P2-35 Response Accepted

Consider higher power radios for breathing apparatus

Recommendation

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. (113.59)

Published Evidence Summary
The following publicly available evidence relates to this recommendation:
- NFCC accepted this recommendation on behalf of all fire and rescue services in February 2025, stating it is surveying services on current BA radio arrangements (Government Response to Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2 Report, MHCLG, February 2025).
- The government's annual report stated NFCC developed assurance workshops, with six services completed and ten scheduled with a completion target of Autumn 2026 (Annual Report on Progress, MHCLG, February 2026).
- LFB has completed its digital radio deployment (Annual Report on Progress, MHCLG, February 2026).
How was this evidence gathered?
Evidence searched by Claude (Anthropic) on 10 Apr 2026
Checked data held on this site (government responses, progress updates, independent evidence)
This recommendation applies across many organisations. The evidence above reflects central policy activity; adoption in individual organisations may vary.
Jurisdiction
England
Response
Accepted
Accepted NFCC Initial Response
26 Feb 2025

The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) accepts this recommendation on behalf of all fire and rescue services. NFCC is surveying fire and rescue services to understand what arrangements are currently in place at a local level and what national support could be put in place to support services to meet this recommendation. The NFCC will produce a delivery plan by the end of April 2025 to set out what actions it will take as a result.

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Accepted National Fire Chiefs Council Follow-up
26 Feb 2025

The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) accepts this recommendation on behalf of all fire and rescue services. NFCC is surveying fire and rescue services to understand what arrangements are currently in place at a local level and what national support could be put in place to support services to meet this recommendation. The NFCC will produce a delivery plan by the end of April 2025 to set out what actions it will take as a result.

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Progress Timeline
Official Report
01 Feb 2026

NFCC developed assurance workshops; six services completed, ten scheduled with completion target Autumn 2026. Learning case report compiled. LFB completed dual function radio rollout with training; four e-learning modules exceed 90% completion.

Source
Report Grenfell Tower Inquiry: Phase 2 Report 04 Sep 2024
Responsible Bodies
National Fire Chiefs Council Primary
Recommendation age 1.7 yrs
Last formal update 01 Feb 2026