Fire and Rescue “must not be the forgotten Emergency Service” warns NFCC

The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) observes that Fire and Rescue Services are now under increasing pressure, responding to significantly more 999 incidents despite a shrinking workforce.

With Fire and Rescue Services also at the forefront of responding to growing risks such as climate change and emerging energy technology, as well as being increasingly called upon to support other Emergency Services, the NFCC suggests that underinvestment will also undermine national resilience.

An analysis of Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government data shows that Fire and Rescue Services in England responded to 600,185 incidents in the year ending December 2024. That represents a 20% increase when compared to ten years ago (when the figure was 499,934). This is set against a backdrop of falling firefighter numbers, which have dropped in England by 25% since 2008 (the equivalent of 11,000 wholetime firefighters).

Fire and Rescue Services attended 136,702 fires last year (a decrease of 11% compared with a decade ago). By comparison, that same period witnessed non-fire incidents rise by 65%, from 128,488 in 2014 to 211,631 last year.

Collaboration and climate change

Much of this increase is driven by collaboration with other Emergency Services and growing public health challenges. In 2024, Fire and Rescue Services attended 72,694 collaboration incidents. That’s an 11% rise on the previous year and the highest number since records began in 2010. This includes incidents involving assistance for other agencies and effecting entry/exit. It also includes responding to suicide-related incidents, which have increased from 1,119 in 2014 to 3,184 in 2024. That’s a staggering uptick of 184%.

Climate change is also reshaping the role of Fire and Rescue Services in England. The number of flooding incidents to which Fire and Rescue Services have responded has increased from a five-year rolling average of 13,854 between 2012 and 2019 to a 16,412 rolling average between 2019 and 2024. That’s an 18% rise.

As of 27 May, Fire and Rescue Services have also responded to 225 wildfires so far this year. That’s over 100 more than for the same period in 2022 (at 106), which went on to be a record year for wildfires. It’s also almost 562% more than the number responded to in the same period last year (ie 34).

Estimates from the NFCC show that Fire and Rescue Services have lost almost £1 billion since the previous Government removed the capital funding grant in 2014-2015. As such, Fire and Rescue Services have been unable to maintain or modernise their aging infrastructures, including fire stations.

Unequivocal figures

NFCC chair Phil Garrigan explained: “These figures are unequivocal. Fire and Rescue Services are busier now than they were ten years ago. They’re taking on more responsibility, not less. The risks faced are now more challenging and more complex. Despite this fact, we are seeing firefighter numbers falling, whereas all other public services are witnessing their numbers returning to pre-austerity levels.”

Garrigan continued: “Our work to support blue light colleagues is crucial in maintaining public safety and we welcome the opportunity to make a real difference but, if this is to be sustained against a backdrop of increasing demand, we need to see investment back into the Fire and Rescue Service.”

Further, Garrigan noted: “If we leave Fire and Rescue Services without proper financial support and investment, we risk undermining public and firefighter safety. When it comes to wildfires, flooding and terrorism, the Fire and Rescue Services are right at the heart of the response. If we fail to invest, then we need to be prepared to answer to the communities who rely on the Fire and Rescue Services in their greatest time of need.”

In conclusion, Garrigan asserted: “The world has changed. We cannot rely on an outdated funding model that has removed all capital funding – and hasn’t responded to a changing demand profile or the impact of the climate change crisis – to underpin a service as crucial as the Fire and Rescue Service.”

*Further information is available online at www.nationalfirechiefs.org.uk