Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service attended 1,666 primary fires in its latest reporting year, compared with 827 at Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service. Fatalities and non-fatal casualties from primary fires totalled 191 for Merseyside and 109 for Cheshire.
Average time from call to first appliance at a dwelling fire is 6:52 in Merseyside and 8:37 in Cheshire. Response times differ by several minutes, often reflecting geography — larger rural coverage areas mean longer average travel to incidents. On enforcement activity, Merseyside carried out the larger number of fire safety audits over the year (4,152 vs 4,080). Satisfactory-outcome rates were 76% for Merseyside and 91% for Cheshire, covering audits that closed without requiring informal action, formal notice, or prohibition. False alarms make up a notably larger share of call-outs in Cheshire (45% vs 40%).
Total Fires
Primary fires attended by fire and rescue services
1,666
Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service
827
Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service
Fatalities & Casualties
Deaths and non-fatal casualties from primary fires
191
Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service
109
Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service
False Alarm Rate
Proportion of all incidents that were false alarms
40%
Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service
45%
Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service
Fire Safety Audits
Number of fire safety audits conducted by the authority
4,152
Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service
4,080
Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service
Audit Outcomes
Results of fire safety audits: satisfactory, informal action, formal action
4,218
Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service total
4,116
Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service total
Average Response Time
Average time from call to first appliance arriving at dwelling fires
