How quickly are we getting to you

We respond annually to a considerable number of diverse incidents, most of which require urgent attendance of the fire service.

We have a primary objective of saving life through rescue operations, preventing and minimising damage to property caused by fire and rendering humanitarian services to the local community.

Emergency response standards

Our target is to respond to 80% of emergencies within:

10 minutes - for fire incidents where life may be at risk
13 minutes - for other incidents where life may be at risk

We exceeded this target every month from April to August 2021.

Bar graph showing our emergency response times (PDF, 210 KB)

Number of incident attendances

Our reports include figures for the number of incidents attended by Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service throughout the year. You can see which stations attended which type of incidents.

Primary fires

Primary fires are any fires involving property (including non-derelict vehicles), potential casualties and potentially involving five or more fire appliances.

Secondary fires

Secondary fires include grass fires and derelict vehicle fires, and special services. This includes attending road traffic collisions and incidents involving hazardous substances.

The reports include total attendances and distinct incidents. This is to show the difference between the number of stations that attend an incident and the actual number of incidents.

Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service incidents attended (PDF, 152 KB)

Previous reports

Typical incident types

Fighting fires

Domestic buildings
Commercial and industrial buildings
High-rise buildings
Chimneys
Rural areas
Farms
Refuse
Public entertainment venues
Secure accommodation
Petrochemical installations
Involving pipelines

Rescues

Ice/unstable ground
Lifts and escalators
Sewers
Silos
Trenches/pits
Collapsed structures
From height
Involving flooding and waterways
Of animals

Incidents involving transport systems

Minor road traffic accident - up to two vehicles on single carriageway
Major road traffic accident - more than two vehicles, accident on dual carriageway, or large goods vehicle/public service vehicle involved
Rail - passenger or commercial goods transportation
Air - commercial, passenger, light aircraft, military, marine - inland and coastal

Generic incidents

These involve:

High voltage electricity
Acetylene and other compressed gases
Chemicals and other hazardous materials
Biological hazards
Confined spaces
Civil disturbances
Explosives
Natural occurrences - flooding, lightning strikes