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The first duty of government is to protect its people. The emergency services are at the forefront of this role. The bomb attacks in London on 7 July 2005 showed just how important this role is as well as the need for effective planning in how to respond to the growing range of threats we now face.
The events of 11 September 2001, as well as other non-terrorist crises – including the outbreak of foot and mouth disease in the same year – prompted the Government to review the UK’s ability to detect, prevent and respond to major emergencies.
The New Dimension programme is one part of the DCLG’s contribution to the Government’s Civil Contingencies Capabilities Programme. Its aim is to enhance the country’s preparedness and resilience by improving the capability of the Fire and Rescue Service (FRS) to respond to major and catastrophic incidents. The programme also has the secondary benefit of supporting the FRS in delivering day-to-day business improvements, including new responsibilities arising from the draft Fire Services Order. The geographic scope of the programme is England and Wales.
The New Dimension programme will provide an organisational capability and structure to enable the delivery of a co-ordinated national response to a range of catastrophic incidents, such that the FRS, in conjunction with others, is able to minimise the loss of life and injury and to reduce the physical, environmental, and financial effects of consequential loss and collateral damage.
The programme will deliver six distinct capabilities, each of which defines a variety of deliverables that together will result in the achievement of the programme’s outcomes.
The capabilities are:
• Mass Decontamination
• Urban Search and Rescue
• Water
• Command and Control
• Operational Logistics and Support
• Long Term Capability Management
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