Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service attended 632 primary fires in its latest reporting year, compared with 836 at Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service. Fatalities and non-fatal casualties from primary fires totalled 64 for Suffolk and 64 for Bedfordshire.
Average time from call to first appliance at a dwelling fire is 11:31 in Suffolk and 8:27 in Bedfordshire. Response times differ by several minutes, often reflecting geography — larger rural coverage areas mean longer average travel to incidents. On enforcement activity, Suffolk carried out the larger number of fire safety audits over the year (1,750 vs 1,636). Satisfactory-outcome rates were 76% for Suffolk and 77% for Bedfordshire, 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 40%).
Total Fires
Primary fires attended by fire and rescue services
632
Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service
836
Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service
Fatalities & Casualties
Deaths and non-fatal casualties from primary fires
64
Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service
64
Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service
False Alarm Rate
Proportion of all incidents that were false alarms
53%
Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service
40%
Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service
Fire Safety Audits
Number of fire safety audits conducted by the authority
1,750
Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service
1,636
Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service
Audit Outcomes
Results of fire safety audits: satisfactory, informal action, formal action
1,750
Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service total
1,728
Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service total
Average Response Time
Average time from call to first appliance arriving at dwelling fires
