In the past 12 months, Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service attended nearly 12,500 incidents, and the service is working hard to prevent future incidents.
Unfortunately, six people lost their lives, five of which were started from accidentally started fires.
This information is published in the services first annual report, which was on the agenda at Dorset County Council’s cabinet meeting this morning.
The emergency response standard focuses on life risk, which for sleeping risks, mean they aim to arrive within 10 minutes for the first fire engine, and 13 for the second one, and was achieved on 71.6 per cent and 65.7 per cent respectively.
The service says it is looking to to create a stronger, more financially stable fire and rescue service, putting as much money in the frontline as they can, maximising usage of buildings and minimising their running costs, being more cost-effective by working more closely with other emergency services and local authorities and reducing their carbon footprint.
The report states: “Moving forward, Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue will continue to focus on ensuring they contribute towards wider health outcomes, to have a pro-active approach to providing business support and education, through further strengthening their training to help identify safeguarding concerns and review all aspects to identify ways to improve efficiency and make their money go further to provide a better service.”
Targets have been set by the service in the following areas:
- Making safer and healthier choices
- Protecting people and the environment from harm
- Being present when the service is needed
- Making every penny count.
The past year saw:
- Fewer injuries and deaths from accidental and preventable fires
- Fewer road traffic collisions that result in injury and death
- Less anti-social behaviour and arson
- More young people reaching their potential
- More protection and support for vulnerable people
- Fewer hospital admissions for vulnerable people
This was through 12,459 safe & well checks carried out, 16,900 people receiving road safety messages, 26 intensive youth courses delivered, and 2,800 army staff receiving road safety information.
Data from the Ministry of Defence indicated that Army staff are 161 per cent more likely to be involved in road traffic collision than the rest of the UK population, so the roadshow was delivered to personnel.
Through protecting people and the environment from harm, there were fewer injuries and preventable fires, deaths and accidents, less disruption from extreme weather, especially flooding, fewer false alarms and unnecessary call outs, and less damage to wildlife.
Over 706 fire safety audits were carried out, with over one thousand positive engagements with businesses and 1,482 building regulation consultations.
In 2016/17 the service attended:
- 12,474 incidents, of which
- 3,247 fires (including 919 deliberate)
- 771 accidental fires in the home
- 359 fires in non-domestic buildings
- 59 rescues from fires
- 231 rescues from road collisions