Essex County Fire and Rescue Service attended 2,217 primary fires in its latest reporting year, compared with 3,674 at West Midlands Fire Service. Fatalities and non-fatal casualties from primary fires totalled 132 for Essex County and 743 for West Midlands.
Average time from call to first appliance at a dwelling fire is 9:24 in Essex County and 6:25 in West Midlands. 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 1,552). Satisfactory-outcome rates were 50% for Essex County and 57% for West Midlands, covering audits that closed without requiring informal action, formal notice, or prohibition. False alarms make up a notably larger share of call-outs in Essex County (42% vs 36%).
Total Fires
Primary fires attended by fire and rescue services
2,217
Essex County Fire and Rescue Service
3,674
West Midlands Fire Service
Fatalities & Casualties
Deaths and non-fatal casualties from primary fires
132
Essex County Fire and Rescue Service
743
West Midlands Fire Service
False Alarm Rate
Proportion of all incidents that were false alarms
42%
Essex County Fire and Rescue Service
36%
West Midlands Fire Service
Fire Safety Audits
Number of fire safety audits conducted by the authority
3,034
Essex County Fire and Rescue Service
1,552
West Midlands Fire Service
Audit Outcomes
Results of fire safety audits: satisfactory, informal action, formal action
3,042
Essex County Fire and Rescue Service total
1,550
West Midlands Fire Service total
Average Response Time
Average time from call to first appliance arriving at dwelling fires
