Emergency service response and costs in british floods

The costs of emergency response to flood disasters has received little attention. This paper presents and discusses a method for estimating the economic costs incurred through the use of the emergency services during flood events in Britain. First, a model of British emergency service response to flood events is presented. Secondly, cost evaluation principles relevant to each emergency service are discussed. Thirdly, a set of "standard" emergency service cost data are presented - these data are derived from research based upon the model of response and the evaluation principles. Finally, the "standard" data are applied to the case of the York and Selby floods of 1982 where data from research on the reported actions and costs of each emergency service are compared with those predicted through the use of the "standard" data.