Hertfordshire firefighters called to more non-fire incidents than actual fires

Firefighters in Hertfordshire were called to more non-fire incidents than actual fires last year, figures reveal.

The Fire Brigades Union said it has seen a surge in widespread flooding nationally, as crews “battle the sharp end of climate change”.

Home Office data shows Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service responded to 3,323 non-fire incidents in 2019-20.

That was much higher the number of fires fought by crews over the period – 2,462.

Incidents not involving fires increased by 5 per cent compared to 2018-19, the figures show, while fires fell by 15 per cent.

Non-fire incidents are classed as anything other than fires and false alarms, including flooding incidents, road traffic collisions, animal assistance as well as suicide attempts, people being stranded, trapped, impaled and dealing with hazardous substances among others.

Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service was called to 10,288 incidents last year in total, with fires making up just 24 per cent of these.

Darryl Keen, chief fire officer, Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue said: “We constantly review the incidents that crews attend to ensure that we can deploy the right skills and equipment to be able to assist the public in the widest possible range of situations where our assistance is requested.

“The current pandemic and other incidents that have occurred across the county demonstrate the outstanding skills that our firefighters have, but also the willingness to support the public in a wide range of emergencies that might not have traditionally been the remit of the Fire and Rescue Service.

“In particular I am extremely proud of the way all staff within HFRS have risen to the challenge that Covid-19 has presented and I am sure that the public are grateful for all that they continue to do to support their communities.”

Across England and Wales, fire crews responded to 172,000 incidents of this kind in 2019-20 – a 6 per cent rise compared to 2018-19, and 12 per cent compared to a decade ago.

Figures show the latest increase has been driven by crews attending more flooding and multi-agency incidents, which involve other emergency services.

Matt Wrack, FBU general secretary, said: “We have seen a significant increase in flooding incidents, likely linked to the mass flooding emergencies across the country over last winter.

“Widespread flooding in the last year and recent wildfires have shown that firefighters are battling the sharp end of climate change.

"Their work should be properly recognised with a statutory duty to respond to floods in England and the proper funding of their service."

Nationally, crews responded to 557,299 callouts, a 3 per cent drop compared to the previous year.

An agreement reached in March allowed firefighters to drive ambulances and deliver vital supplies to the elderly and vulnerable as the coronavirus crisis took hold.

It was extended in June, meaning such activity will continue until the end of September at the earliest.

Mr Wrack continued: "Firefighters have always taken on a range of non-fire work and can be proud of stepping up during the coronavirus pandemic, all while still responding to fires and other emergencies."