Stuart Anderson MP has urged Ministers to bolster fire service water capability and preparedness - including by launching a consultation on plans to establish a statutory duty for fire services to respond to flooding.
It comes as the Met Office warns that the recent warm weather, which put the UK on track to having its warmest summer on record, has been replaced with more unsettled and changeable weather.
Unlike counterparts in devolved administrations across Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, water and flood rescue capability is not a statutory function of fire services in England so do not attract government funding for these activities.
Despite this situation, Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service has reported that it is experiencing an increase in calls for water related assets to respond to incidents ranging from flooding to people in crisis.
Each year, it costs Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service more than £95,000 to provide specialist capability such as water rescue. However, government grant funding contributes only £3,000 towards the costs.
Subsequently, Stuart has called on the government to take urgent action and consult on introducing a statutory duty for fire services in England to respond to flooding incidents.
Stuart has also said that the move would not only clarify the role of fire services in flood response and recovery, but ensure that they receive the funding and resources to effectively carry out these duties.
It comes as the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) reports that changes to council tax could cut £102 million from frontline services over the next three years, causing an estimated 2,300 job losses.
Stuart has added that fire services in rural areas like South Shropshire face unique challenges in responding to flooding incidents. This includes limited resources, including fewer personnel and equipment.
It is part of Stuart's wider campaign to secure better funding for rural fire services, following his visit to Church Stretton Fire Station earlier in the year. Following his visit, he called for an uplift in funding.
As part of its Flooding Resilience Taskforce launched in September 2024, the government has told Stuart that it is working to understand gaps in the flooding response and resilience system.
Stuart Anderson MP said:
"Flooding is a growing concern for our communities, particularly in rural areas like South Shropshire. Unlike other parts of the country, water and flood rescue capability is not a statutory function of fire services in England. So, they do not receive government funding for these vital activities. Subsequently, I have urged Ministers to bolster fire service water capability and preparedness - including by launching a consultation to establish a statutory duty to respond to flooding. This move would ensure that our local communities receive the support they need to respond to and recover from these events."
In a statement on its website, National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) Chair Phil Garrigan, said:
“Fire and rescue services cannot continue to be expected to deliver more with less. We are already seeing demand rising, risks evolving, and our remit expanding – from tackling the effects of climate change to responding to increased blue light collaboration – all while firefighter numbers have fallen sharply. A failure to recognise these burdens and to forge ahead with the funding proposals as they stand would be incomprehensible."
