 that this policy included guidance on crew deployments and Fire Survival Guidance calls, and that initial training in the new procedures had concluded in March 2021 (Home Office, Feb 2025).
Improve crew debrief information systems
The LFB develop policies and training to ensure that better information is obtained from crews returning from deployments and that the information is recorded in a form that enables it to be made available immediately to the incident commander (and thereafter to the command units and the control room).
The Inquiry asked the London Fire Brigade to improve crew debriefing and information recording. In February 2025, the Home Office reported that the brigade considers the recommendation complete (Home Office, Feb 2025). The department stated that the brigade developed a structured briefing model to ensure information is consistently gathered and recorded during debriefings (Home Office, Feb 2025). It added that the model has been incorporated into incident command training as well as policies on high-rise firefighting, fire survival guidance, and evacuation (Home Office, Feb 2025). Making recorded information immediately available to command units and the control room is not mentioned in the update (Home Office, Feb 2025).
Direct control room to incident commander communications
The LFB develop a communication system to enable direct communication between the control room and the incident commander and improve the means of communication between the incident commander and the bridgehead.
In February 2025, the Home Office reported that the London Fire Brigade considered this recommendation complete through its revised Fire Survival Guidance policy (Home Office, Feb 2025). The department also recorded in February 2025 that the brigade had issued guidance on effective communication at incidents, altered radio channels to allow for dedicated command channels, and introduced drones to livestream information to Brigade Control (Home Office, Feb 2025).
Investigate modern control room to bridgehead communications
The LFB investigate the use of modern communication techniques to provide a direct line of communication between the control room and the bridgehead, allowing information to be transmitted directly between the control room and the bridgehead and providing an integrated system of recording FSG information and the results of deployments.
The Home Office reported in February 2025 that the London Fire Brigade considered this recommendation complete, having addressed it through the rollout of a Fire Survival Guidance application that went live in March 2022 (Home Office, Feb 2025). The department stated that the application enables information from fire survival guidance calls to be displayed simultaneously at an incident and in the control room (Home Office, Feb 2025). An earlier update in February 2024 noted that the introduction of the application had previously faced technical delays before those issues were resolved (Home Office, Feb 2024).
Equipment for BA communication in high-rise buildings
The LFB urgently take steps to obtain equipment that enables firefighters wearing helmets and breathing apparatus to communicate with the bridgehead effectively, including when operating in high-rise buildings.
In February 2025, the Home Office reported that the recommendation was complete, stating that the London Fire Brigade launched new breathing apparatus sets on 11 March 2024 featuring integrated mask communications and higher power radios to improve contact between wearers and the bridgehead (Home Office, Feb 2025). The department had previously reported in February 2024 that the rollout had been delayed from January 2024 to resolve equipment quality assurance issues with the supplier and allow additional time for training (Home Office, Feb 2024).
Command support system operational on all units
Urgent steps be taken to ensure that the command support system is fully operative on all command units and that crews are trained in its use.
The Home Office stated in February 2025 that the London Fire Brigade had completed the recommendation (Home Office, Feb 2025). The department explained in February 2025 that new hardware servers and 4G connectivity had been installed across all command units, two 4G-enabled laptops had been supplied to each unit to provide resilience, and all command unit staff had completed refresher training (Home Office, Feb 2025).
National guidelines for high-rise evacuations
The government develop national guidelines for carrying out partial or total evacuations of high-rise residential buildings, such guidelines to include the means of protecting fire exit routes and procedures for evacuating persons who are unable to use the stairs in an emergency, or who may require assistance (such as disabled people, older people and young children).
The Home Office reported in February 2025 that action on this recommendation was complete, stating that evacuation guidelines for the Fire and Rescue Service were published in February 2024 (Home Office, Feb 2025). The department noted in the same February 2025 update that these guidelines drew on four research projects undertaken with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, covering operational research, human behaviour, building design, and a rapid evidence review (Home Office, Feb 2025).
Fire services develop evacuation policies and training
Fire and rescue services develop policies for partial and total evacuation of high-rise residential buildings and training to support them.
In February 2025, the Home Office reported that this recommendation had been completed across England (Home Office, Feb 2025). The department stated in the same February 2025 update that a survey by the National Fire Chiefs Council confirmed every service had completed the necessary action on evacuation policies and training (Home Office, Feb 2025). It also recorded in February 2025 that the London Fire Brigade had completed the recommendation after establishing its evacuation and rescue policy and training all operational personnel (Home Office, Feb 2025).
Require evacuation plans for high-rise buildings
The owner and manager of every high-rise residential building be required by law to draw up and keep under regular review evacuation plans, copies of which are to be provided in electronic and paper form to their local fire and rescue service and placed in an information box on the premises.
The Inquiry recommended legally requiring high-rise residential building owners to maintain and share evacuation plans. In September 2026, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government stated that the recommendation was complete and fully discharged (Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Sep 2026). In February 2026, the department reported that regulations laid in July 2025 mandate Residential Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs) and require sharing vulnerable residents' information with fire and rescue services (Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Feb 2026). While its updates described these provisions for vulnerable residents, placing evacuation plans in on-premises information boxes is not mentioned in the sources (Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Feb 2026; Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Sep 2026).
Require evacuation alarm systems in high-rise buildings
All high-rise residential buildings (both those already in existence and those built in the future) be equipped with facilities for use by the fire and rescue services enabling them to send an evacuation signal to the whole or a selected part of the building by means of sounders or similar devices.
In February 2025, the Home Office reported this recommendation as complete, stating that statutory guidance now requires evacuation alert systems in all new residential blocks over 18 metres (Home Office, Feb 2025). The department explained that limited evidence on system effectiveness was not sufficient to justify mandating retrofits for existing high-rise residential buildings at that time (Home Office, Feb 2025). It also noted that fire and rescue services had completed policies and training for high-rise evacuations alongside broader fire safety improvements (Home Office, Feb 2025).
Require personal emergency evacuation plans (PEEPs)
The owner and manager of every high-rise residential building be required by law to prepare personal emergency evacuation plans (PEEPs) for all residents whose ability to self-evacuate may be compromised (such as persons with reduced mobility or cognition).
The Inquiry recommended legally requiring high-rise building owners to prepare personal emergency evacuation plans. In September 2026, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government reported that the majority of its Residential Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs) policy came into force in April 2026 (Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Sep 2026; Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Sep 2026). The department stated that the recommendation remains open because mandating person-centred fire risk assessments within individual flats requires primary legislation (Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Sep 2026). It scheduled the introduction of this legislation for 2027 when Parliamentary time allows (Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Sep 2026).
Require PEEP information in premises information box
The owner and manager of every high-rise residential building be required by law to include up-to-date information about persons with reduced mobility and their associated PEEPs in the premises information box.
The Inquiry recommended legally requiring personal evacuation plans in high-rise premises information boxes. In September 2026, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government reported that the recommendation is complete and "fully discharged" (Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Sep 2026). In February 2026, the department stated that regulations laid in July 2025 mandated Residential Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs) and required sharing information with fire and rescue services, though premises information boxes were not mentioned (Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Feb 2026). Earlier, the Home Office had reported in February 2025 that new secondary legislation would mandate building evacuation plans alongside personal plans after successive public consultations (Chris Philp, Mar 2024; Home Office, Feb 2025).
Equip fire services with smoke hoods
All fire and rescue services be equipped with smoke hoods to assist in the evacuation of occupants through smoke-filled exit routes.
The Home Office reported in February 2025 that the recommendation was complete for both the London Fire Brigade and fire and rescue services across England (Home Office, Feb 2025). It relayed that an August 2022 National Fire Chiefs Council survey found all 43 responding services had acquired smoke hoods, made them operationally available, and trained staff, while the brigade reported introducing smoke hoods across all front-line appliances in November 2018 (Home Office, Feb 2025).
Require clear floor number markings in high-rise buildings
In all high-rise buildings floor numbers be clearly marked on each landing within the stairways and in a prominent place in all lobbies in such a way as to be visible both in normal conditions and in low lighting or smoky conditions.
The Home Office reported in February 2025 that implementation of this recommendation was complete (Home Office, Feb 2025). The department stated in February 2025 that under the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, which came into force in January 2023, responsible persons for high-rise residential buildings must install wayfinding signage on stairway landings and lift lobbies visible in low light or when illuminated with a torch, in line with guidance amendments published in November 2020 (Home Office, Feb 2025).
Require understandable fire safety instructions
The owner and manager of every residential building containing separate dwellings (whether or not it is a high-rise building) be required by law to provide fire safety instructions (including instructions for evacuation) in a form that the occupants of the building can reasonably be expected to understand, taking into account the nature of the building and their knowledge of the occupants.
The Home Office reported in February 2025 that this recommendation was complete, following the introduction of statutory requirements for comprehensible fire safety instructions (Home Office, Feb 2025). The department stated in February 2025 that the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 came into force in January 2023 to mandate annual, comprehensible instructions for multi-occupied residential buildings, alongside provisions under Section 156 of the Building Safety Act 2022 that took effect in October 2023 (Home Office, Feb 2025).
Urgent fire door inspections required
The owner and manager of every residential building containing separate dwellings (whether or not they are high-rise buildings) carry out an urgent inspection of all fire doors to ensure that they comply with applicable legislative standards.
The Home Office reported in February 2025 that the recommendation was complete following legislative changes (Home Office, Feb 2025). It stated that under the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, responsible persons for multi-occupied residential buildings of 11 metres and above must conduct quarterly checks on fire doors in common parts and annual checks on flat entrance doors (Home Office, Feb 2025). The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government had previously issued advice in January 2020 recommending routine inspections of all fire doors by qualified professionals (Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government response, Jan 2020).
Require quarterly fire door checks
The owner and manager of every residential building containing separate dwellings (whether or not they are high-rise buildings) be required by law to carry out checks at not less than three-monthly intervals to ensure that all fire doors are fitted with effective self-closing devices in working order.
The Home Office stated in February 2025 that implementation was complete, reporting that under regulations in force since January 2023, responsible persons for multi-occupied residential buildings 11 metres and above must carry out quarterly checks on fire doors in common parts and annual checks on flat entrance doors on a best endeavour basis (Home Office, Feb 2025). The department had previously explained in May 2022 that annual rather than quarterly checks were adopted for flat entrance doors because consultation feedback showed guaranteed access to individual flats was unrealistic (Home Office, May 2022).
Require compliant flat entrance doors where unsafe cladding exists
All those who have responsibility in whatever capacity for the condition of the entrance doors to individual flats in high-rise residential buildings, whose external walls incorporate unsafe cladding, be required by law to ensure that such doors comply with current standards.
The Home Office reported in February 2025 that action on the recommendation was complete, explaining that the Fire Safety Act 2021 clarified that duties under the Fire Safety Order cover flat entrance doors and external walls, and that regulations in force since January 2023 require annual door checks in buildings over 11 metres on a best endeavour basis (Home Office, Feb 2025). HM Government had previously accepted the recommendation in principle in January 2020, setting out plans to legislate so that building managers must assess and mitigate fire safety risks from flat entrance doors (Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government response, Jan 2020).
Communicate Major Incident declarations to all responders
Each emergency service must communicate the declaration of a Major Incident to all other Category 1 Responders as soon as possible.
In February 2025, the Home Office reported the recommendation as complete, stating that its requirements were incorporated into the Joint Emergency Services Interoperability Principles Joint Doctrine published in October 2021 (Home Office, Feb 2025). The department added that the revised London Emergency Services Liaison Panel Major Incidents Procedures Manual was published in November 2021, while London Fire Brigade remained in the process of revising its Major Incident Policy to include informing other category 1 responders (Home Office, Feb 2025).
Establish inter-service control room communications
On the declaration of a Major Incident clear lines of communication must be established as soon as possible between the control rooms of the individual emergency services.
In February 2025, the Home Office reported this recommendation as "complete", stating that provisions for inter-service communication were incorporated into the revised JESIP Joint Doctrine published in October 2021 (Home Office, Feb 2025). The department also noted in February 2025 that London's revised Major Incidents Procedures Manual was published in November 2021, while the London Fire Brigade was in the process of revising its Major Incident Policy to activate tri-service calls (Home Office, Feb 2025).
Designate single point of contact in control rooms
A single point of contact should be designated within each control room to facilitate such communication.
In February 2025, the Home Office reported that action on this recommendation was complete, explaining that requirements were incorporated into the revised Joint Emergency Services Interoperability Principles Joint Doctrine published in October 2021 (Home Office, Feb 2025). In the same February 2025 update, the department noted that the London Emergency Services Liaison Panel had published an updated Major Incidents Procedures Manual in November 2021, while London Fire Brigade remained in the process of revising its Major Incident Policy (Home Office, Feb 2025).
Use METHANE messages for Major Incidents
A “METHANE” message should be sent as soon as possible by the emergency service declaring a Major Incident.
The Inquiry recommended sending a METHANE message promptly when declaring a Major Incident. In February 2025, the Home Office reported that the recommendation was complete, noting that relevant provisions were incorporated into the Joint Emergency Services Interoperability Principles (JESIP) Joint Doctrine in October 2021 (Home Office, Feb 2025). The department added that London emergency services published a revised procedures manual addressing the issues in November 2021 (Home Office, Feb 2025). It also stated that London Fire Brigade was in the process of revising its Major Incident Policy to reinforce METHANE messaging (Home Office, Feb 2025).
Investigate LFB-MPS-LAS system compatibility
Steps be taken to investigate the compatibility of the LFB systems with those of the MPS and the LAS with a view to enabling all three emergency services' systems to read each other's messages.
The Home Office reported in February 2025 that the London Fire Brigade had closed off the recommendation as complete after fully investigating the compatibility of its systems with the Metropolitan Police Service and London Ambulance Service (Home Office, Feb 2025). It stated that the brigade's mobilising system was Multi Agency Incident Transfer enabled, while noting that the brigade had committed to continuing work with partner services to deliver full capability (Home Office, Feb 2025).
NPAS helicopter datalink encryption standards
Steps be taken to ensure that the airborne datalink system on every NPAS helicopter observing an incident which involves one of the other emergency services defaults to the National Emergency Service user encryption.
In February 2025, the Home Office reported the recommendation as complete, stating that the National Police Air Service had mandated refresher training across 43 police forces and that software upgrades enabling airborne data link systems to automatically default to National Emergency Services user encryption had been completed for all operational aircraft (Home Office, Feb 2025). HM Government had previously stated in January 2020 that aircraft were being manually configured at the start of each shift while an automated technology solution was developed (Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government response, Jan 2020).
Improve survivor information collection and sharing
The LFB, the MPS, the LAS and the London local authorities all investigate ways of improving the collection of information about survivors and making it available more rapidly to those wishing to make contact with them.
The Home Office reported in February 2025 that this recommendation was complete, relaying progress from London's emergency services (Home Office, Feb 2025). The department noted in that February 2025 update that procedures for improving survivor information collection and sharing had been incorporated into London's Major Incidents Procedures Manual by the London Emergency Services Liaison Panel and the Humanitarian Assistance Working Group, with the revised manual published in November 2021 (Home Office, Feb 2025).