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Climate Change and the Fire Service
Overview
• What is driving Climate Change
• Why is it important for us to know
• What are its impacts globally
• What are its impacts on UK FRS’s
• What are UK FRS’s Doing:• To help others
• To help ourselves
• What Does the Future Hold
Why is it Important to Know?
CARBON LITERACY
“An awareness of the carbon costs and impacts of everyday activities
and the ability and motivation to reduce emissions,
on an individual, community and organisational basis.”
Greenhouse Gases – CO2e
CO2
Methane
Nitrous Oxide
Refrigerant Gases
25 x 298 x 10,000+ x
Potency = Global Warming Potential
Greenhouse Gas Sources
How is the Climate Changing?
Historic Carbon Dioxide Levels
Historic Methane Levels
Sea Level Change
Temperature Changes
Leading to More Extreme Weather
Global Impacts of Climate Change
• Increase in Wildfires
• Sea Level Rises
• Increased Flooding
• Drought, Crop Decline
• Food Shortages
• Loss of Biodiversity
• Increase in Conflict
• Increase in MigrationAustralia, 2019-2020
Climate Headlines
Temperature Increase Scenarios
UK Extreme Weather 1946-2020
• Coastal Floods: 1953, 1978 (post-2000) 2013
• Inland Floods: 1952, 1998 (post-2000) 2000, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2013/14, 2015/16, 2019, 2020
• Cold: 1946/47, 1962/63, 1990/91 (post-2000) 2009/10, 2010/11, 2018
• Wind: 1968, 1976, 1987, 1990 (post-2000) 2005, 2006, 2007, 2013, 2017, 2019
• Heat: 1955, 1974-76 (post-2000) 2003, 2013, 2018
• Dust: 1968
Activity: Climate Change Risks
How you get to and from work?
How the changing climate could affect workplaces?
What resources we may need?
How may communities be impacted and the impact this has on us?
Climate Change Impacts on the Emergency Services
What Are We Doing to Help Others
• Emergency Response:• Fire, Flood, RTC’s
•Dangerous structures, rescues, hazardous materials (including electric vehicles)
•Adapting to emerging technologies (EV, solar, building construction)
What Are We Doing to Help Others
• Fire Prevention & Protection:• Focused on incidents starting in (and contained within)
homes and businesses
• Safety messages on avoiding wildfires
• Flood Mitigation:• Starting to offer advice, support & welfare as part of
multi-agency response arrangements, clear up & recovery
• Humanitarian Services:• Animal Rescues, Gaining Entry
What Are We Doing to Help Ourselves
Greening of Buildings Greening of Fleet
BREEAM / Asset Rationalisation Electric / Hybrid Vehicles
Solar / Photo-VoltaicFleet SMART Monitoring / Fuel
Reduction
Grey Water / Ground-Source Heat Clean Air Zones
ISO 14001 (Environmental Management) Zero-Emission Fire Appliance Project
Utilities SMART Monitoring / Reduction Appliance Innovation (e.g. Compacts)
Green Electricity & Gas (Biomethane) Hydrogen?
What Are We Doing to Help Ourselves
Behavioural Change Procurement
Carbon Literacy Sustainability & Ethical Sourcing Criteria
Green Action Whole-Life Cycle Assessment
Waste Reduction / Single Use Plastics Recycling of Products
Staff Transport Schemes Contract Performance Measures
Food / Diet Choices Consumables Criteria (e.g. fuel usage)
Declaring a Climate Emergency…
What Does the Future Hold?
What Could That Mean for FRS’s?
•More severe and more frequent weather-related incidents
• Longer durations of both emergency and recovery phases
•More impacts on property & assets
•More impacts on health & wellbeing of responders
•Need for different skills and equipment
Being Part of The Bigger Picture
- Our Values
- Influence/Impact in the Public Sector
- Duty/ Ethics
- Political & Social Priority
- Government & Sectoral targets
- Financial Savings
- Leadership
