Fire prevention and protection statistics, England, April 2023 to March 2024
Published 22 August 2024
Applies to England
© Crown copyright 2024
This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gov.uk.
Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.
This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/fire-prevention-and-protection-england-year-ending-march-2024/fire-prevention-and-protection-statistics-england-april-2023-to-march-2024
Frequency of release: Annual
Forthcoming releases: Home Office statistics release calendar
Home Office responsible statistician: Helene Clark
Press enquiries: 0300 123 3535
Public enquiries: firestatistics@homeoffice.gov.uk
This release contains statistics from administrative sources about prevention and protection activities carried out by fire and rescue services (FRSs), and their partners, in England for the year ending March 2024. This release also analyses smoke alarm ownership statistics in England for the year ending March 2023 published by the English Housing Survey (EHS). This release compares the year ending March 2024 with the years ending March 2023 and 2019.
Fire prevention refers to FRSs statutory duty to undertake fire prevention activities, as set out in section 6 of the Fire and Rescue Services Act in 2004. Typical prevention activities provide information to households to encourage fire safety behaviours and include: home fire safety visits (HFSVs; previously known as home fire safety checks), arson prevention, educational work with young people and other vulnerable groups, as well as other fire prevention campaigns and initiatives. The Home Office stopped collecting data on campaigns and initiatives in 2018, to reduce the burden on FRSs. The previous statistics on campaigns and initiatives are available in FIRE1204.
Fire protection refers to FRSs statutory duty to promote and enforce fire safety to reduce risk to people in the built environment. The Home Office collects data on fire safety enforcement activities primarily, but not exclusively, in respect of the provisions of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (FSO, also referred to as the RRO). The FSO is the primary fire safety regime in England and Wales, and it applies to all non-domestic premises, as well as the common parts of multi-occupancy residential buildings. It places a number of legal duties on responsible persons (persons in control of a premises), including the requirements to:
- carry out fire risk assessments to identify any general fire safety precautions
- implement and maintain fire safety precautions to protect the safety of people in or within the vicinity of the premises
The Home Office also collects information on enforcement activity related to petroleum, explosives and dangerous substances (see FIRE1205) under other legislation listed in the further information section.
This release does not include statistics related to the new fire safety requirements, which came into effect on 1 October 2023, Section 156 of the Building Safety Act 2022.
Key results
In the year ending March 2024, FRSs and their partners completed 598,342 HFSVs. This was an increase of 11% compared with the previous year (537,003), but virtually unchanged compared with 5 years ago (597,704).
Figure KR.1: HFSVs completed by FRSs and their partners, England; year ending March 2011 to year ending March 2024
There were 49,835 fire safety audits completed in the year ending March 2024, of which 29,018 (58%) had a satisfactory outcome recorded, the lowest proportion of satisfactory audits since the year ending March 2011.
There were 105,564 non-statutory fire safety activities conducted in the latest year, a decrease of 14% compared with the record high number of activities in the previous year (123,171).
Figure KR.2: Number of fire safety audits conducted by FRSs in England, year ending March 2017 to year ending March 2024
1. Fire prevention
This section focuses on home fire safety visits (HFSVs) and smoke alarm ownership. HFSVs are known by a variety of names, including home fire safety checks, home fire risk checks and safe and well visits; however, in this release they are referred to as HFSVs.
HFSVs Home fire safety visits aim to offer bespoke domestic fire safety advice based on the household occupants’ characteristics, vulnerabilities and lifestyle, which might help to mitigate the risk of fire. These are often targeted towards the more vulnerable members of the community, including older people and disabled people. These visits can result in the installation of smoke alarms and safety recommendations, such as moving or removing furniture which may pose a risk.
FRS partners This includes organisations and sectors such as:
- home improvement services
- education, social services
- voluntary sector
- housing
- primary care trusts
1.1 Key results
In the year ending March 2024:
- FRSs and their partners completed 598,342 HFSVs, which was an increase of 11% on year ending March 2023 (537,003), but virtually unchanged compared with the year ending March 2019 (597,704); Source: FIRE1201
- FRSs and their partners completed 481,739 of HFSVs targeted at people with at least one vulnerability, which accounted for 81% of HFSVs, compared to 405,283 HFSVs (75%) in the year ending March 2023; Source: FIRE1201
1.2 Home fire safety visits (HFSVs)
The Home Office collects data on the total number of HFSVs and the number of HFSVs targeted at households with at least one person with at least one vulnerability or risk factor. The following 3 specific sub-categories of targeted HFSVs are also collected:
- at least one person aged 65 years and over but no-one disabled
- at least one person aged 65 years and over and one person disabled (can be same person)
- all aged 64 years and under but at least one person disabled
The number of HFSVs completed in England by FRSs and partners was on a general downward trend, since the data was first collected in the year ending March 2011. There was a large reduction in the year ending March 2021, due to lockdowns and social restrictions in response to COVID-19. Subsequently, numbers increased, with HFSV numbers in the year ending March 2024 rising to 598,342, the highest number of visits since the year ending March 2015 (see figure KR.1).
In the year ending March 2021, the restrictions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in HFSVs being conducted virtually. See further information for further details on the impact of COVID-19.
Since the easing of restrictions, the proportion of HFSVs completed face-to-face has increased. In the year ending March 2024, 99% of all HFSVs were carried out face-to-face.
1.3 Targeting of HFSVs
A total of 481,739 HFSVs, or 81% (the highest proportion since the data has been collected), were targeted at households that had at least one person with at least one vulnerability or risk factor in the year ending March 2024, compared to 405,283 HFSVs (75%) in the previous year. This metric for HFSV targeting was only included in the data collection since the year ending March 2021.
For the targeting of HFSVs in the year ending March 2024 (see figure 1.1), the vulnerability sub-categories were:
- 169,254 were targeted at households with at least one person aged 65 years and over but no one in the household disabled, accounting for 28% of total HFSVs
- 155,514 were targeted at households with at least one person aged 65 years and over, and one disabled person, accounting for 26% of total HFSVs
- 47,728 were targeted at households with at least one disabled person, with all residents aged 64 years and under, accounting for 8.0% of total HFSVs
- 109,243 were targeted at other vulnerabilities for which the detail on the categorisation was not collected, accounting for 18% of total HFSVs
Over the last 5 years, the level of targeting of HFSVs at people aged 65 years and over and/or disabled has varied. In the year ending March 2024, the proportion of HFSVs targeted at people aged 65 years and over and/or disabled was 62% (372,496 HFSVs) compared to 66%, 5 years ago (391,508).
The number and proportion of HFSVs not targeted at a person with at least one vulnerability or risk factor has dropped. In the latest year, 116,603 were not targeted at people deemed ‘vulnerable’ or ‘at risk’, accounting for 19% of total HFSVs. This compares to 131,720 (25%) not targeted at those with at least one vulnerability in the previous year.
Figure 1.1: Total numbers of HFSVs and targeted HFSVs completed by FRSs in England, year ending March 2011 to March 2024
Notes:
- The person aged 65 years and over and disabled person categories in the chart above are not mutually exclusive. This means that a person aged 65 years and over and a disabled person would be counted in both of the targeting categories in this chart.
1.4 Staff carrying out HFSVs
In the year ending March 2024:
- there was an average of 1.7 staff members carrying out each HFSV, compared to 2.3 in the previous year and 2.2 in the year ending March 2019
- 80% of staff conducting HFSVs were firefighters, compared to 84% in the previous year and 86% in the year ending March 2019
More information on the number of staff carrying out HFSVs by staff role can be found in FIRE1201 in sheet FIRE1201c.
1.5 Smoke alarm ownership
Figure 1.2 shows that 93% of households reported owning a working smoke alarm in the year ending March 2023 (this is the latest available data). This proportion has steadily increased from 87% in the year ending March 2012. However, 23% of those surveyed reported they had never tested their smoke alarm. More information on the EHS, and the change in method during COVID-19, is available in the further information section.
Figure 1.2: Percentage of households owning a smoke alarm or working smoke alarm, England and Wales, 1988 to year ending March 2023
Source: EHS
Notes:
- The imputed values in the chart above have been estimated by the Home Office, as figures were not available, as the exact questions on the EHS change each year.
2. Fire protection - fire safety audits
This section of the release specifically focuses on fire safety audits under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (FSO). Definitions for the main fire protection activities are provided below, with more information provided in the further information section.
Fire safety audit A fire safety audit is a planned visit by an FRS to carry out a comprehensive assessment of the level of compliance with the requirements of the FSO in a particular premises. There is a requirement for fire risk assessments to be regularly conducted and reviewed.
Short audits Short audits are an initial evaluation of the fire safety of a building. It was designed by the sector to support better regulation, by enabling FRSs to focus enforcement resources more effectively on higher risk premises.
Satisfactory audits: Satisfactory audits are when the result of an audit is recorded as satisfactory, if the premises broadly complies with the FSO and no further action is necessary.
Unsatisfactory audits: Unsatisfactory audits are when the result of an audit is recorded as unsatisfactory, if further action is necessary to bring the premises up to compliance.
2.1 Key results
In the year ending March 2024:
- FRSs carried out 49,835 fire safety audits, a decrease of 1.2% compared to the year ending March 2023 (50,424); Source: FIRE1202
- 58% of audits had a satisfactory outcome, the lowest proportion since year ending March 2011; Source: FIRE1202
- the most common type of premises to be audited was shops with 9,541 audits (19% of all fire safety audits); Source: FIRE1202
- the average time spent on audits was 5.1 hours, which is the longest in the timeseries; Source: FIRE1202
2.2 Number of fire safety audits
Since the year ending March 2018, the number of fire safety audits completed has remained stable, with the exception of the year ending March 2021 when there was a large decline likely due to the restrictions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of audits in the year ending March 2024 (49,835) was a decrease of 1.2% compared to the year ending March 2023 (50,424), and an increase of 1.0% on the year ending March 2019 (49,327).
In the year ending March 2024, shops were the premises type with the highest number of audits. There were 9,541 audits conducted in shops in the year ending March 2024, equivalent to 19%, with the number of audits in shops decreasing by 12% on year ending March 2023, and an increase of 6.0% on year ending March 2019.
There were also large increases in audit numbers at other non-residential locations, when compared to year ending March 2023:
- schools increasing by 85% from 1,710 to 3,162
- further education buildings increasing by 43% from 278 to 397
- public buildings increasing by 63% from 401 to 654
The increase in audits carried out in these building types may in part be due to updated building and safety regulation guidance for schools and further education buildings which was published by the Department of Education in May 2022.
For purpose-built flats with 4 or more storeys, the number of audits increased by 12%, to 3,653 compared to the previous year (3,274), and increased by 2.4% compared to 5 years ago (3,569). The average time spent on audits was highest at this premises type (6.5 hours) in the latest year.
Figure 2.1: Total number of fire safety audits by FRSs, grouped by building types in England, for years ending March 2019, 2023, and 2024 (ordered by year ending March 2024 figures)
Notes:
Premises types in the chart above are categorised as follows:
- Flats and houses in multiple occupation (HMOs): purpose-built flats (all height categories), houses converted to flats and HMOs.
- Other accommodation: hotels, hostels and other sleeping accommodation.
- Factories, warehouses and offices: factories, warehouses and offices.
- Public building and other: public buildings, hospitals, schools, further education, other premises open to the public and other unspecified premises.
2.3 Time spent on audits
Table 5.2 in the summary of changes over time section provides the number of audits, hours spent and average hours for all audits and by outcome (satisfactory or unsatisfactory).
For the year ending March 2024, the average time spent on all audits has increased to 5.1 hours, compared to years ending March 2023 (4.9 hours) and 2019 (4.3 hours). The increase in average time spent on audits likely reflects the increase in the number and time spent on unsatisfactory audits (see ‘Outcome of fire safety audits’). The average time spent on unsatisfactory audits was greater than satisfactory audits by 1.3 hours in the year ending March 2024.
In the year ending March 2024:
- purpose built flats 10 or more storeys had the longest average time spent on audits, comprising an average of 7.3 hours, 2.2 hours above the overall average
- HMOs had the shortest average time spent on audits, comprising an average of 3.8 hours, 1.3 hours below the overall average
2.4 Outcome of fire safety audits
Figure 2.2: Proportion of fire safety audits deemed satisfactory or unsatisfactory conducted by FRSs in England, year ending March 2017 to year ending March 2024
The premises type with the greatest proportion of satisfactory audits was “Further education”, at 69% of the 397 total audits in this premises type. Meanwhile, the premises types with the greatest proportion of unsatisfactory audits was “Houses converted to flats” at 68% of the 749 total audits in this premises.
Of the 3 premises type with the highest number of audits, shops (9,541) had the highest satisfactory rate at 64%, followed by care homes (5,671) with a 54% satisfactory rate and licensed premises (5,199) with a 52% satisfactory rate.
Figure 2.3: Proportion of fire safety audits deemed satisfactory or unsatisfactory, by grouped building types, England, year ending March 2024 (ordered by percentage satisfactory)
Notes:
Aggregated premises types in the chart above are categorised as follows:
- Flats and HMOs: purpose-built flats (all height categories), houses converted to flats and HMOs.
- Other accommodation: hotels, hostels and other sleeping accommodation.
- Factories, warehouses and offices: factories, warehouses and offices.
- Public building and other: public buildings, hospitals, schools, further education, other premises open to the public and other unspecified premises.
3. Fire protection - formal and informal notifications
When an audit outcome is unsatisfactory, agreed action plans known as informal notifications or formal notification may be issued. Formal notifications are issued in the most serious of cases where less formal action has failed to resolve issues of non-compliance. Definitions of the different formal and informal notification categories within the FSO are provided below. The data on notifications and non-compliance are published in FIRE1202 and FIRE1204.
Informal notification These can be issued instead of a formal notice when an outcome is unsatisfactory and the risk to relevant persons is not significant, and the responsible person is willing to comply.
Enforcement notices (Article 30) These are served if the enforcing authority is of the opinion that the responsible person has failed to comply with any provision of the FSO or of any regulations made under it.
Prohibition notices (Article 31) These are served if the enforcing authority is of the opinion that use of premises involves or will involve a risk to relevant persons so serious that use of the premises ought to be prohibited or restricted.
Alteration notices (Article 29) These are served if the enforcing authority is of the opinion that the premises constitutes a serious risk to relevant persons (whether due to the features of the premises, their use, any hazard present, or any other circumstances); or may constitute such a risk if a change is made to them or the use to which they are put.
Prosecutions (Article 32) These are convictions for failure to comply with an alteration, enforcement or prohibition notice, or any other matter for which it is an offence under Article 32.
3.1 Key results
In the year ending March 2024:
- 18,076 informal notices were issued, the highest since year ending March 2014; Source: FIRE1202
- 2,823 formal notices were issued, the highest since year ending March 2013; Source: FIRE1202
Table 5.3, in the summary of changes over time section, displays the number and change in the number of informal and formal notifications across the latest year, the previous year and 5 years ago.
3.2 Informal notifications
There were 18,076 informal notices issued in the year ending March 2024, an increase of 7.1% on the previous year and an increase of 25% on the year ending March 2019. The most informal notices were issued to shops (2,948) accounting for 16% of total informal notices.
Figure 3.1: Fire safety notices (informal and formal) resulting from unsatisfactory fire safety audits issued in England, year ending March 2017 to year ending March 2024
3.3 Formal notifications
In the year ending March 2024, 2,823 of audits resulted in formal notifications, an increase of 11% on year ending March 2023 and an increase of 18% on year ending March 2019. These can be broken down further into formal notification categories within the FSO as shown in figure 3.2.
Figure 3.2 Formal notifications, by type, issued in England, year ending March 2017 to year ending March 2024
The most common type of formal notice was enforcement notice under Article 30, with 1,671 issued, accounting for 59% of all formal notifications. Enforcement notices were issued most commonly to shops (298), accounting for 18% of all enforcement notices issued, followed by licensed premises (222, accounting for 13%) and care homes (189, accounting for 11%). All purpose-built flats with 4 or more storeys accounted for 20% of all enforcement notices.
4. Fire protection - other fire safety activity
In addition to fire safety audits, FRSs complete other activities to promote fire safety such as responding to building regulation consultations on new builds and changes to existing building stock. This section summarises this activity with the supporting data available in FIRE1202, in particular FIRE1202c.
Non-statutory fire safety activity All fire safety activity generated by requests from others, that is, approaches from other agencies or bodies (such as Ofsted), the public, and business representatives, as well as any FSO related promotional or awareness raising activities generated within the fire and rescue authority (FRA).
Building regulation consultations Consultations completed or supported under Building Regulations to support understanding, awareness and compliance with FSO. The local building control authorities, approved inspectors and the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) are required to consult with the relevant FSO authority under the Building Regulations.
Other consultations Statutory consultations with fire and rescue authorities in accordance with the requirements of article 46 of the FSO.
4.1 Key results
In the year ending March 2024, FRSs carried out:
- 45,465 building regulation consultations, a decrease of 4.7% on the previous year (47,687), and lower than the number 5 years ago (50,157, a decrease of 9.4%)
- 26,236 other consultations, an increase of 7.2% on the previous year (24,484), and an increase of 14% on the year ending March 2019 (22,941)
- 105,564 non-statutory fire safety activities, which was a decrease of 14% on the previous year (123,171) but an increase of 41% on the year ending March 2019 (75,036).
4.2 Consultations
A total of 45,465 building regulation consultations were completed in the year ending March 2024, a decrease of 4.7% on the previous year, and a decrease of 9.4% on the year ending March 2019. However, the average time spent on this activity fluctuated annually between 1.7 and 2.0 hours per consultation. In the latest, year the average time spent on this activity was 1.9 hours. The most building regulation consultations were completed for shops (7,777, accounting for 17%) in the latest year. Shops was also the most commonly regulated premises type in the previous year and 5 years ago.
There were 26,236 other consultations, an increase of 7.2% on the previous year and 14% higher than year ending March 2019. The average time spent on these consultations was 1.1 hours, the same as the previous year. Shops were the location for 22% of these consultations (5,834).
4.3 Non-statutory fire safety activities
There were 105,564 non-statutory fire safety activities in the year ending March 2024, a decrease of 14% on the previous year and an increase of 41% on the year ending March 2019. The average time spent on these activities has decreased over time, with an average time spent of 1.3 hours in the year ending March 2024, compared to 1.1 hours in the year ending March 2023, and 1.5 hours in the year ending March 2019. The premises type with the largest proportion (23%) of non-statutory fire safety activities was shops, with 24,719.
5. Summary of changes over time
Table 5.1: Total number of HFSVs, by targeting of HFSV, England, comparing the year ending March 2024 with 1 and 5 years previously
| Visit type | Year ending March 2024 | Year ending March 2023 | 1-year change | Year ending March 2019 | 5-year change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home fire safety visits | 598,342 | 537,003 | +11% | 597,704 | +0.1% |
| At least one person with at least one vulnerability or risk factor | 481,739 | 405,283 | +19% | .. | .. |
| All aged 64 and under but at least one person disabled | 47,728 | 40,811 | +17% | 42,891 | +11% |
| At least one person aged 65 and over and one person disabled (can be same person) | 155,514 | 125,933 | +23% | 127,781 | +22% |
| At least one person aged 65 and over, but no one in household disabled | 169,254 | 127,759 | +32% | 220,836 | -23% |
Table 5.2: Total number of audits and average time taken by audit outcome, England, comparing the year ending March 2024, with 1 and 5 years previously
| Audit type | Year ending March 2024 | Year ending March 2023 | 1-year change | Year ending March 2019 | 5-year change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total audit: | |||||
| number | 49,835 | 50,424 | -1.2% | 49,327 | +1.0% |
| hours | 253,016 | 244,829 | +3.3% | 210,382 | +20% |
| Satisfactory audit: | |||||
| number | 29,018 | 31,976 | -9.3% | 33,265 | -13% |
| hours | 131,588 | 136,505 | -3.6% | 120,701 | +9.0% |
| Unsatisfactory audit: | |||||
| number | 20,817 | 18,448 | +13% | 16,062 | +30% |
| hours | 121,427 | 108,324 | +12% | 89,681 | +35% |
Table 5.3: Number of informal and formal notifications, comparing the year ending March 2024 with 1 and 5 years previously
| Notification type | Year ending March 2024 | Year ending March 2023 | 1-year change | Year ending March 2019 | 5-year change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Informal notifications | 18,076 | 16,879 | 7.1% | 14,514 | 25% |
| Formal notifications of which: |
2,823 | 2,541 | 11% | 2,390 | 18% |
| enforcement notices |
1,671 | 1,363 | 22% | 1,479 | 13% |
| prohibition notices |
970 | 926 | 4.8% | 775 | 25% |
| alteration notices |
139 | 228 | -39% | 91 | 52% |
| Prosecutions | 43 | 24 | 79% | 45 | -4.4% |
Notes:
- Enforcement notices, prohibition notices, alteration notices and prosecutions are all sub-types of formal notifications.
Table 5.4: Total number of consultations and non-statutory fire safety activities, by fire safety activity, England, comparing the year ending March 2024 with 1 and 5 years previously
| Activity type | Year ending March 2024 | Year ending March 2023 | 1-year change | Year ending March 2019 | 5-year change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Building regulations consultations | 45,465 | 47,687 | -4.7% | 50,157 | -9.4% |
| Other consultations | 26,236 | 24,484 | 7.2% | 22,941 | 14% |
| Non-statutory fire safety activities | 105,564 | 123,171 | -14% | 75,036 | 40% |
6. Further information
Fire and rescue incident statistics and other Home Office statistical releases are available from the Statistics at Home Office pages on the GOV.UK website.
Data tables linked to this release and all other fire statistics releases can be found on the Home Office’s ‘Fire statistics data tables’ page. The sections above state the most relevant tables for each section.
Guidance for using these statistics and other fire statistics outputs is available on the ‘Fire statistics’ collection page.
The information published in this release is kept under review, taking into account the needs of users and burdens on suppliers and producers, in line with the Code of Practice for Statistics. If you have any comments, suggestions or enquiries, please contact the team via email using firestatistics@homeoffice.gov.uk or via the user feedback form on the fire statistics collection page.
6.1 Fire prevention additional information
Smoke alarm ownership
Data on the proportion of households with a smoke alarm has been collected since the 1980s from a variety of sources, and data on ownership of a working smoke alarm has been collected from 2001. Since financial year 2008 to 2009 the English Housing Survey (EHS) has been the primary source of information on smoke alarm ownership. The exact questions asked change each year but have previously included ownership of a smoke alarm, ownership of a working smoke alarm, smoke alarm testing habits and carbon monoxide alarm ownership.
The EHS continued to be conducted through the COVID-19 pandemic, though necessitated a change in the survey method during the years ending March 2021 and March 2022. The face-to-face interviews were replaced by telephone interviews, with internal inspections replaced by external ones and analysis of administrative data. Testing of the changes to the survey were not possible, so it is not clear in the EHS whether changes observed in year ending March 2021 were ‘real’ changes or a reflection of the change in method. Further, the composition of the EHS sample significantly altered in year ending March 2021 compared with year ending March 2020, for example more outright owners and fewer renters, more households with older people and fewer households with children.
6.2 Fire protection additional information
Fire protection legislation
The Home Office collect information on fire safety enforcement activity under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and under other legislation, specifically:
- The Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmosphere Regulations 2002 (DSEAR)
- Petroleum (Consolidation) Act 1928
- the Manufacture and Storage of Explosives Regulations 2005
- Fireworks Regulations 2004
Fire safety audits
A fire safety audit is a planned visit by an FRS to carry out a comprehensive assessment of the level of compliance with the requirements of the FSO in a particular premises. The FSO requires a ‘responsible person’ for a workplace or premises, to which the public have access to:
- carry out and regularly review a fire risk assessment
- ensure that the general fire precautions are adequate and appropriate
- reduce the risk from fire to employees and other relevant persons to as low as reasonably practicable
The FSO applies to the majority of non-domestic premises and also to the communal areas in residential buildings.
It is a matter for FRSs to determine how many audits they carry out per year, but they must have a locally determined risk-based inspection programme and management strategy in place for enforcing the FSO.
Short audits
Since 2016, FRSs have had the option of using the short audit form, designed by the sector to support the principles of better regulation, and allow FRSs to focus their enforcement resources more effectively on higher risk premises.
A short audit may record an ‘unsatisfactory’ outcome, where non-compliances are found that require attention but are not judged to reach the formal enforcement threshold. These may be dealt with by means of an informal Fire Safety Matters letter, which may or may not require a follow-up inspection. Failure to comply with a Fire Safety Matters letter may be escalated to formal enforcement.
It is expected that the number of audits on different premises types in individual FRSs will vary from year to year depending on the local need, targeting strategies and the complexity of the specific buildings being audited.
COVID-19
In the latest year of data (year ending March 2024), there were no restrictions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This release provides comparisons to year ending March 2023 (the previous year) and to year ending March 2019 (5 years ago), neither of which were affected by COVID-19 restrictions.
Patterns of prevention and protection activity in the year ending March 2021 were substantially affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and government guidance to limit social contact. In the year ending March 2022, prevention and protection activity started to recover from levels seen in the year ending March 2021, however, remained below pre-pandemic levels given that many restrictions remained in place until July 2021.
During the COVID-19 pandemic throughout the year ending March 2021, the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) published a series of position statements on Prevention strategic intentions, which took into account the COVID-19 management measures in place. The most recent statement can be found here. These statements resulted in a halt to face-to-face (or over the threshold) HFSVs in the first lockdown and a transition to virtual HFSVs and limited face-to-face visits throughout the remainder of the year. The Home Office collected the number of virtual (online or telephone) HFSVs.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions in the year ending March 2021, the NFCC published guidance on carrying out desktop appraisals. Where a remote desktop appraisal of fire safety measures was carried out and recorded in accordance with Chief Fire Officers Association (CFOA) short audit guidance, and there were no outstanding fire safety issues, this activity was recorded in FRS returns. In the year ending March 2021, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, desktop appraisals were included in the total number of short audits in the release and accompanying tables.
Other related publications
Home Office publish 5 other statistical releases covering fire and rescue services.
These include:
- fire and rescue incident statistics, England provides statistics on trends in fires, casualties, false alarms and non-fire incidents attended by fire and rescue services in England, updated quarterly
- detailed analysis of fires attended by fire and rescue services in England: focuses on fires attended by fire and rescue services across England, and fire-related fatalities and non-fatal casualties in those fires; including analyses of the causes of fires and smoke alarms ownership and operation
- detailed analysis of non-fire incidents attended by fire and rescue services, England: focuses on non-fire incidents attended by fire and rescue services across England, including analysis on overall trends, fatalities and non-fatal casualties in non-fire incidents, and further detailed analysis of different categories of non-fire incidents
- response times to fires attended by fire and rescue services, England: covers statistics on trends in average response times to fires attended by fire and rescue services
- fire and rescue workforce and pensions statistics: focuses on total workforce numbers, workforce diversity and information regarding leavers and joiners; covers both pension fund income and expenditure and firefighters’ pension schemes membership; and includes information on incidents involving attacks on firefighters
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) publish a statistical release related to fire:
- the Building Safety Remediation statistics: focuses on the remediation progress of residential buildings over 11 metres with unsafe cladding in England
Fire statistics are published by the other UK nations:
Statistics for Scotland and Wales are published. Northern Ireland fire statistics are published by the Northern Ireland fire and rescue service.
We’re always looking to improve the accessibility of our documents. If you find any problems, or have any feedback, relating to accessibility please email us at firestatistics@homeoffice.gov.uk