Recommendation P1-16: Develop policies for handling multiple FSG calls
From Grenfell Tower Inquiry: Phase 1 Report, published 30 October 2019.
Recommendation
All fire and rescue services develop policies for handling a large number of FSG calls simultaneously.
In brief (written by this site)
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).
Sources
AI-generated summary of the record on this page, checked by a second model and automatic checks, 19 Oct 2026. The record below is the sources' own words.
About this summary
This recommendation applies across many organisations. The record reflects central policy activity; adoption in individual organisations may vary.
Government response
The government accepted in principle all the Phase 1 recommendations directed at central government. The Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick presented the formal response to Parliament on 21 January 2020, committing to swift and decisive action including new duties on building owners and managers to provide information to fire and rescue services, install premises information boxes, conduct regular inspections of lifts and fire doors, and equip buildings with evacuation signal facilities. The government stated it had already taken action in advance of the report and was actively looking beyond the remit of these recommendations.
Delivery
Home Office says completed (26 February 2025)
Status for fire and rescue: complete
National Operational Guidance for Fire Survival Guidance calls was published in July 2021.
New technological solutions allow fire control rooms to share information about risk critical information, including fire survival guidance calls, simultaneously. All services now have access to this system.
The NFCC has surveyed all fire and rescue services (with the exception of the LFB) in England about their progress against recommendation 33.15c.
All services have reported that they have completed this recommendation through reviewing training and policy and completing the necessary actions to manage multiple fire survival guidance calls.
Status for London Fire Brigade
The LFB has reported that recommendation 33.15c has been completed.
The training for the revised Policy Number 790 (Fire Survival Guidance) and the Broadcast National Talk Group has been completed. Policy Number 790 was published on the 31 March 2021 and the Broadcast National Talk Group went live in February 2021.
The Brigade’s Fire Survival Guidance (FSG) Policy has been shared as national learning and support a new project to establish National Operational Guidance (including FSG) for Control rooms. This guidance also includes the use of a National Talk Group for sharing risk critical information.
From: Progress against the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 recommendations, February 2025
Site note: This is the Home Office's thematic update on progress against the Phase 1 recommendations. Its introduction says it includes updates from the relevant government departments and assurances received from the National Fire Chiefs Council, London Fire Brigade and other emergency services on their progress. The status line and the passage are the Home Office's compilation of what those bodies reported to it; where the passage gives a status for fire and rescue services and a separate one for London Fire Brigade, both are shown as printed.
Earlier statements on delivery (2)
Home Office (16 September 2024)
Status for fire and rescue services: Complete
National Operational Guidance for Fire Survival Guidance calls was published in July 2021.
New technological solutions allow fire control rooms to share information about risk critical information, including fire survival guidance calls, simultaneously. All services now have access to this system.
The NFCC has surveyed all fire and rescue services (with the exception of the LFB) in England about their progress against recommendation 33.15c.
All services have reported that they have completed this recommendation through reviewing training and policy and completing the necessary actions to manage multiple fire survival guidance calls.
Status for London Fire Brigade: Complete
The LFB has reported that recommendation 33.15c has been completed.
The training for the revised Policy Number 790 (Fire Survival Guidance) and the Broadcast National Talk Group has been completed. Policy Number 790 was published on the 31 March 2021 and the Broadcast National Talk Group went live in February 2021.
The Brigade’s Fire Survival Guidance (FSG) Policy has been shared as national learning and support a new project to establish National Operational Guidance (including FSG) for Control rooms. This guidance also includes the use of a National Talk Group for sharing risk critical information.
From: Progress against the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 recommendations, September 2024
Site note: This is the Home Office's thematic update on progress against the Phase 1 recommendations. Its introduction says it includes updates from the relevant government departments and assurances received from the National Fire Chiefs Council, London Fire Brigade and other emergency services on their progress. The status line and the passage are the Home Office's compilation of what those bodies reported to it; where the passage gives a status for fire and rescue services and a separate one for London Fire Brigade, both are shown as printed.
Home Office (5 February 2024)
Status for fire and rescue services: In progress
National Operational Guidance for Fire Survival Guidance calls was published in July 2021.
The Government and the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) collaborated to produce technological solutions to allow fire control rooms to share information about risk critical information, including fire survival guidance calls, simultaneously. All services now have access to this system.
In October 2023, the NFCC surveyed all fire and rescue services (with the exception of the LFB) in England about their progress against recommendation 33.15c:
95% of services (41 services) reported they have completed this recommendation through reviewing training and policy and completing the necessary actions to manage multiple fire survival guidance calls. This represents a 2 increase from the previous NFCC survey completed in March 2023.
The remaining 5% (two services) have reviewed and updated their policies. Furthermore, training has been completed but still requires assessment before this recommendation can be marked as complete.
Status for London Fire Brigade: Complete
The LFB has reported that recommendation 33.15c has been completed.
The training for the revised Policy Number 790 (Fire Survival Guidance) and the Broadcast National Talk Group has been completed. Policy Number 790 was published on the 31 March 2021 and the Broadcast National Talk Group went live in February 2021.
The Brigade’s Fire Survival Guidance (FSG) Policy has been shared as national learning and support a new project to establish National Operational Guidance (including FSG) for Control rooms. This guidance also includes the use of a National Talk Group for sharing risk critical information.
From: Progress against the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 recommendations, February 2024
Site note: This is the Home Office's thematic update on progress against the Phase 1 recommendations. Its introduction says it includes updates from the relevant government departments and assurances received from the National Fire Chiefs Council, London Fire Brigade and other emergency services on their progress. The status line and the passage are the Home Office's compilation of what those bodies reported to it; where the passage gives a status for fire and rescue services and a separate one for London Fire Brigade, both are shown as printed.
Responsible bodies
Themes and tags
Who has spoken
- UK Government
Response - Home Office
Delivery statement