Fire crews in Bedfordshire getting to 999 calls faster, according to new figures

Beds Fire recorded the largest annual reduction of all 44 English fire services for its average crew turnout times – which include both wholetime and on-call crews.

The turnout time of crews reduced from 140 seconds to 116 seconds and since reporting began in 2010 – this is the first year the BFRS average has been less than two minutes.

The service has also moved from 29th to 19th ranking for its average call-handling times for fires with a year-on-year reduction of 20 seconds. As a result, average response time for fires reduced by 41 seconds, taking the service from 22nd to 18th.

Area commander Stuart Auger, head of response at the service, said: “Operational colleagues have been working hard this past year to improve how quickly they get out the door once the bells go down because, as we know, every second counts.”

ACFO Jim Davies, director of service delivery, said: “Whilst we are delighted with these figures, we are by no means complacent, and we know that improvement is a continuous journey. Today is a day when everyone in BFRS can be proud of how far we’ve come together so far.”