Improved response to incidents by fire service
Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service is handling 999 calls quicker and getting to fires faster, newly released statistics have revealed.
The Service has seen landmark improvements in the measures in the latest publication of incident statistics by the UK Home Office.
The performance data was released last month (July) for the 2023-4 financial year and is the first opportunity to benchmark BFRS’ performance against other fire services.
Area Commander Stuart Auger, Head of Response at BFRS, said: “Operational colleagues have been working hard this past year to improve how quickly they get out the door once the bells go down because, as we know, every second counts. Those little improvements both on station and in our Fire Control have cemented into lasting change that is benefitting the communities of Bedfordshire as we do our best to keep them safe.”
The Service recorded the largest annual reduction of all 44 English fire services for its average crew turnout times, which include both wholetime and on-call crews, for attended primary fires*.
The turnout time of crews reduced from 140 seconds to 116 seconds and since reporting began in 2010, this is the first year the BFRS average has been less than two minutes.
A huge improvement has also been seen in average call-handling times for primary fires, moving the Service from 29th in the rankings to 19th. This year-on-year reduction of 20 seconds in the average call-handling time for attended primary fires was also the largest annual reduction recorded by the 44 English services.
As a result, average response time for primary fires (from time of the 999 call to the time the first fire engine arrives on scene) reduced by 41 seconds, taking the Service from 22nd of all English FRS to 18th.
Director of Service Delivery, ACFO Jim Davies, added: “Our Service has been on a significant improvement journey long before I joined in May, so I am pleased to inherit a team that is heading in the right direction. These improvements are a testament to everyone in BFRS and the efforts to create a step change in our response times.
“Whilst we are delighted with these figures, we are by no means complacent, and we know that improvement is a continuous journey. Today is a day when everyone in BFRS can be proud of how far we’ve come together so far.”