Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service attended 1,774 primary fires in its latest reporting year, compared with 881 at West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service. Fatalities and non-fatal casualties from primary fires totalled 209 for Merseyside and 97 for West Sussex.
Average time from call to first appliance at a dwelling fire is 6:58 in Merseyside and 9:01 in West Sussex. 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 2,470). Satisfactory-outcome rates were 76% for Merseyside and 34% for West Sussex, covering audits that closed without requiring informal action, formal notice, or prohibition. False alarms make up a notably larger share of call-outs in West Sussex (43% vs 37%).
Total Fires
Primary fires attended by fire and rescue services
1,774
Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service
881
West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service
Fatalities & Casualties
Deaths and non-fatal casualties from primary fires
209
Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service
97
West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service
False Alarm Rate
Proportion of all incidents that were false alarms
37%
Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service
43%
West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service
Fire Safety Audits
Number of fire safety audits conducted by the authority
4,152
Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service
2,470
West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service
Audit Outcomes
Results of fire safety audits: satisfactory, informal action, formal action
4,218
Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service total
2,482
West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service total
Average Response Time
Average time from call to first appliance arriving at dwelling fires
