About the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management

The National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management (NDFEM) was set up in 2009. They are a section in the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage who co-ordinate emergency responses and give support to the Irish Fire Service.

NDFEM supports the fire service by updating work and safety guidelines for firefighters. In 2013 they published a policy document called Keeping Communities Safe - A Framework for Fire Safety in Ireland This document outlines changes to the standard response targets, the role of the fire service and how these changes will happen. We also published a document called CAMP - The Next Generation Further Development of Fire Services Communication and Information Facilities in 2013. This document is about the updates and changes that will be made to the way the fire service communicates and collects data.

For emergency management, the NDFEM works with other government departments and the Local Authorities to plan how to deal with major emergencies like severe weather or flooding. This is a coordinated plan. Different Government Departments have been nominated to take the lead depending on the type of emergency. The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage's role as Lead Government Department.

There are two parts to the NDFEM:

• department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage staff
• the Management Board

The staff in the Department do the administrative work. The work in the office is split according to the different types of work done in the NDFEM.

The Management Board ties both parts together. It sees what needs to be done and then decides how to do it.

Management Board Membership