Report highlights record number of fires across Hertfordshire last summer

FIREFIGHTERS were called-out to a record number of incidents last summer, as temperatures across the county soared.

In a six week period – between July 4 and August 15 last year – crews dealt with 871 fires.

That’s more than THREE times higher than the 248 fires dealt with by the service during the same period in 2021.

And many of those fires are said to be as a ‘direct consequence of the exceptionally warm weather’ – that saw temperatures reach in excess of 40C.

At the peak of the heatwave the fire control room was dealing with an emergency call every 13 seconds.

The ‘record-breaking’ summer is highlighted in the county council’s Hertfordshire Community Protection Directorate annual performance report 2022/23.

Overall the report records that firefighters attended 11,455 emergency incidents or requests for assistance.

That included 1147 primary fires, which are fires involving a building, vehicle or outdoor structure, involving a casualty or five or more fire engines.

It also included 1572 secondary fires, which are those fires that involve items such as refuse, grassland, roadside furniture, drains or barbecues.

The service also attended 566 road accidents – and ‘continue to rescue significantly more people from RTCs than from fires’.

The service’s prevention work is also highlighted, with officers conducting 7480 ‘safe and well visits’.

These visits – free for Herts residents – provide health and wellbeing advice, guidance and fire safety advice – which can include the fitting of smoke detectors.

Meanwhile the report also highlights the role of its 80 community protection volunteers.

Volunteers are trained to assist in the event of a major incident and support at a range of engagement activities.

There are also a number of volunteers who – on horseback and on bikes – deliver regular ‘arson and reassurance patrols’.

According to the annual report, in 2022/23 there were 2841 hours delivered by volunteers.

• According to the Hertfordshire Community Protection Directorate annual performance report 2022/23, three complaints were made – and upheld – about poor or dangerous driving shown by Herts Fire and Rescue Service staff, last year.

They are among 10 complaints made about the service in 2022/23 detailed in the report.

Six of the complaints – which also included conduct/attitude of crew, inconsiderate parking and inappropriate language – were upheld, according to the report.

“It is not possible to draw any robust conclusions and/or identify weaknesses in terms of performance based on the complaints data due to the extremely low number of cases that were received,” says the report.

“However, training staff at the Service’s Training and Development Centre have been instructed to ensure that all driving course delegates are reminded of their responsibilities in terms of behaviours, including courtesy to other road users.”

The council’s community protection directorate – which includes the Fire Service and trading standards – received 136 compliments, during the same 12-month period.

And the report states: “The increased number of compliments received during the reporting period compared to 2021/ 22 reflects the fact that the Directorate was, once again, able to deliver a full range of protection, prevention, and other community engagement activities, following the Covid pandemic.

“The low number of complaints combined with the number of compliments can be viewed as a positive endorsement of the quality of services. “