Review and update JESIP Joint Doctrine
Manchester Arena Inquiry · Manchester Arena Inquiry: Volume 2: Emergency Response · Issued 3 November 2022 · Addressed to: College of Policing, Fire Service College, National Ambulance Resilience Unit, HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services, Home Office, JESIP
Government responseUK Government: Accepted (Nov 2025)
DeliveryCabinet Office says completed (Feb 2026)
Recommendation, verbatim from the inquiry
●Inquiry recommendation
The Home Office, His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services, the College of Policing, the Fire Service College, the National Ambulance Resilience Unit and JESIP should review and, as necessary, update the Joint Doctrine: The Interoperability Framework (the Joint Doctrine) and Responding to a Marauding Terrorist Firearms Attack and Terrorist Siege: Joint Operating Principles for the Emergency Services (the Joint Operating Principles). The following matters should be considered in that review: a. achieving a situation in which commanders understand that the critical decisions of the commander most directly concerned in the issue under consideration are followed, unless there is a good reason for not doing so; b. achieving a situation in which risk appetite is common across the three emergency services - this will require collaborative work; c. achieving a situation in which forward deployment of specialist resources is the presumption, to be displaced only in the presence of a properly evidenced basis for not deploying resources forward; and d. achieving a situation in which the possibility of a secondary device does not delay forward deployment of resources, unless there is a proper basis for believing that such a device exists.
Manchester Arena Inquiry, Manchester Arena Inquiry: Volume 2: Emergency Response · 3 Nov 2022 Source PDF →
Published evidence summary
AI-generated evidence summary
The Inquiry recommended reviewing and updating emergency services joint doctrine and operating principles. In February 2026, the Cabinet Office reported that the Joint Emergency Services Interoperability Protocol (JESIP) Transformation Programme had been completed, with priorities including doctrine updates and guidance products (Cabinet Office, Feb 2026). That statement described doctrine updates, but did not mention the Joint Operating Principles or the Inquiry's specific points regarding commander decisions, risk appetite, forward deployment, and secondary devices (Cabinet Office, Feb 2026). The UK Government had accepted the recommendation in full in November 2025 (Cabinet Office response, Nov 2025).
AI-generated summary of the record on this page, checked by a second model and automatic checks, 5 Oct 2026.
Government response
●UK Government · Accepted · 14 Nov 2025
Accepted in full
Response document: Manchester Arena Inquiry recommendations (GOV.UK page linking to the Manchester Arena Inquiry Recommendations Dashboard)
Delivery
●Cabinet Office says completed · 27 Feb 2026
Alongside existing funding from across the 3 Emergency Services, additional Home Office funding has been successfully secured to provide stronger investment in the Joint Emergency Services Interoperability Protocol (JESIP). Using the combined funding, the JESIP Transformation Programme has been launched to strengthen infrastructure, bolster central capacity, resource and coordination, allowing agencies to better prepare first responders and commanders to manage complex, fast-moving situations. The programmes priorities include developing additional training and guidance products (updates and promotion of the Doctrine and national format for plans), enhancing Joint Organisational Learning processes and now incorporates the activity of the JESIP Embedding and Assurance Pilot. The Transformation Programme, through the provision of guidance and support, seeks to ensure JESIP is effectively embedded through training, exercising, learning, assurance and communications, across the services and wider partners and particularly among first responders, control rooms and command levels. This programme governed by the National JESIP Interoperability Board on behalf of all services. This workstream has been completed.
Earlier statements on delivery (0)
●Cabinet Office · 14 Nov 2025
Alongside existing funding from across the 3 Emergency Services, additional Home Office funding has been successfully secured to provide stronger investment in the Joint Emergency Services Interoperability Protocol (JESIP). Using the combined funding, the JESIP Transformation Programme has been launched to strengthen infrastructure, bolster central capacity, resource and coordination, allowing agencies to better prepare first responders and commanders to manage complex, fast-moving situations. The programmes priorities include developing additional training and guidance products (updates and promotion of the Doctrine and national format for plans), enhancing Joint Organisational Learning processes and now incorporates the activity of the JESIP Embedding and Assurance Pilot. The Transformation Programme, through the provision of guidance and support, seeks to ensure JESIP is effectively embedded through training, exercising, learning, assurance and communications, across the services and wider partners and particularly among first responders, control rooms and command levels. This programme governed by the National JESIP Interoperability Board on behalf of all services. This workstream has been completed.
From: Manchester Arena Inquiry Recommendations Dashboard, original version (data file)
Published evidence
●JESIP · 1 Apr 2024
JESIP Joint Doctrine updated to v3.1 (April 2024) following inquiry findings on interoperability failures. Operation Plato reformed to cover all terrorist attack types, not just firearms. Emphasis extended beyond command-level to frontline responders.
JESIP Joint Doctrine Version 3.1, April 2024View source →
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