Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service attended 777 primary fires in its latest reporting year, compared with 2,217 at Essex County Fire and Rescue Service. Fatalities and non-fatal casualties from primary fires totalled 68 for Royal Berkshire and 132 for Essex County.
Average time from call to first appliance at a dwelling fire is 7:48 in Royal Berkshire and 9:24 in Essex County. 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 (3,034 vs 1,352). Satisfactory-outcome rates were 70% for Royal Berkshire and 50% for Essex County, covering audits that closed without requiring informal action, formal notice, or prohibition. False alarms make up a notably larger share of call-outs in Royal Berkshire (45% vs 42%).
Total Fires
Primary fires attended by fire and rescue services
777
Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service
2,217
Essex County Fire and Rescue Service
Fatalities & Casualties
Deaths and non-fatal casualties from primary fires
68
Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service
132
Essex County Fire and Rescue Service
False Alarm Rate
Proportion of all incidents that were false alarms
45%
Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service
42%
Essex County Fire and Rescue Service
Fire Safety Audits
Number of fire safety audits conducted by the authority
1,352
Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service
3,034
Essex County Fire and Rescue Service
Audit Outcomes
Results of fire safety audits: satisfactory, informal action, formal action
1,480
Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service total
3,042
Essex County Fire and Rescue Service total
Average Response Time
Average time from call to first appliance arriving at dwelling fires
