Home / Inquiries / Grenfell Tower Inquiry / P1-43
← P1-42 P1-44 →
P1-43

Use METHANE messages for Major Incidents

Grenfell Tower Inquiry · Grenfell Tower Inquiry: Phase 1 Report · Issued 30 October 2019 · Addressed to: UK Government

Government responseUK Government: Noted (Jan 2020)

DeliveryHome Office says completed (Feb 2025)

Recommendation, verbatim from the inquiry

●Inquiry recommendation, 33.31d

A “METHANE” message should be sent as soon as possible by the emergency service declaring a Major Incident.

Grenfell Tower Inquiry, Grenfell Tower Inquiry: Phase 1 Report · 30 Oct 2019 Source PDF →

Published evidence summary

AI-generated evidence summary

The Inquiry recommended sending a METHANE message promptly when declaring a Major Incident. In February 2025, the Home Office reported that the recommendation was complete, noting that relevant provisions were incorporated into the Joint Emergency Services Interoperability Principles (JESIP) Joint Doctrine in October 2021 (Home Office, Feb 2025). The department added that London emergency services published a revised procedures manual addressing the issues in November 2021 (Home Office, Feb 2025). It also stated that London Fire Brigade was in the process of revising its Major Incident Policy to reinforce METHANE messaging (Home Office, Feb 2025).

Sources

Home Office, Feb 2025

AI-generated summary of the record on this page, checked by a second model and automatic checks, 19 Oct 2026.

About this summary
This recommendation applies across many organisations. The record above reflects central policy activity; adoption in individual organisations may vary.

Government response

●UK Government · Noted · 21 Jan 2020

Words of: HM Government (Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government), Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 Report: Government Response, January 2020 (published on GOV.UK 21 January 2020)

The Phase 1 report includes a series of recommendations designed to improve the communication arrangements between the three emergency services, their respective control rooms and the incident ground. The Home Office is committed to working with the emergency services to improve interoperability when responding to emergencies. To embed joint working, improve shared situational awareness and a joint understanding of risk arrangements, the Home Office is working with the Interoperability Board to revise Joint Doctrine and immediately reinforce what is expected of responder agencies when major incidents are declared.

Extract from: Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 Report: Government Response

Site note: This is the government's response to the Phase 1 report (CP 209, 21 January 2020). It is organised by theme, not by recommendation, and states its position once, in its introduction: "the Government accepted in principle all these recommendations", meaning the recommendations "relevant to government". Where the row shows a passage from a themed section, that is the section on this recommendation's subject; where it shows the introduction, the response has no passage on this recommendation's subject. The status on a recommendation addressed to government is the introduction's. Where the recommendation is addressed to building owners, the emergency services or the National Police Air Service, the response describes work without stating acceptance, and the row is marked noted.

Site note: The source gives this passage once, for the section "Interoperability and communications", on the four Joint Doctrine recommendations. The same words are recorded on P1-40, P1-41, P1-42 and P1-43.

Delivery

●Home Office says completed · 26 Feb 2025

Status: complete

The members of the Joint Emergency Services Interoperability Principles (JESIP) Interoperability Board, including representatives from the previous Government, emergency services and other key stakeholders, committed to addressing, in full, these recommendations in the review of the JESIP Joint Doctrine.  These were incorporated into the JESIP Joint Doctrine published in October 2021.

The LFB has committed to incorporating any changes to the Joint Doctrine into its own policies and training. The Brigade is already making changes to its own operational procedures to address these recommendations. Specifically, the Brigade is in the process of revising its Major Incident Policy (PN 263), which will include a specific section regarding informing other category 1 responders, the initiation of a Major Incident for Incident Commanders, reinforced METHANE messaging, and the activation of a tri-service call at the declaration of a Major Incident.

London’s emergency services are also working together to address these issues at the city level. These recommendations are additionally being considered by the ‘Blue Lights’ panel of London Emergency Services Liaison Panel (LESLP). The Blue Lights panel is responsible for London’s Major Incidents Procedures Manual which has been reviewed and revised to address these issues. It is now reported as complete with the revised manual presented to the London Resilience Forum in October 2021 and published in November 2021.

From: Progress against the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 recommendations, February 2025

Site note: This is the Home Office's thematic update on progress against the Phase 1 recommendations. Its introduction says it includes updates from the relevant government departments and assurances received from the National Fire Chiefs Council, London Fire Brigade and other emergency services on their progress. The status line and the passage are the Home Office's compilation of what those bodies reported to it; where the passage gives a status for fire and rescue services and a separate one for London Fire Brigade, both are shown as printed.

Site note: The source gives this passage once, for recommendations 33.31a, 33.31b, 33.31c and 33.31d together. The same words are recorded on P1-40, P1-41, P1-42 and P1-43.

Earlier statements on delivery (0)

●Home Office · 16 Sep 2024

Status: Complete

The members of the Joint Emergency Services Interoperability Principles (JESIP) Interoperability Board, including representatives from the previous Government, emergency services and other key stakeholders, committed to addressing, in full, these recommendations in the review of the JESIP Joint Doctrine.  These were incorporated into the JESIP Joint Doctrine published in October 2021.

The LFB has committed to incorporating any changes to the Joint Doctrine into its own policies and training. The Brigade is already making changes to its own operational procedures to address these recommendations. Specifically, the Brigade is in the process of revising its Major Incident Policy (PN 263), which will include a specific section regarding informing other category 1 responders, the initiation of a Major Incident for Incident Commanders, reinforced METHANE messaging, and the activation of a tri-service call at the declaration of a Major Incident.

London’s emergency services are also working together to address these issues at the city level. These recommendations are additionally being considered by the ‘Blue Lights’ panel of London Emergency Services Liaison Panel (LESLP). The Blue Lights panel is responsible for London’s Major Incidents Procedures Manual which has been reviewed and revised to address these issues. It is now reported as complete with the revised manual presented to the London Resilience Forum in October 2021 and published in November 2021.

From: Progress against the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 recommendations, September 2024

Site note: This is the Home Office's thematic update on progress against the Phase 1 recommendations. Its introduction says it includes updates from the relevant government departments and assurances received from the National Fire Chiefs Council, London Fire Brigade and other emergency services on their progress. The status line and the passage are the Home Office's compilation of what those bodies reported to it; where the passage gives a status for fire and rescue services and a separate one for London Fire Brigade, both are shown as printed.

Site note: The source gives this passage once, for recommendations 33.31a, 33.31b, 33.31c and 33.31d together. The same words are recorded on P1-40, P1-41, P1-42 and P1-43.

●Home Office · 5 Feb 2024

Status: Complete

The members of the Joint Emergency Services Interoperability Principles (JESIP) Interoperability Board, including representatives from Government, emergency services and other key stakeholders, committed to addressing, in full, these recommendations in the review of the JESIP Joint Doctrine. These were incorporated into the JESIP Joint Doctrine published in October 2021.

The LFB has committed to incorporating any changes to the Joint Doctrine into its own policies and training. The Brigade is already making changes to its own operational procedures to address these recommendations. Specifically, the Brigade is in the process of revising its Major Incident Policy (PN 263), which will include a specific section regarding informing other category 1 responders, the initiation of a Major Incident for Incident Commanders, reinforced METHANE messaging, and the activation of a tri-service call at the declaration of a Major Incident.

London’s emergency services are also working together to address these issues at the city level. These recommendations are also being considered by the ‘Blue Lights’ panel of London Emergency Services Liaison Panel (LESLP). The Blue Lights panel is responsible for London’s Major Incidents Procedures Manual which has been reviewed and revised to address these issues. The latest revised LESLP Major Incidents Procedures Manual was presented for approval to the London Resilience Forum (LRF) on 14 October 2021 and published in November 2021.

From: Progress against the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 recommendations, February 2024

Site note: This is the Home Office's thematic update on progress against the Phase 1 recommendations. Its introduction says it includes updates from the relevant government departments and assurances received from the National Fire Chiefs Council, London Fire Brigade and other emergency services on their progress. The status line and the passage are the Home Office's compilation of what those bodies reported to it; where the passage gives a status for fire and rescue services and a separate one for London Fire Brigade, both are shown as printed.

Site note: The source gives this passage once, for recommendations 33.31a, 33.31b, 33.31c and 33.31d together. The same words are recorded on P1-40, P1-41, P1-42 and P1-43.

How this page is built

The recommendation and the government responses are verbatim from primary documents. Delivery statements and other bodies' findings are shown in their own words, each with its source. The summary is written by this site and labelled as such. The Index does not paraphrase sources or characterise intent; it records what has been published.