Essex County Fire and Rescue Service attended 2,217 primary fires in its latest reporting year, compared with 632 at Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service. Fatalities and non-fatal casualties from primary fires totalled 132 for Essex County and 64 for Suffolk.
Average time from call to first appliance at a dwelling fire is 9:24 in Essex County and 11:31 in Suffolk. 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 1,750). Satisfactory-outcome rates were 50% for Essex County and 76% for Suffolk, covering audits that closed without requiring informal action, formal notice, or prohibition. False alarms make up a notably larger share of call-outs in Suffolk (53% vs 42%).
Total Fires
Primary fires attended by fire and rescue services
2,217
Essex County Fire and Rescue Service
632
Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service
Fatalities & Casualties
Deaths and non-fatal casualties from primary fires
132
Essex County Fire and Rescue Service
64
Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service
False Alarm Rate
Proportion of all incidents that were false alarms
42%
Essex County Fire and Rescue Service
53%
Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service
Fire Safety Audits
Number of fire safety audits conducted by the authority
3,034
Essex County Fire and Rescue Service
1,750
Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service
Audit Outcomes
Results of fire safety audits: satisfactory, informal action, formal action
3,042
Essex County Fire and Rescue Service total
1,750
Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service total
Average Response Time
Average time from call to first appliance arriving at dwelling fires
