As one of the largest fire and rescue services globally, the London Fire Brigade is a key part of the history and DNA of the UK capital. We speak to Jonathan Smith, Deputy Commissioner for Operational Preparedness and Response, to learn more about the Brigade’s efforts towards a safe and prepared future.
TRUSTED TO SERVE AND PROTECT LONDON
With the aim to make London the safest global city with a world-class emergency service, the London Fire Brigade (LFB) is proud to be one of the world’s oldest and largest fire and rescue services.
Protecting a region as large and diverse as Greater London, which encompasses 1,587 square kilometres (sqkm), is no simple task, necessitating only the most advanced and proactive team of firefighters, control staff, and professionals to ensure the safety of so many people and properties.
“Within the Greater London region, you have anywhere between nine and 10 million residents,” notes Jonathan Smith, Deputy Commissioner for Operational Preparedness and Response.
“For context, Scotland has a population of five million, so the urban density we deal with is arguably the most challenging in the entire UK.”
The Brigade boasts 102 land-based fire stations, a riverboat station with two state-of-the-art boats that deploy into the River Thames, over 140 pumping appliances, and approximately 5,000 firefighters, officers, and control staff, making it – by any metric – a globally significant fire and rescue service.
To support this vast area, the organisational structure of LFB is divided into three sections of staff – operational (firefighters), control (999 call handlers), and professional departments such as legal, procurement, and IT.
Jonathan, now in his 26th year in the fire and rescue service, began his career in Norwich, UK, after graduating from university and seeking a long-term career path that would provide fulfilment and the ability to make a difference.
“I fell into the service almost by accident. Someone suggested I look into fire and rescue, and once I did, I found that it immediately appealed to me and would challenge me both physically and mentally whilst allowing me to help the public in a meaningful way,” he insights.
After serving in Norwich for eight years, he moved back to the Southeast (Hertfordshire) before moving to the LFB in 2019, where his career has focused on control and mobilising, operational resilience, and oversight of the Brigade’s 103 fire stations.
“Since 2022, I’ve been in my current position as Deputy Commissioner for Operational Preparedness and Response, overseeing all of our blue light functions within the LFB along with operational training.”
WORLD-CLASS FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICES
Having served in the industry for over two decades, Jonathan has witnessed it change considerably over the course of his career, with it now being more complicated and nuanced than ever before.
“When I joined, the role was challenging but straightforward. We knew what we were there to do,” he details.
“If you look at today’s reality, especially in a global city like London where risk continues to evolve at an unprecedented pace, it is a significant challenge for any emergency service to keep up with.”
Specifically, in 2022, firefighters found themselves facing conditions never seen before, such as operating in temperatures of up to 40 degrees Celsius as they tackled the most significant wildfires London had ever seen. This highlighted the Brigade’s need to ensure its training, technology, policy, procedures, and equipment were keeping pace with the challenges presented by climate change.
Of equal importance to a modern-day fire and rescue service is its culture.
The LFB conducted a culture review, which told a story about the organisation and workforce, highlighting a need for reform.
“Not everyone was able to come to work and be their best selves, and we’ve been working incredibly hard over the past few years to address those challenges.
“Everyone is committed to changing for the better because you can’t evolve and develop as an organisation if you don’t continue to improve the culture,” expands Jonathan.
This cultural shift is evident through the Brigade’s six values of service, integrity, teamwork, equity, courage, and learning. These were very much driven by colleagues within the LFB and have been integrated into the strategies, plans, and ambitions the Brigade has moving forwards. It was really important that the values were not seen as simply a set of words but were helping to drive transformational change throughout every aspect of the Brigade.
These values and goals point to the Brigade’s overarching mission to ensure that when Londoners dial 999, they are connected to a world-class, 21st-century fire and rescue service.
It’s not just about emergency response either – it’s about protecting and preventing incidents from happening in the first place and working collaboratively alongside local communities to face challenges with confidence and teamwork.
“We are focusing on using the latest technology and investing in operational training, kit, and equipment to keep firefighters upskilled to deal with wildfires, high-rise fires, acts of terrorism, and fire hazards in new technologies such as lithium-ion batteries and e-bikes,” details Jonathan.
FIREFIGHTING IN THE 21st CENTURY
To tackle the modern-day challenges the LFB faces daily, it has invested in modern firefighting – one of its biggest endeavours to date and a direct response to the learnings from the Grenfell Tower fire.
The tragic structural fire that occurred in 2017 was the deadliest in the UK since the Second World War and prompted an overhaul of operational response arrangements and how the LFB and other emergency services delivered firefighting and control room operations.
“We did a huge amount of work and delivered our Control Improvement Plan, which was a five-year investment into the control room to capture specific areas around high-rise firefighting, fire survival guidance, mass evacuation, and incident command,” details Jonathan.
Additionally, the Brigade implemented License to Operate to further support operational staff in remaining competent and safe across all areas of operations, especially incident command and emergency driving.
These changes and investments in operational training were put into place to ensure the LFB is able to deliver services in the best and most professional manner possible.
“We know the Grenfell Tower fire showed systemic issues within the LFB that we needed to address. We’ve been doing that ever since and have delivered against all the Phase 1 recommendations levelled specifically at the LFB.
“Our improvement has been recognised, which we are very proud of. However, we are not complacent and know that we must continue to improve as a fire and rescue service.”
The continuous improvement of the Brigade is why it is investing in modern firefighting with a focus on tactical ventilation, fire behaviour training, and dealing with emerging technologies.
“Everything is going into this strategy to ensure the LFB is prepared for all of the challenges of the 21st century,” states Jonathan.
“It’s a huge privilege and responsibility to be part of the most diverse and global city in the UK. We at THE LFB are proud to be a part of London’s history and DNA”
Jonathan Smith, Deputy Commissioner for Operational Preparedness and Response, London Fire Brigade
CREATING A SAFER, MORE PREPARED LONDON
As the LFB looks at the future of London in relation to climate change, it is prioritising sustainability initiatives and efforts.
“We are putting our shoulder to the wheel regarding this issue and are a part of the Mayor of London’s commitment to net zero and improving air quality,” insights Jonathan.
“As one of the anchor institutions within the GLA, we have a key role to play here.”
In 2023, the Sustainable Development Strategy was published and includes initiatives such as decarbonising fire stations, electrifying the fleet, and reducing the total amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) produced.
One innovative development the LFB has implemented is the use of hydrotreated vegetable oil to replace diesel in the Brigade’s fleet in an effort to reduce CO2 emissions from pumping appliances.
Pivotal lessons were learned from events like the COVID-19 pandemic, where the LFB served as a key component to the city’s resilience against the virus, helping to establish vaccine centres and working with health services to assist Londoners.
Such unprecedented events force the Brigade to ensure it is able to respond to emerging challenges using forward-thinking skills and predict where the next big challenge will come from in order to be ready on the frontline.
“This focus, along with the cultural changes we are introducing, are two sides of the same coin. You can’t do one without the other, and it is crucial that we enact these for a better, safer future across the Greater London region,” concludes Jonathan.
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