Essex County Fire and Rescue Service attended 2,163 primary fires in its latest reporting year, compared with 1,200 at Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service. Fatalities and non-fatal casualties from primary fires totalled 143 for Essex County and 147 for Hertfordshire.
Average time from call to first appliance at a dwelling fire is 9:28 in Essex County and 7:57 in Hertfordshire. Response times differ by several minutes, often reflecting geography — larger rural coverage areas mean longer average travel to incidents. On enforcement activity, Essex County carried out the larger number of fire safety audits over the year (2,864 vs 662). Satisfactory-outcome rates were 62% for Essex County and 77% for Hertfordshire, covering audits that closed without requiring informal action, formal notice, or prohibition. False alarms make up a notably larger share of call-outs in Hertfordshire (47% vs 42%).
Total Fires
Primary fires attended by fire and rescue services
2,163
Essex County Fire and Rescue Service
1,200
Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service
Fatalities & Casualties
Deaths and non-fatal casualties from primary fires
143
Essex County Fire and Rescue Service
147
Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service
False Alarm Rate
Proportion of all incidents that were false alarms
42%
Essex County Fire and Rescue Service
47%
Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service
Fire Safety Audits
Number of fire safety audits conducted by the authority
2,864
Essex County Fire and Rescue Service
662
Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service
Audit Outcomes
Results of fire safety audits: satisfactory, informal action, formal action
2,888
Essex County Fire and Rescue Service total
688
Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service total
Average Response Time
Average time from call to first appliance arriving at dwelling fires
