Fire and Rescue Statement and Annual Report 2018-2019

Firefighter recruitment, Safe and Well Visits and closer collaboration Essex County Fire and Rescue Service – Fire and Rescue Statement and Annual Report 2018-2019 The 2018-2019 Fire and Rescue Statement and Annual Report for Essex County Fire and Rescue Service shows a Service with new leadership, a stable financial position, strong commitment to collaborating with other emergency services and a Service that opened up recruitment for wholetime firefighters for the first time in nine years. Roger Hirst, Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner said, “This report covers the first full year since the Service moved to Joint Governance. During this period the Service has strengthened its financial position, developed our ability to manage risk and designed a challenging and ambitious new strategy for the Service; the Fire and Rescue Plan.” “The Service has continued to deliver for the people of Essex, undertaking a huge number of engagements with vulnerable groups, fitting smoke alarms across the county, and working in schools to educate young people. This has coincided with a continued reduction in the number of injuries resulting from a primary fires. While this shows the positive impact we can have as a Service when we focus on prevention, it also shows the real possibility of getting to a stage where we can have no fatalities from primary fires. “At the same time the Service has also responded to over 15,000 incidents; 4,937 of which were fires and 6, 292 which were false alarms." Jo Turton, Chief Fire Officer and Chief Executive said: “For me, this report is testament to the brilliant people we have working for our Service. I find that sometimes people can be surprised that our role as a fire and rescue service is more than simply putting our fires. We are a Service that is focused on preventing fires and harm from happening in the first place; and that takes continuous improvement and work behind the scenes, as well as engagement with our communities and targeted intervention to deliver.” The report also sets out a number of other positive developments including:

• The appointment of Jo Turton as the new Chief Fire Officer/Chief Executive
• Recruitment of a new Service Leadership Team
• First whole time firefighter recruitment in nine years, including campaigns to encourage more women and BAME to apply
• 8,553 Safe and Well Visits
• Establishment of 11 drop in centres for Police Officers in key fire stations across the county
• Joint school safety visits with Essex Police, covering 82% of all schools in Essex

The full version of the Fire and Rescue Statement and Annual Report can be viewed here.