Overview

Flooding can occur suddenly, such as when damage is caused to water infrastructure (reservoirs, drains etc), or over long periods of time, such as during periods of heavy rain. It may also be caused due to a loss of containment and release of water, or coastal flooding by sea water caused by bad weather, high tides and coastal surges.

Seeing flood waters rise and enter your home or business is very distressing. In the event of major flooding, we work closely with other agencies to deliver a coordinated response.

As a fire service our operational priority is to protect life and our resources will always be focused on making sure people are safe.

What can you do to be prepared for flooding?

  • keep up to date with the latest flood risk situation – call Floodline on 0345 988 1188 or follow @EnvAgency and #floodaware on X for the latest flood updates.
  • Make a list of useful numbers such as your insurance company, council and Floodline.
  • Make sure you know how to turn off the gas and electricity supply and ensure if your home does start to flood you switch them off.
  • Move people, pets, valuable items upstairs or in a high place downstairs.
  • If possible, move electrical equipment upstairs.
  • Think about moving your car to higher ground if possible.
  • Block doorways, air bricks and cellar vents with bricks or a sandbag.
  • Prepare a flood kit with warm clothes, torch with batteries, a battery-powered radio, food, water, mobile phone (charged), first aid kit, important personal documents such as passports, bankcards and insurance details, medication and baby food if you need them. Households should keep their flood kit upstairs or in a high place downstairs.

More information on what to do to prepare and in a flood can be found on the Environment Agency website

Dial 999 if there is a threat to someone’s life

If you call 999 during a flood a fire crew will not automatically be sent unless there is a threat to life. Our highly trained control team will triage calls based on risk. Sometimes, an officer may attend or make contact to further assess the situation and if they feel the fire service can assist and there are resources available, they will call for a fire crew to attend.

Stay safe on the roads during times of extreme weather or flooding

  • Don’t drive through standing water – as well as the water damaging your car, there may be hazards under the water you can’t see.
  • If you see a sign to say that the road is closed due to flooding, please turn around and find an alternative route – don’t attempt to drive through.
  • When driving, if heavy rain is making visibility difficult, slow right down or pull over if possible.
  • If your vehicle becomes stuck in floodwater and you are trapped inside it, call the fire service for assistance and calls will be prioritised where there is a risk to life.
  • Do not call 999 to tow a vehicle out of flood water. If your vehicle is stuck in floodwater and your road recovery company tells you to ask the fire service for assistance, please note, we will only attend if there is a risk to life.

Why can’t the fire service pump the water away from homes and businesses?

During a flooding event we need to prioritise our resources in relation to risk to life.

In addition pumping can only be used in certain circumstances and may only have a limited impact during an ongoing flooding event.

  • In order to be able to pump the water away from one area there needs to be somewhere to pump the water to that won’t have a detrimental effect elsewhere.
  • If the surrounding area is flooded once the pump has stopped running the water will level itself back out and re-enter properties.

 

Swift water rescue

Firefighters in Fareham have had enhanced training to Level three water rescue and are the County’s swift water rescue capability. This includes the Water Rescue Unit which carries a variety of associated equipment to allow for swift water rescues using boats, swimming and other rope/specialist techniques. They are also trained in advanced search techniques for persons missing in flood or swift waters.

The Fareham team is also a national resource for DEFRA, providing water rescue teams able to deploy to national incidents during spate conditions such as wide area flooding.

In addition to the equipment carried at Fareham, the three stations that operate RSV’s have also all been trained and equipped to Water First Responder Level Two.  These vehicles carry further equipment to carry out rescues of people and animals in water, mud, ice or other unstable ground.  Crews often work together with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency mud rescue teams in coastal areas to reach people trapped in unsafe ground.

Further information and opportunities about water rescue training with 3SFire CIC

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