Northamptonshire fire service proposes to attend house fires one minute quicker as consultation opens

The plans propose changing the force’s standards of response to aim for crews to attend dwelling fires where there is a risk to life one minute quicker, changing from 10 to nine minutes. However, in exchange, it proposes extending the expected response times for road traffic collisions and all other emergencies.

NFRS currently sets itself a single standard of response to attend all incidents within an average of 10 minutes after receiving the first 999 call to its Fire Control room. The service has said the individual targets for each callout will help them to get a better picture of their performance and benchmark against other regions.

In 2024, just 57 percent of incidents were attended within the ten-minute standard and this level has remained relatively stable since 2020. The number of incidents attended within 10 minutes rises to 70 percent when looking solely at primary home fires.

The average response time for road traffic collisions with a risk to life, fires in non-primary dwellings, and rescues from height or water is proposed to be changed to 12 minutes, which is a two-minute increase from the current blanket target. All other calls for service for non-life-threatening incidents will be sent within 60 minutes.

Chief Fire Officer Nikki Watson said: “It’s important that members of the public share their views on our proposals. We firmly believe they will help contribute to keeping our communities safe.

“This will not impact how long it takes for a fire engine to arrive at an incident. Our crews will continue to reach incidents as quickly and safely as they can. Updated standards of response will provide us with a more accurate and reliable picture of our performance and the service that we offer.

“Having targets in place that have been shaped by data-led evidence will allow us to benchmark against other Services both regionally and nationally – and will help us to deliver an exceptional fire and rescue service for all our residents.”

The NFRS states that response times depend on several factors, such as where the incident happens, the location of the nearest fire engine, traffic, and weather conditions.

Residents are also being asked to share their views on the priorities for the fire service over the next five years. According to the Northants team, fires now make up only a third of the 999 calls, and firefighters’ roles are becoming more diverse.

The five strategic priorities that NFRS has proposed include helping people to stay safe from fire and other emergencies, improving fire safety in buildings, responding immediately and effectively to emergency incidents, developing their workforce, and investing in the Fire Service to keep it agile and fit for the future.

Both the altered target response times and five-year priorities can be commented on within a survey on the draft Community Risk Management Plan (CRMP). The consultation period starts on April 9 and finishes on May 21.

Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Danielle Stone added: “Residents across the county deserve to live and work in buildings and communities that are safe. The Fire Service plays a huge part in achieving this.

“It is important that the new CRMP aligns with my new Safe and Sound public safety plan for Northamptonshire, and I believe it will help to deliver my priorities.

“These are to put prevention at the heart of everything we do; work collaboratively to support our most vulnerable residents; and bring our fire staff out into the community and make them more visible and accessible for our residents.”

A link to the draft CRMP document can be accessed here and you can share your views on the above proposals by filling in the consultation here.