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Avon Fire and Rescue Service

Avon Fire and Rescue Service is currently in our Engage stage of enhanced monitoring.

Avon Fire and Rescue Service provides emergency and protection services to the communities of Bath & North East Somerset, Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire.

While firefighting has traditionally been at the forefront of its work, there is now also a focus on accident and emergency prevention. The service provides advice and education through events, visits, campaigns and partnership working.

The service responds to a range of incidents and emergencies from road traffic collisions and fires, to flooding and chemical spills.

The service’s headquarters is based in Portishead and it has 21 stations across the area. There are also three community safety centres which provide safety advice, internet access and meeting facilities free of charge to local groups. 999 emergency calls are answered by fire service control, based at Lansdown in Bath.

Connect with Avon Fire and Rescue Service

HMICFRS region and HMI

  • His Majesty’s Inspector of Fire & Rescue Services (HMI): Michelle Skeer is temporary HMI for Avon Fire and Rescue Service
  • HMICFRS region: The service is in HMICFRS’s Western fire region

HMICFRS’s role in inspecting this service

For over 160 years, His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary independently assessed and reported on the efficiency and effectiveness of police forces and policing, in the public interest.

In summer 2017, HMIC (now HMICFRS) took on inspections of England’s fire & rescue services, assessing and reporting on their efficiency, effectiveness and leadership.

Key facts – 2020/2021

Service Area

514 square miles

Population

1.17m people
up4% local 5 yr change

Workforce

76% wholetime firefighters
24% on-call firefighters
0.53 per 1000 population local
0.56 national level
down2% local 5 yr change
down5% national 5 yr change

Assets

21 stations
34 fire engines

Incidents

2.2 fire incidents per 1000 population local
2.7 national
2.5 non-fire incidents per 1000 population local
2.7 national
3.0 fire false alarms per 1000 population local
3.8 national

Cost

£23.63 firefighter cost per person per year
£25.22 firefighter cost per person per year (national)