London faces a range of new threats and hazards, and we are constantly developing plans to ensure that we are always prepared and resourced to provide whatever response is required.
In recent years, we have made substantial investment, supported by the government and the Mayor of London, in additional vehicles, equipment and training for our firefighters to manage major incidents.
We have improved our capacity to deal with the consequences of terrorist attacks, extreme weather conditions and other large scale emergencies. Our firefighters are trained to quickly identify and deal with hazardous materials, or carry out complex rescues involving people, fire, wreckage or debris.
A wide range of new vehicles and equipment has already been introduced with more coming into service. These have included specialist urban search and rescue teams, scientific support units, major lighting units, and high volume pumping units to remove large quantities of water.
If necessary, we can undertake the mass decontamination of people who have been exposed to chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear (CBRN) substances.
Planning our response to new threats and hazards, and giving necessary specialist training to our staff has been and will continue to be a priority.
