Guidance

Fire statistics definitions

Updated 17 October 2024

Applies to England

© Crown copyright 2024

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fire-statistics-guidance/fire-statistics-definitions

Fire statistics definitions:

Frequency of release: When required

Latest update: 19 September 2024

Home Office responsible statistician: Daniel Farrugia

Press enquiries: [email protected]

Telephone: 0300 123 3535

Public enquiries: [email protected]

This document accompanies statistical releases published on fire, these releases are found on the fire statistics landing page

1. Fire Statistics Definitions

1.1 Glossary of acronyms

ACFO - Assistant Chief Fire Officer

BSA - Building Safety Act

BSR - Building Safety Regulator

CFO - Chief Fire Officer

CFOA - Chief Fire Officers Association

DCFO - Deputy Chief Fire Officer

EHS - English Housing Survey

EMR - Emergency Medical Responding

FBU - Fire Brigades Union

FRA - Fire and Rescue Authority

FRS - Fire and Rescue Service

FSO - Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order (2005)

FTE - Full Time Equivalent

GAD - Government Actuary’s Department

HFSVs - Home Fire Safety Visits

HSE - Health and Safety Executive

IRS - Incident Recording System

LIFE - Local Intervention Fire Education

MPS - Metropolitan Police Service

NFCC - National Fire Chiefs Council

NJC - National Joint Council

RDS - Retained Duty System

RIDDOR - Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013

RTCs - Road Traffic Collisions

WSA - Working Smoke Alarm

2. Data sources

2.1 Incident Recording System (IRS)

The source of the data used for fire statistics publications involving incidents attended by FRSs is the online IRS. The online IRS was introduced in April 2009. Full details of the questions and categories used in the recording of incidents attended by FRSs under the IRS are available in the document IRS Questions and Lists.

The definitions within this document do not replace the IRS manual but are intended to help users of our statistics.

2.2 Operational statistics collection

The Operational Statistics data collection is the source for workforce, firefighter safety and fire prevention and protection figures. The collection asks all 44 fire and rescue authorities as well North West Fire Control 6 sections of information (Human Resources, Leavers, Health and Safety, Fire Safety, Fire Prevention and Vehicle Incidents). This is information outside the scope of the IRS.

2.3 Fire pensions collection

The Fire Pensions data collection is the source for firefighter pension figures. There are 3 pension schemes for firefighters; the 1992 Scheme, the 2006 Scheme and the 2015 Scheme. This is information outside the scope of the IRS.Definitions on the schemes and the data collection are provided in the firefighter pensions section.

3. General information

Fire and Rescue Service (FRS)

The local service providing emergency cover. Since 1 April 2021, there are 44 FRSs in England, one in Scotland and 3 in Wales.

Fire and Rescue Authority (FRA)

The body, tasked in law, to provide fire and rescue functions for the population of their area. They manage their local FRS and employ all FRS staff. FRAs are funded through central Government grants, locally retained business rates and council tax precept. In England, from 1 April 2021, there are 44 fire and rescue authorities operating under a variety of different governance arrangements, with the majority being Local Authority based (Combined FRAs, County Council FRAs and Unitary Authority FRAs), 4 being Police Fire and Crime Commissioner FRAs, 2 Mayoral FRAs and a London fire commissioner model in the Capital.

3.1 Over the border incidents

When referring to where incidents were recorded, the FRS refers to the territory in which the incident took place, not necessarily the FRS which responded. Occasionally an FRS will respond to an incident ‘over the border’. As such, figures for individual FRSs are not necessarily for those attended by that FRS.

3.2 Grenfell Tower fire figures

The Grenfell Tower fire was a fire of unprecedented scale that occurred in London on 14 June 2017. London Fire Brigade’s records of the number of fatalities are based on information provided by the MPS. The fire-related fatalities figure of 80 was announced by the MPS on 10 July 2017. MPS have since revised this number to 72 fire-related fatalities. The non-fatality numbers are derived from numbers published by the London Ambulance Service for people who attended hospital together with those recorded by the London Fire Brigade who received first aid or required a ‘precautionary check’.

3.3 COVID-19 and the impact on the IRS

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, restrictions in England, Scotland and Wales started from 12 March 2020. In England, during the year ending March 2021, 3 lockdowns which applied strict limits on daily life were imposed. A first lockdown was applied on 23 March 2020 and was eased from 10 May 2020, a second lockdown began on 5 November 2020 and ended on 2 December 2020 and the third began on 4 January 2021 and ended on 12 April 2021. It is worth noting that there may have been some lingering effects of the COVID-19 restrictions due to a potential lag in the adjustment of the behaviour of the individuals. The impact of the restrictions and lockdown are therefore captured in IRS data.

Extra analyses on fire and rescue incidents during this period can be found in the year to March 2021 edition of this release, detailed analysis of fires attended by fire and rescue services, England, April 2020 to March 2021 and detailed analysis of non-fire incidents: England, April 2020 to March 2021.

3.4 Publications

The Home Office publish 5 statistical releases covering FRSs. These include:

3.5 Code of practice for statistics

The Code of Practice for Statistics sets the standards that producers of official statistics should commit to. The framework for the Code of Practice is based on 3 pillars – trustworthiness, quality and value. Each pillar contains a number of principles and detailed practices that producers should commit to when producing and releasing official statistics. The Code also has 3 cross-cutting themes, areas of practice that don’t fit within just one pillar – collaboration, coherence, and transparency.

Official statistics

Statistics produced by Crown bodies and other organisations listed within an Official Statistics Order, on behalf of the UK government or devolved administrations. They provide a factual basis for assessment and decisions on economic, social and environmental issues at all levels of society.

Accredited official statistics

A sub-set of official statistics that have been independently reviewed by the Office for Statistics Regulation and confirmed as complying with the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics. Accredited official statistics are called National Statistics in the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007.

Official statistics in development

Official statistics that are undergoing a development; they may be new or existing statistics, and will be tested with users, in line with the standards of trustworthiness, quality, and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics. Until September 2023, they were known as ‘experimental statistics’. After the development is complete and following testing with users, the producer will decide if the statistics should continue to be published. Producers can then remove the ‘in development’ label. They should always be clear with users why they are confident that their official statistics are suitable for use.

4. Fires

Fire incidents are broadly categorised as primary, secondary or chimney fires, depending on the location, severity and risk levels of the fire, and on the scale of response needed from FRSs to contain them.

Primary fires

Potentially more serious fires that cause harm to people or damage to property. To be categorised as primary these fires must either:

  • occur in a (non-derelict) building, vehicle or (some) outdoor structures
  • involve fatalities, casualties or rescues
  • be attended by 5 or more pumping appliances

Primary fires are split into 4 sub-categories:

  • dwelling fires are fires in properties that are a place of residence that is, places occupied by households such as houses and flats, excluding hotels/hostels and residential institutions; dwellings also includes non-permanent structures used solely as a dwelling, such as houseboats and caravans
  • other buildings fires are fires in other residential or non-residential buildings; other (institutional) residential buildings include properties such as hostels/hotels/B&Bs, nursing/care homes, student halls of residence; non-residential buildings include properties such as offices, shops, factories, warehouses, restaurants, public buildings, religious buildings
  • road vehicle fires are fires in vehicles used for transportation, such as cars, vans, buses/coaches, motorcycles, lorries/HGVs; ‘road vehicles’ does not include aircraft, boats or trains, which are categorised in ‘other outdoors’
  • other outdoors fires are fires in either primary outdoor locations (that is, aircraft, boats, trains and outdoor structures such as post or telephone boxes, bridges, tunnels), or fires in non-primary outdoor locations that have casualties or 5 or more pumping appliances attending

Purpose-built flat/maisonette fires are split into 3 sub-categories:

  • fires in purpose-built low-rise (one to 3 storeys) flats
  • fires in purpose-built medium-rise (4 to 9 storeys) flats
  • fires in purpose-built high-rise (10+ storeys) flats

Additionally, the relevant data can be found under the ‘property type’ variable in the spreadsheet on the guidance page.

Secondary fires

Generally small outdoor fires, not involving people or property. These include refuse fires, grassland fires and fires in derelict buildings or vehicles, unless these fires involved casualties or rescues, or 5 or more pumping appliances attended, in which case they become primary fires.

Chimney fires

Fires in buildings where the flame was contained within the chimney structure and did not involve casualties, rescues or attendance by 5 or more pumping appliances. Chimneys in industrial buildings are not included and are included under primary fires.

The IRS also captures the motive for a fire, which is recorded as either accidental, deliberate or unknown. Those recorded as unknown are included in the accidental category for the purposes of this report.

Accidental fires

Fires where the motive for the fire was presumed to be either accidental or not known (or unspecified).

Deliberate fires

Fires where the motive for the fire was ‘thought to be’ or ‘suspected to be’ deliberate. This includes fires to an individual’s own property, others’ property or property of an unknown owner. Despite deliberate fire records including arson, deliberate fires are not the same as arson. Arson is defined under the Criminal Damage Act of 1971 as ‘an act of attempting to destroy or damage property, and/or in doing so, to endanger life’. Arson is not recorded as a distinct category in the IRS.

Late fire calls

Fires attended by an FRS which were known to be extinguished when the call was made (or to which no call was made) and the fire came to the attention of the FRS by other means (for example, press report or inquest). Such fires are recorded if an attendance is made (even if for inspection only) but are not recorded if no attendance is made.

Fatal fires

Fires that result in at least one fatality that would not have otherwise occurred had there not been a fire.

4.1 Cause of fire

The IRS collects information on:

  • cause of fire giving rise to ignition, including a defect (fault or flaw), act (by person/persons to cause fire) or omission (something not done which led to the fire) for example, fault in equipment or appliance
  • source of ignition appliance, installation or other source giving rise to fire for example, smokers’ materials from which the fire originates
  • item responsible for the fire item responsible for any fire spread for example, clothing/textiles
  • other factors including ignition power (for example, gas), item mainly responsible for spread of fire (for example, furniture/furnishings), cause of rapid fire growth (for example, chemicals), dangerous substances involved (for example, fireworks) and cause of explosion, if any (for example, gases)

4.2 Fatalities, non-fatal casualties, rescues and evacuations

Fire-related fatalities are those that would not have otherwise occurred had there not been a fire.

This includes any fatality who is the direct or indirect result of injuries caused by a fire incident. Even if the fatality dies subsequently, any fatality whose cause is attributed to a fire is included. For the purpose of publications, published figures include the number of fatal casualties which were either recorded as ‘fire-related’ or ‘don’t know’, grouped together as fire-related deaths; thus excluding only those that were recorded as ‘not fire-related’.

Non-fatal casualties have, since the introduction of the IRS, been split into 4 sub-categories, defined as:

  • hospital severe - at least an overnight stay in hospital as an in-patient
  • hospital slight - attending hospital as an outpatient (not a precautionary check)
  • first aid given - first aid given at scene (by anyone), including after a precautionary check
  • precautionary check - a precautionary check (to attend hospital or to see a doctor) was recommended (by anyone)

A rescue is where a person has received physical assistance to get clear of the area involved in the incident. Figures for rescues are the actual number of rescues from the incident.

An evacuation is the direction of people from a dangerous place to somewhere safe. Figures for evacuations are banded as follows:

  • none
  • one to 5
  • to 20
  • 21 to 50
  • 51 to 100
  • 101 to 250
  • 251 to 1,000
  • Over 1,000

As the exact number of people evacuated is not known, the number of incidents with an evacuation are reported on in statistical publications. For example, 6-20 means there were between 6 and 20 evacuations from the incident.

4.3 Extent of fire damage

The average area of fire damage is calculated from estimates of the horizontal area damaged by flame and/or/ heat in square metres. The estimates are made in the following size bands:

  • none
  • up to 5m2
  • 6 to 10 m2
  • 11 to 20 m2
  • 21 to 50 m2
  • 51 to 100 m2
  • 101 to 200 m2
  • 201 to 500 m2
  • 501 to 1,000 m2
  • 1,001 to 2,000 m2
  • 2,001 to 5,000 m2
  • 5,001 to 10,000 m2
  • over 10,000 m2

Weighted means are calculated from these values to produce the figures in tables FIRE0204 and FIRE0305.

4.4 Spread of fire

The spread of fire is defined as the extent of flame and heat damage only at the fire’s stop. This does not include smoke or other damage (such as water damage). The spread of fire is categorised as follows:

  • limited to item first ignited
  • limited to room of origin
  • limited to floor of origin
  • limited to 2 floors
  • affecting more than 2 floors
  • whole building
  • roofs and spaces
  • no fire damage

‘Larger fires’ comprise of the following categories: where the spread of fire was limited to the floor of origin, where the spread of fire was limited to 2 floors, where the spread of fire was affecting more than 2 floors and where the fire spread to the whole building.

4.5 Smoke alarms

The IRS records information on whether a smoke alarm was present at the fire incident, as well as the type (mains or battery powered) and whether or not it functioned as intended that is, if it operated and if it raised the alarm.

Reasons alarms did not function as expected:

  • did not operate
  • alarm battery missing
  • alarm battery defective
  • system not set up correctly
  • system damaged by fire
  • fire not close enough to detector
  • fault in system; system turned off
  • fire in area not covered by system; detector removed
  • alerted by other means; other
  • not known

Operated but did not raise the alarm:

  • no person in earshot
  • occupants did not respond
  • no other person responded
  • other
  • not known

4.6 Relative risk of death in a fire with or without a working smoke alarm

The release of Detailed analysis of fires and response times attended by fire and rescue services in England contains the following statement:

By combining IRS and English Housing Survey data, Home Office statisticians have used the calculation below to determine how many times more likely a person is to die in a dwelling fire if there is no working smoke alarm. The number of fatal dwelling fires with/without a working smoke alarm is collected through the IRS and the percentage of households with a working smoke alarm is published in the English Housing Survey data

5. Fire false alarms

Fire false alarms are where an FRS attends a location believing there to be a fire incident but, on arrival, discovers that no such incident exists or existed. They are split into 3 sub-categories:

  • due to apparatus calls are where a fire alarm or fire-fighting equipment operate (including accidental initiation by persons) in error
  • good intent calls are made in good faith in the belief that the FRS really would be attending a fire
  • malicious false alarms are made with the intention of getting the FRS to attend a non-existent incident

6. Non-fire incidents

Dwellings, other buildings, road vehicles and other outdoor property types have the same definitions in non-fire incidents as those for fires above.

Collaborating incidents include:

  • ‘assisting other agencies’
  • ‘effecting entry/exit’
  • ‘suicide attempts’

6.1 Fatalities and non-fatal casualties

All fatalities in all non-fire incidents are classed as not fire-related.

Non-fatal casualties in non-fire incidents are classed as not fire-related and are split into the same 4 sub-categories as for fires above.

Shropshire, Staffordshire and West Midlands FRSs do not record victim details for non-fire incidents in the IRS, therefore their injury severities have been recorded as ‘unknown’ in tables FIRE0904 and FIRE0905 and their victim ages have been recorded as ‘not known’ in table FIRE0908.

6.2 Road traffic collisions (RTCs)

Non-fire incidents which require the attendance of the FRS for collisions involving road vehicles (that is, large and small vehicles including motorbikes).

6.3 Extrications from RTCs

FRSs use different methods to extricate people from their vehicles. Some of which require further definition:

  • roof removal

  • other space creation

  • B-post rip involves the B post, which is the dividing post between the front and rear doors of a car, being cut to remove it from the structure of the car to allow safe access to the casualty inside

  • roof flap (vehicle on side)

  • side removal (vehicle on roof)

  • dashboard roll

6.4 Other non-fire incidents

Non-fire incident types are:

  • lift release

  • other rescue / release of persons

  • animal assistance incidents

  • removal of objects from people

  • hazardous materials incident

  • spills and leaks (not RTC)

  • making safe (not RTC)

  • other transport incident

  • rescue or evacuation from water

  • evacuation (no fire)

  • water provision

  • advice only

  • stand by

  • no action (not false alarm)

  • malicious non-fire false alarm

  • good intent non-fire false alarm

6.4 Medical incidents

Medical co-responding incidents are incidents defined in the IRS as, ‘the mobilisation of trained fire crews to provide emergency medical assistance to members of the public’.

Medical co-responding is where a formal agreement is in place with ambulance trusts. This differs to medical first responder incidents where no such agreement is in place. Co-responding involves both fire and ambulance services deploying to time critical incidents such as cardiac arrests.

6.5 Emergency Medical Responding Trials (EMR)

The National Joint Council (NJC) supported the EMR trials, which began in 2015, for FRSs to form agreements with ambulance trusts to undertake health and care related work, in particular co-responding (defined as Special Service calls where formal co-responder agreements are in place). Between the year ending March 2015 and the year ending March 2017, there was a large increase in medical incidents of almost two-fifths. The decrease followed the removal of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) support for the EMR trials.

6.6 Duty to collaborate legislation

The start of the increase in collaborating incidents coincided with the duty to collaborate legislation, whereby each emergency service “must keep under consideration whether entering into a collaboration agreement with one or more other relevant emergency services in England could be in the interests of the efficiency or effectiveness of that service and those other services”.

7. Response times

The ‘total response time’ measures the minutes and seconds taken from time of call to time of arrival at the scene of the first vehicle. This can be broken down into 3 component parts:

Call handling time

Defined as the minutes and seconds from the time of call to the time that a responding station is alerted. The operator may stay on the line after the station is alerted to gather additional information or provide advice and reassurance as necessary. This extra time is not included in the call handling time calculations.

Crew turnout time

Defined as the minutes and seconds from the time the station is alerted to the time the first vehicle departs.

Drive time

Defined as the minutes and seconds from the first vehicle to leave a station to the first vehicle to arrive at the scene of the incident. Note that these may not necessarily be the same vehicle.

The following incidents have been excluded from the average response time calculations:

  • for road vehicle fires, where the road vehicle was abandoned
  • where the location of the fire was a derelict property
  • where an FRS learned of the fire when it was known to have already been extinguished. Such incidents are known as ‘late calls’
  • where the total response time for an incident was over an hour or less than 1 minute
  • where the sequence of events (time of call -> mobilisation -> vehicle mobile -> arrival at scene) in an incident are not recorded in a logical sequence, either through recording error (for example, a vehicle appears to have arrived before it left) or absence of data (null values)

Prior to the year ending March 2021 a further exclusion was applied: - Where there was heat and/or smoke damage only (no flame).

However, after a public consultation, exclusion f) has been discarded for the main reported response times in this release (that is, incidents where there was heat and/or smoke damage only are now included in the average response times calculations). This decision was based on responses to the consultation, all of which supported including these incident types. Please see the latest detailed fire and response times publication for a full discussion of the rationale for these exclusions.

The response times section of the Detailed analysis of fires and response times attended by fire and rescue services in England publication focuses on primary and secondary fires only and therefore does not include chimney fires (see above).

7.1 Discontinuity of response times data before and after April 2009

There is a noticeable discontinuity in average response times between the year ending March 2009 and year ending March 2010 of over half a minute for attendance to all types of fires (for example, dwellings, other buildings). While part of this increase may be genuine (the factors mentioned in Fire and Rescue Response Times financial year 2011 to 2012 included increased traffic congestion), it appears likely that there is also a measurement discontinuity. Analysis of the change in average response times from year ending March 2009 and year ending March 2010 identified 6 FRSs whose reported average response time increased by 1.2 minutes or more. Discussion with these FRSs helped to identify the various factors described in Fire and Rescue Response Times financial year 2011 to 2012. There is also the possibility of a further reason for the apparent discontinuity, namely that there may have been some inaccuracy in the largely paper-based Fire Data Report system which was in use until March 2009. Arrival times are now being recorded with more accuracy using a mobile data terminal on board the fire appliance once the appliance has arrived at the scene. Previously, arrival times were transmitted to control via radio when the appliance was in the vicinity of the incident, enabling fire-fighters to then be focussed on preparing to disembark from the vehicle. With on-board data terminals and automatic recording of the nearest second under the IRS (since April 2009), incident response times should now be recorded consistently, with higher accuracy. To reflect this discontinuity, the response times tables now show data for pre-2009 separately.

7.2 Review of the impact of periods of industrial action

Throughout year ending March 2014 and year ending March 2015 there were several periods of industrial action where operational Firefighters were out on strike. More information on the effect of this on response times is discussed in the financial year 2014 to 2015 release.

7.3 Review of the impact of response times during COVID-19.

In the year ending March 2021, the average response time decreased, due to reductions in drive time, likely as a result of reduced traffic volumes due to government restrictions and guidance in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

7.4 Uses of the data

Users of response time data should bear in mind that the data may fluctuate, as the locations of fires will vary from one period to another.

The spreadsheet tables accompanying the release show the numbers of incidents on which each response time average has been calculated. Averages based on smaller numbers of incidents will naturally tend to be more prone to fluctuation.

8. Workforce

8.1 Staff

FRS staff include personnel employed directly by the FRA across all duty systems at 31 March of the year of publication. The returns include:

  • temporary staff who have been employed for over a year

  • staff on fixed term contracts who have been employed for over a year

  • secondees where the FRS is paying their salaries

Personnel excluded are:

  • agency staff employed for less than a year

  • casual staff employed for less than a year

  • personnel employed by outside contractors

  • secondees where the FRS is not paying their salaries

Staff who are on temporary promotion on 31 March of the year of publication are counted in the temporary role held on that day. Personnel who are over normal retirement age are included in the annual returns. A separate note is provided for those who medically retire when over the normal retirement age. Anyone with 2 contracts of employment are counted twice in the returns. For example, if a member of staff is employed with an on-call and wholetime contract they will be recorded in both the on-call and wholetime tables.

8.2 Full time equivalent (FTE)

Full-time officers and staff are counted as 1.0, and part-time are counted according to the proportion of full-time worked (for example, a firefighter working 60% of full-time hours is counted as 0.6).

8.3 24-Hour units of cover

On-call firefighters respond when required during their ‘on-call’ hours, therefore it is more appropriate to calculate their employment in 24 hours of cover to determine whether their number is sufficient to fulfil operational commitments.

However, staff might not be employed for an entire hour. Units are calculated as a percentage of the time spent on-call:

  • Full hours = one unit
  • 45 minutes = 0.75 units
  • 30 minutes = 0.5 units
  • 15 minutes = 0.25 units

For example, if a firefighter was employed for 2 hours and fifteen minutes, the number of units are calculated as follows:

  • 2 units at 100% (full hour) = 2
  • one units at 0.25% (quarter of an hour) = 0.25

8.4 Headcount

Actual number of people employed by the FRS.

8.5 Brigade manager

Includes:

  • Chief Fire Officer (CFO)
  • Deputy Chief Fire Officer (DCFO)
  • Assistant Chief Fire Officer (ACFO)

Brigade managers take charge of incidents of 10 pumps or more

8.6 Area manager

Staff responsible for heading a directorate in the organisation. They take charge of an incident of up to 9 pumps or undertake specialist tasks as support at an incident.

8.7 Group manager

Group managers undertake specialist duties in a number of different disciplines such as fire safety, operations and training.

8.8 Station manager

Station managers manage one or more fire stations and are responsible for all service delivery matters for that station(s). They can also undertake specialist duties. They will take charge of an incident of up to 6 pumps or undertake specialist tasks as support at an incident.

8.9 Watch manager

Watch managers lead larger groups of personnel and, in the on-call service, will be in charge of a fire station. They attend incidents as officer in charge of an appliance and also take command of incidents involving up to 3 pumping appliances. Amongst their duties, they also undertake specialist duties such as training or fire safety.

8.10 Crew manager

Crew managers lead a small team on a specific task but can take charge of incidents involving up to 3 pumping appliances.

8.11 Firefighter

Trained staff carrying out day-to-day firefighting and fire safety work. There are 2 types of firefighter, wholetime and on-call.

8.12 Wholetime firefighter

A person employed as a full-time firefighter regardless of their rank (including riders, non-operational staff and flexible duty officers, and recruits in training).

8.13 On-call firefighter

For total On-Call Firefighter strength calculated in 24-hour units, the number of On-Call Firefighters in post calculated in 24-hour units of cover is recorded (See definition of 24-hour units of cover) at 31 March of the year of publication.

An On-Call Firefighter who is filling 2 posts and has separate contracts of employment with the FRS is counted twice on the return.

These staff are also known as Retained Duty System (RDS) firefighters.

8.14 On-call staff on separate contracts

It is acknowledged that a number of FRSs are now contracting individuals on a wide range of contracts to meet local circumstances. For example, this category includes wholetime operational staff providing on-call cover or members of staff from technical rescue on a dual contract. However, the category for recording staff on separate contracts does not include day crewing or nucleus crewing personnel who are, in effect, providing some on-call cover but do this as part of their normal single contract. For the purposes of this category only, those personnel who are wholetime in one FRS and have an on-call commitment in another are only recorded on the return for the FRS in which they have that on-call commitment.

8.15 Part of wholetime contract

These include on-call strength for staff that are part of a wholetime contract, for example, wholetime personnel who are, in effect, providing some on-call cover but do this as part of their normal single contract.

8.16 Non-operational staff

Wholetime posts which are not deemed to require personnel to fulfil any operational commitment, that is, not mobilised at fires, road traffic accidents or non-fire (special services) incidents.

8.17 Fire control personnel

Uniformed personnel who are employed to work in FRS control centres to answer emergency calls and deal with mobilising, communications and related activities, regardless of rank. Fire control staff detached to staff departments or undertaking special projects are included in the fire control figures. These are recorded in full time equivalents (FTEs). Staff on temporary promotion at 31 March of the year of publication are counted for strength purposes only in the temporary role held on that day.

8.18 Support staff

Support staff employed by the FRS. It includes for example, administrative roles, clerical support, finance, vehicle maintenance, property management. These can also be known as green book staff.

8.19 Grey book staff

The grey book staff protocol constitutes all operational (that is, wholetime and on call firefighters) and control room staff.

8.20 Gold book staff

The ‘Gold Book’ classification includes brigade managers or the equivalent.

8.21 Apprentice

A paid worker employed under an apprenticeship scheme with a signed Apprenticeship Agreement in place with either an FRS or an apprenticeship training agency.

8.22 Disabled

As defined in the Equality Act 2010. A person has a disability if:

  • they have a physical or mental impairment

  • the impairment has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to perform normal day-to-day activities

8.23 Leavers

All personnel who ceased to be employed by the FRS. This includes personnel whose last day of employment in the fire service, regardless of any prior periods of sickness or suspension, falls within the year.

Personnel transferring to other FRSs or being seconded to Home Office, Fire Service College. are excluded. Where, at the end of the reporting year, it is known that an appeal is pending over the dismissal of an individual, be it for disciplinary, medical or proficiency reasons, then the details are not entered until the outcome of the appeal is known, which may be in the following reporting year.

8.21 Reasons for personal leaving the FRS

Moving - to another FRS

Resignation to take employment with another FRS but does not include transfers (for example, that occur during a merger)

Moving - within FRS from operational (firefighter or control) to support staff

Where a person leaves to take up another type of employment within the same FRS as support staff (for example, wholetime staff re-engaged under the FPS scheme) or moves from support to operational staff.

Resignation - to take up alternative employment

Resignation to take any other employment outside the FRS

Resignation - due to ill health

Personnel resigning on the grounds of ill-health only

Resignation - any other reason

Include personnel resigning as a result of harassment or discrimination, not on the grounds of ill-health.

Redundancy - compulsory

Where a person has been made compulsory redundant by the FRS

Redundancy - voluntary

Where a person has taken voluntary redundancy

Retirement - early

Where a person has taken early retirement

Retirement - normal

Where a person leaves the FRS to take up retirement after having served their eligible length of service to receive a full pension.

Dismissal - poor performance (including failure to maintain fitness)

Termination of the contract of employment with FRS as a consequence of poor performance. This includes failure to maintain fitness.

Dismissal - disciplinary grounds

Termination of the contract of employment with FRS for disciplinary reasons such as gross misconduct.

9. Firefighter safety

Firefighter safety data is collected as part of the operational statistics aggregrate-level data collection.

9.1 Operational incidents

This category includes incidents/injuries that occurred while responding to an emergency. The relevant categories are a fire, a road traffic collision or other non-fire (special service) incidents.

For example, injuries occurring whilst responding to fire incidents (for example, an on-call firefighter en route to the fire station) are included as operational incidents classified under ‘at fires’. If an injury occurs whilst returning from an incident, this is also included under operational incidents. The incident is ongoing until such time as the person is back at the station or, if preceding other duties such as hydrant testing or training, then until commencing that activity.

9.2 Total number of personnel injured

The number of individuals sustaining injuries during an activity. Multiple injuries to an individual sustained during a single event are counted as a single injury, for example, a broken arm and leg = one injury. However, if a person was injured in more than one activity this is counted more than once. For example, if the same person was injured during 3 different operational activities, they will be counted 3 times.

9.3 RIDDOR

The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR), place a legal duty on employers, self-employed people and people in control of premises to report:

  • work-related deaths
  • major injuries
  • over 3 days injuries
  • work-related diseases
  • dangerous occurrences (near miss accidents)

The return collects all injuries that are classified as RIDDOR and not just RIDDOR reportable.

9.4 Over 7-day injuries

This category refers to actual number of injuries sustained during an activity, which were not ‘major’ as defined in RIDDOR, but resulted in the person being unavailable for their normal duties for a period of more than 7 days (previously 3 days up until year ending March 2017).

9.5 Major injuries

Injuries sustained during each activity for each group which resulted in an injury that is defined in RIDDOR as a ‘major’ injury. Those injuries are:

  • fractures, other than to fingers, thumbs and toes

  • amputations

  • any injury likely to lead to permanent loss of sight or reduction in sight

  • any crush injury to the head or torso causing damage to the brain or internal organs

  • serious burns (including scalding), which covers more than 10% of the body

  • causes significant damage to the eyes, respiratory system or other vital organs

  • any scalping requiring hospital treatment

  • any loss of consciousness caused by head injury or asphyxia

  • any other injury arising from working in an enclosed space which: leads to hypothermia or heat-induced illness

  • requires resuscitation or admittance to hospital for more than 24 hours

Further guidance is available from Health and Safety Executive.

9.6 Attacks on firefighters

It should be noted that the IRS does not provide a complete picture of attacks on firefighters as it only covers incidents attended by firefighters through an emergency call. It does not cover attacks occurring on, for example, training or routine activities. In addition, it provides a count of the number of incidents that involved an attack not the number of attacks, as more than one firefighter could have been attacked at one incident. The IRS only allows one option to be coded and FRSs record the one that best describes it, so there may be an undercount of some types of attacks and it may be possible for verbal attacks to include an injury and vice versa.

9.7 Training

Any training activity including lectures, exercises, practical training sessions and other forms of training to maintain competence levels. Training and development includes sessions delivered either locally or at one of the regional training centres. The injuries are split depending on whether they were sustained during operational training or during fitness training.

9.8 Operational training

This includes theory and practical work covering basic rescue techniques, such as:

  • using firefighting equipment and breathing apparatus, foam and fire extinguishers, ladders, hoses and hydraulic equipment

  • life-saving skills such as teaching fire safety and giving first aid

  • training for Inspecting Officers and Fire Safety Officers, community fire prevention, licensing, health care, building design, fire engineering and investigation

9.9 Fitness training

This category refers to physical exercise sessions such as gym time, running and circuit training carried out during shifts.

9.10 Routine activities

Routine activities include public education activities such as drills, fire safety talks, maintenance, equipment checks, yard work, tea and coffee breaks.

10. Firefighter pensions

1992 Scheme

Closed to new membership on 5 April 2006. It is a final salary scheme which provides 1/60th accrual in the first 20 years of service and double accrual (that is, 2/60ths accrual) in the next 10 years of service, giving a maximum pension entitlement of 40/60ths. It has a normal pension age of 55, but provides for members to retire from age 50 years with 25 or more years pensionable service.

2006 Scheme

Closed to new membership on 31 March 2015. It was introduced for regular and on-call firefighters employed since 6 April 2006. It is a final salary scheme with 1/60th accrual for each year of service, providing a maximum pension of 45/60ths. It has a normal pension age of 60 years.

2014 Modified Scheme

Introduced in April 2014 in response to an Employment Tribunal decision in 2011 that required on-call firefighters, employed during the period 1 July 2000 and 5 April 2006 inclusive, to be given access to pension arrangements that provided similar benefits as those provided by the 1992 Scheme. The Modified Scheme is a final salary scheme with 1/45th accrual rate for each year of service, providing a maximum pension of 30/45ths. It has a normal pension age of 55 years. The provisions of the Modified Scheme are incorporated within the 2006 Scheme’s regulations. The data published in this release amalgamates the 2006 and Modified Scheme membership data.

2015 Scheme

Introduced in England on 1 April 2015. It is a career average scheme, as opposed to final salary, where members effectively accrue an annual pension pot for each year of service based on the pensionable pay they received. It provides a 1/59.7th accrual rate and has no pension limit. It has a normal pension age of 60. Unless covered by transitional protection arrangements introduced as part of the new scheme, existing members of the 1992 and 2006 Schemes were required to transition into the 2015 Scheme on 1 April 2015.

Pension Scheme Expenditure

The total eligible pension spent by employers in respect of their retired employees, paid directly out of their local pension fund account.

Pension Scheme Income

The cash flow paid into the local pension fund account by an employee (member of the scheme) and employer.

Pension Scheme Deficit

The annual difference in expenditure and income of the Firefighters’ Pension Fund.

Commutation Payment

This is a lump sum payable by the employer where a retiring member makes an election to convert a proportion of his/her future annual pension for a lump sum.

Deferred Pension

A person becomes entitled to a deferred pension if they leave employment, or make an election to cease paying pension contributions, prior to becoming entitled to receive the immediate payment of their pension. Deferred pensions come into payment when the member attains age 60 years in the 1992 Scheme; and 65 years in the 2006 Scheme; and State Pension Age in the 2015 Scheme.

Deferred Members

A member who elects to leave the scheme’s membership, either by virtue of leaving employment or opting out of the scheme’s membership, prior to becoming entitled to an immediate payment of their pension will become a deferred member and become entitled to a deferred pension at the ages mentioned above.

Regular or wholetime firefighter members

Personnel currently serving as full-time firefighters. They are members of one of the pension schemes and pay employee contributions based on the pensionable pay that they earn.

On call or retained firefighter members

Part-time personnel contracted to be available for agreed periods of time for firefighting purposes, but who may also have an alternative employment and occupational pensions elsewhere.

Ill-Health Charge

This is a cash sum payable by the employer to their Firefighters’ Pension Fund each time they medically retire a scheme member on ill-health grounds. The ill-health charge equates to a payment of twice pensionable pay for a lower-tier ill-health retirement and 4 times pensionable pay for a higher-tier ill-health retirement.

Ill-Health Retirement

Ill-health retirement occurs when a member becomes entitled to immediate payment of their pension benefits as a consequence of becoming permanently disabled for undertaking their roles as a firefighter. There are 2 levels of ill-health retirement, lower-tier and higher tier awards. The lower tier award entitles any member who becomes permanently disabled for undertaking their role as a firefighter to the immediate payment of the pension benefits that they have accrued (that is, a lower tier pension); the higher tier award entitles any member who becomes permanently disabled for undertaking their role as a firefighter and any other regular employment (defined as a minimum of 30 hours per week over a period of at least 12 months) to the immediate payment of a lower tier pension and also an additional enhanced higher tier pension.

Opting out

Members of the scheme may elect to opt out, thereby ceasing to pay pension contributions while remaining in employment as a firefighter with the FRA. Members who opt out prior to becoming entitled to payment of their pension will become entitled to a deferred pension.

Pensioner

A scheme member who has retired from their employment as a firefighter and is receiving an immediate entitlement to the payment of their pension benefits.

Recurring Pension Payments

These are the monthly (post-commutation) pension payments made to retired members of the pension schemes.

Transfers In and Out

A cash value representing a person’s pension pot may be transferred with them when they move from 1 pension scheme to another.

Miscellaneous Expenditure

Various minor or incidental costs associated with administering pension plans for firefighters.

Milne Vs GAD case

In May 2015, the Pensions Ombudsman issued his Final Determination in a case brought by a retired Scottish firefighter, Mr Milne, against the Government Actuary’s Department (GAD). The Ombudsman determined that there was maladministration by GAD as the Scheme factors should have been revised for firefighters who retired between 2001 and 2006. Effectively, this meant that FRAs were required to pay redress to affected members of the 1992 Scheme who retired during the same period.

11. Fire prevention

Fire prevention data is collected as part of the operational statistics aggregrate-level data collection. FRSs have been conducting fire prevention work for a number of years and in a number of different areas. This work became a statutory duty for FRSs in 2004 with the introduction of the Fire and Rescue Services Act. Typical prevention activities include: Home Fire Safety Visits (HFSVs) and arson prevention, promotional work with young people and other vulnerable groups as well as other campaigns and initiatives. However, because of difficulties in defining some of this work (due to prevention activity taking on a wide range of forms and recording being inconsistent) and in order to minimise burdens on FRSs we have, from year ending March 2019, only collected information on HFSVs - we no longer collect information on campaigns and initiatives. The information collected in previous years on campaigns and initiatives can be found in FIRE1203.

11.1 Fire prevention campaigns and initiatives

The Home Office stopped collecting data on campaigns and initiatives in 2018, to reduce the burden on FRSs. The previous statistics on campaigns and initiatives are available in FIRE1204.

‘Fire Prevention campaigns and initiatives’ includes:

  • youth diversion
  • Young Firesetter schemes
  • schools education activity (nursery to key stage 5)
  • arson prevention initiatives
  • other fire prevention campaigns/initiatives (road safety campaigns.)

Firesetter schemes

Youth initiatives designed to tackle and prevent firesetting behaviour, involving a one-to-one intervention or targeting groups of young people.

Youth diversion schemes

Initiatives designed to divert young people (aged 18 and under) from offending or those at risk of offending. This category includes Local Intervention Fire Education (LIFE) and Cadets schemes.

Other youth fire safety schemes

Include information on FRS involvement with schools, including visits to fire stations or school talks.

11.2 Home Fire Safety Visits (HFSVs)

HFSVs aim to offer bespoke domestic fire safety advice based on their household and lifestyle, which might mitigate the risk of fire. They can also cover additional factors such as falls risk assessment, smoking cessation, cold homes and fuel poverty and a range of other health and community issues depending on local arrangements. These are often targeted towards the more vulnerable members of the community, including older people and disabled people. These visits can result in the installation of smoke alarms and safety recommendations, such as moving or removing furniture which may be hazardous.

These checks must include:

  • identifying and advising of the potential fire risks within the home
  • advising householders what to do in order to reduce or prevent these risks
  • putting together an escape plan in case a fire does break out and ensuring the householder has working smoke alarms; the HFSV can include installing a smoke alarm(s) where appropriate

If more than one check has been carried out on the same location, they are counted separately.

Virtual checks were introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic throughout the year ending March 2021, the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) published a series of position statements on Prevention strategic intentions, which took into account the COVID-19 management measures in place. The most recent statement can be found here. These statements resulted in a halt to face to face (or over the threshold) HFSVs in the first lockdown and a transition to virtual HFSVs and limited face to face visits throughout the remainder of the year. The Home Office collected the number of virtual (online or telephone) HFSVs,

Personnel Hours are number of hours spent by FRS personnel on completed community fire safety campaigns and initiatives (for example, 2 personnel spending 2 hours on a single activity count as 4 hours). This category includes: - persons actively involved in the activity, for instance, if an appliance has 4 staff and only 2 participate, only 2 are counted - personnel hours spent on preparations (including administration time), travel and carrying out the campaigns and initiatives - the total number of hours spent on campaigns/initiatives that are still ‘open’ are not recorded but fully included in the following year; this prevents ‘double counting’ these initiatives

Number of visits is the number of visits to individual types of premises. If a programme of visits has been arranged then each visit is counted separately, for example, if there were 4 programmes, and each programme constituted 4 visits, then the number of visits would be recorded as 16. A repeat visit from a delivery program is counted twice.

FRS personnel are staff employed directly by the FRSs across all duty systems. They include:

  • all temporary staff
  • staff on fixed term contracts
  • secondees where the FRS is paying their salaries

Personnel excluded are:

  • personnel employed by outside contractors
  • secondees where the FRS is not paying their salaries

Partners include organisations such as:

  • home improvement services
  • education services
  • social services
  • voluntary sector
  • housing associations
  • primary care trusts

Elderly people

HFSVs are defined as having attended an elderly person when the household is occupied by a person 65 years of age or over.

Disabled

HFSVs are defined as having attended a disabled person when the household is occupied by a disabled person, as defined in the Equality Act 2010:

  • the individual has a physical or mental impairment
  • the impairment has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to perform normal day-to-day activities

If a HFSV is carried out with a person that is both elderly and disabled, the information is recorded twice, as both an elderly and a disabled check. However, from year ending March 2019, this information is recorded once.

In June 2020 the NFCC launched the Person Centred Framework with the aim of supporting all FRSs to deliver a standardised and evidence-based approach to HFSVs.

12. Fire protection

Fire protection data is collected as part of the operational statistics aggregrate-level data collection. Fire protection refers to FRSs statutory duty to promote and enforce fire safety to reduce risk to people in the built environment. The Home Office collects data on fire safety enforcement activities primarily, but not exclusively, in respect of the provisions of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (FSO, also referred to as the RRO). The FSO is the primary fire safety regime in England and Wales, and it applies to all non-domestic premises, as well as the common parts of multi-occupancy residential buildings. It places a number of legal duties on responsible persons (persons in control of a premises), including the requirements to:

  • carry out fire risk assessments to identify any general fire safety precautions
  • implement and maintain fire safety precautions to protect the safety of people in or within the vicinity of the premises

Fire safety audit

Defined as a scheduled or planned visit by an appropriately skilled fire safety officer to carry out a comprehensive assessment of the level of compliance with the requirements of The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (FSO) by a responsible person.

Satisfactory fire safety audit

When an audit is deemed as satisfactory if the premises broadly complies with the Fire Safety Order and no further action is necessary.

Unsatisfactory fire safety audit

When an audit is deemed unsatisfactory if further action is necessary to bring the premises up to compliance with the Fire Safety Order.

Informal notification

When an informal notification includes any non-legally binding action, resulting from an unsatisfactory audit for example, informal notification or agreed action plan.

Other safety activity

This captures all fire safety activity generated by requests from others, that is, approaches from other agencies or bodies (for example, Ofsted), the public, and business representatives as well as any FSO related promotional/awareness raising activities generated within the FRA.

Enforcement notices (Article 30)

Served - under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order (2005) - Article 30 - if the enforcing authority is of the opinion that the responsible person has failed to comply with any provision of the Fire Safety Order or of any regulations made under it.

Prohibition notices (Article 31)

Served - under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order (2005) - Article 31 - on the responsible person or any other person, if the enforcing authority is of the opinion that use of premises involves or will involve a risk to relevant persons so serious that use of the premises ought to be prohibited or restricted.

Prosecutions (Article 32)

The number of convictions for failure to comply with an alteration, enforcement or prohibition notice, or any other matter for which it is an offence under Article 32.

Alteration notices (Article 29)

Served - under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order (2005) - Article 29 - on the responsible person if the enforcing authority is of the opinion that the premises constitutes a serious risk to relevant persons (whether due to the features of the premises, their use, any hazard present, or any other circumstances); or may constitute such a risk if a change is made to them or the use to which they are put.

Premises satisfactory following enforcement

Where a premises receives an audit that is initially recorded as unsatisfactory and enforcement action subsequently leads to a satisfactory outcome. In these cases, the fire safety officer will be expected to carry out a new audit to reflect the reduced risk. This activity is not counted as a separate audit, but as part of the time accumulated against the initial audit.

Premises known to FRAs

The FRA’s knowledge, as far as possible, of all relevant premises; for the enforcing authority to establish a risk profile for premises in its area. These refer to all premises except single private dwellings.

Short audits

A simpler audit process using the Chief Fire Officers Association’s short audit form when visiting smaller and less complex premises and those managed as part of a multi-national chain where management policies and arrangements are in place and also for follow-up visits on premises.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions in year ending March 2021, the National Fire Chiefs Council published Guidance on carrying out desktop appraisals. Where a remote desktop appraisal of fire safety measures has been carried out and recorded in accordance with CFOA Short Audit guidance, and there are no outstanding fire safety issues, this activity has been recorded in FRS returns. Desktop appraisals have been included in the total number of short audits in this release and accompanying tables.

Building regulation consultations

Statutory consultations with FRAs by building control bodies under articles 45 and 46 of the FSO and ensure that property comply with building regulation where the FSO applies.

The fire safety activity data is collected on the following property types:

  • hospitals
  • care homes
  • houses in multiple occupation (HMO)
  • purpose built flats one to 3 storeys
  • purpose built flats 4 to 5 storeys
  • purpose built flats 6 to 9 storeys
  • purpose built flats >=10 storeys
  • hostels
  • hotels
  • houses converted to flats
  • other sleeping accommodation
  • further education
  • public buildings
  • licensed premises
  • schools
  • shops
  • other premises open to public
  • factories or warehouses
  • offices
  • other
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