Official Statistics

Low level geography dataset guidance

Updated 23 August 2024

Applies to England

Publishing Incident Recording System data on the fire and rescue service at an incident level:

Frequency of release: Annual

First publication: 20 December 2018

Latest update: 30 July 2024

Forthcoming releases: Home Office statistics release calendar

Home Office responsible statistician: Helene Clark

Press enquiries: pressoffice@homeoffice.gov.uk

Telephone: 0300 123 3535

Public enquiries: firestatistics@homeoffice.gov.uk

1. Background

Data quality

Incident records in the Incident Recording System (IRS) are the responsibility of and quality assured by fire and rescue services (FRSs). The Home Office and FRSs work together to improve the data within the IRS and minimise any inconsistencies or errors. However, as the IRS was not designed with record level datasets in mind, a very small number of previously unidentified inconsistencies have been discovered (see project overview for further detail).

IRS incident records are a judgement call of the lead fire officer at the time of the incident. The quality of the information provided by fire and rescue services is variable and its accuracy cannot be guaranteed, especially at a record level, for instance some records involve estimation by those in attendance.

Dataset rationale

The Home Office regularly receive requests regarding the number of incidents/fires at a low geographical level. This dataset provides this information but not at such a precise level that personal data could be identified and/or linked from other datasets.

Dataset definition

The low-level geography dataset covers all incidents that took place in England attended by any FRS (whether they are English, Welsh or Scottish FRSs). The Home Office only has jurisdiction for fire policy in England and therefore has published incident data for England only.

The data in this dataset is consistent with records that reached the IRS by 15 May 2024.

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2. Variable by variable - scene setting

Variable Name: FRS_TERRITORY
Variable Description: The FRS in which the incident took place
IRS Question: 1.6

The fire and rescue service (FRS) in which the incident took place, not necessarily the FRS which responded. Occasionally an FRS will respond to an incident “over the border”, and because of this users should be careful about making general comments about particular FRSs as some incidents may have been attended by other FRSs. This dataset only covers incidents that took place in England.

Figures for Dorset and Wiltshire, who merged into one FRS on 1st April 2016, are presented merged. Figures for Hampshire and Isle of Wight, who merged into one FRS on 1 April 2021, are presented merged.

Variable Name: E_CODE_TERRITORY
Variable Description: The E Code of the FRS
IRS Question: 1.6 (based on)

The standard National Statistics code (E Code) of the fire and rescue service (FRS) in FRS_TERRITORY.

Variable Name: FRS_RESPONDING
Variable Description: The FRS who responded to the incident
IRS Question: 1.2

The fire and rescue service (FRS) who responded to the incident. This dataset only covers incidents that took place in England but some incidents were responded to by non-English FRSs (for example, Welsh and Scottish FRSs).

Figures for Dorset and Wiltshire, who merged into one FRS on 1 April 2016, are presented merged. Figures for Hampshire and Isle of Wight, who merged into one FRS on 1 April 2021, are presented merged.

Variable Name: E_CODE_RESPONDING
Variable Description: The E Code of the FRS
IRS Question: 1.2 (based on)

The standard National Statistics code (E Code) of the fire and rescue service (FRS) in FRS_RESPONDING.

Variable Name: LSOA_CODE
Variable Description: The code of the Lower Layer Super Output Area in which the incident took place
IRS Question: 4 (based on)

A Lower Layer Super Output Area (LSOA) is a geographic area. Lower Layer Super Output Areas are a geographic hierarchy designed to improve the reporting of small area statistics in England and Wales. Further information can be found on the ONS Website. Please note that this dataset uses the LSOA geography based on the 2021 Census, which is different to the LSOA geography based on 2011 Census. Previous editions of this dataset used the LSOA geography based on 2011 Census.

Variable Name: LSOA_DESCRIPTION
Variable Description: The description of the Lower Layer Super Output Area in which the incident took place
IRS Question: 4 (based on)

A Lower Layer Super Output Area (LSOA) is a geographic area. Lower Layer Super Output Areas are a geographic hierarchy designed to improve the reporting of small area statistics in England and Wales. Further information can be found on the ONS Website. Please note that this dataset uses the LSOA geography based on the 2021 Census, which is different to the LSOA geography based on 2011 Census. Previous editions of this dataset used the LSOA geography based on 2011 Census.

Variable Name: FINANCIAL_YEAR
Variable Description: The financial year the incident took place
IRS Question: 2.1 (based on)

A financial year runs from 1 April to 31 March. Record level information is published from the financial year 2010 to 2011 - although the IRS began in April 2009 there are a few minor issues with the 2009 to 2010 records which mean that while statistics at higher levels are robust some of the incident level records are not of a sufficient quality to publish. Incidents are allocated to financial year depending on the time of the call, which is usually collected through automatic systems, so for example an incident where the call was made at 23:59 on 31 March 2010 but the incident was closed at 01:34 on 1 April 2010 would be allocated to 2009 to 2010 not the financial year 2010 to 2011.

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3. Variable by variable - incident

Variable Name: INCIDENT_TYPE
Variable Description: The type of incident
IRS Question: 3.1, 3.2, 3.4, 3.8 and 3.9 (based on)

Incidents are categorised into one of the 67 following types:

1) Primary fire - dwelling

2) Primary fire - road vehicle

3) Primary fire - accidental - other outdoor

4) Primary fire - deliberate - other outdoor

5) Primary fire - other buildings - Bank / Building Society

6) Primary fire - other buildings - Casino / Club / Nightclub

7) Primary fire - other buildings - Church / Chapel / Cathedral

8) Primary fire - other buildings - College / University

9) Primary fire - other buildings - Entertainment and Culture

10) Primary fire - other buildings - Factory

11) Primary fire - other buildings - Hospital

12) Primary fire - other buildings - Hostel

13) Primary fire - other buildings - Hotel / Motel

14) Primary fire - other buildings - Industrial Manufacturing (not including Factory)

15) Primary fire - other buildings - Industrial Processing (not including Recycling Centre)

16) Primary fire - other buildings - Medical care (not including Hospital)

17) Primary fire - other buildings - Mosque

18) Primary fire - other buildings - Nursing / Care Home

19) Primary fire - other buildings - Offices and call centres (including temporary offices)

20) Primary fire - other buildings - Other

21) Primary fire - other buildings - Other Education Establishment

22) Primary fire - other buildings - Other Religious

23) Primary fire - other buildings - Other Residential Home

24) Primary fire - other buildings - Permanent Agricultural

25) Primary fire - other buildings - Petrol station

26) Primary fire - other buildings - Pre School / Nursery / Infant / Primary School

27) Primary fire - other buildings - Prison

28) Primary fire - other buildings - Young Offenders Unit

29) Primary fire - other buildings - Pub / Wine bar / Bar

30) Primary fire - other buildings - Public admin, security and safety

31) Primary fire - other buildings - Public Utilities

32) Primary fire - other buildings - Recycling Centre

33) Primary fire - other buildings - Residential (not a dwelling)

34) Primary fire - other buildings - Restaurant / Cafe

35) Primary fire - other buildings - Retail

36) Primary fire - other buildings - Retirement Care Home

37) Primary fire - other buildings - Secondary School

38) Primary fire - other buildings - Shed / Garage / Greenhouse / Summer house

39) Primary fire - other buildings - Sheltered Housing - not self contained

40) Primary fire - other buildings - Shopping Centre

41) Primary fire - other buildings - Sporting venues

42) Primary fire - other buildings - Student Hall of Residence

43) Primary fire - other buildings - Synagogue

44) Primary fire - other buildings - Takeaway / Fast food

45) Primary fire - other buildings - Temple

46) Primary fire - other buildings - Temporary office (e.g. portacabin)

47) Primary fire - other buildings - Transport buildings

48) Primary fire - other buildings - Vehicle Repair

49) Primary fire - other buildings - Warehouses and bulk storage

Primary fires are defined as fires that meet at least one of the following conditions:

(a) any fire that occurred in a (non-derelict) building, vehicle or outdoor structure,
(b) any fire involving fatalities, casualties or rescues,
(c) any fire attended by 5 or more pumping appliances.

49) Chimney fire

A chimney fire is any fire in a building where the flame was contained within the chimney structure and did not involve casualties, rescues or attendance by 5 or more pumping appliances.

50) Secondary fire - accidental - refuse, refuse containers and refuse sites

51) Secondary fire - accidental - grassland, woodland and crops

52) Secondary fire - accidental - other

53) Secondary fire - deliberate - refuse, refuse containers and refuse sites

54) Secondary fire - deliberate - grassland, woodland and crops

55) Secondary fire - deliberate - other

A secondary fire is any fire that isn’t a primary or chimney fire.

56) Fire false alarm - due to apparatus

57) Fire false alarm - good intent

58) Fire false alarm - malicious

59) Non-fire false alarm - good intent

60) Non-fire false alarm - malicious

A false alarm is where the FRS attends a location believing there to be an incident, but on arrival discovers that no such incident exists, or existed. If the appliances are ‘turned around’ by Command and Control before arriving at the incident then the incident is not classed as having been attended and is not recorded.

A false alarm due to apparatus is a call initiated by a fire alarm or fire-fighting equipment operating (including the accidental initiation of alarm apparatus by persons or where an alarm operates and a person then routinely calls the FRS as part of a standing arrangement).

A false alarm with good intent is a call made in good faith in the belief that the FRS really would attend an incident. If a person’s mental condition means they do not understand the consequences of their actions then false alarm good intent is recorded rather than false alarm malicious.

A malicious false alarm is a call made with the intention of getting the FRS to attend a non-existent incident, including deliberate and suspected malicious intentions. If a person’s mental condition is unrelated to their ability to understand the consequences of their actions then a malicious false alarm is still recorded.

61) Non-Fire - Road Traffic Collision (RTC) and other transport incident

62) Non-Fire - Medical incidents

63) Non-Fire - Flooding and rescue or evacuation from water

64) Non-Fire - Effecting entry / exit

65) Non-Fire - Lift release

66) Non-Fire - Assist other agencies

67) Non-Fire - Other

A non-fire incident (also known as a ‘special service incident’) is any incident that require the attendance of an appliance or officer and is not a fire or false alarm. This includes attending road traffic accidents, effecting entry or exit, attending medical co-responding incidents or flooding incidents. The training of individuals, fire safety activities and testing equipment are not included.