Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue service (NIFRS) has published its annual report, accounts and performance summary 2013/14, which the Service says has shown it has made significant progress in terms of service delivery and making the best possible use of resources. 

Performance information within the report includes details about the number of incidents attended as well as the number of emergency calls received overall, compared to the previous year; number of lives saved; details of fire and emergency incidents attended; workforce statistics; information about the Risk Management Plan 2015-20, as well as many other facts and figures about the Service’s work during the year.

Key fire safety and prevention statistics 

• 9,590 home fire safety checks undertaken, 10.7% more than the previous year, targeting the most vulnerable and at risk demographics in the community.

• 5,725 smoke alarms fitted, representing a significant increase of 23.3% on the previous year and distributed 158,725 fire safety leaflets across Northern Ireland.

• Development of a new Prevention & Protection Strategy, targeting people ‘most at risk’ within the community and consulted widely on it.

• New campaign called ‘STOP Fire’ launched, to prompt older people directly and those that come into contact with them, as well as the wider community, to take preventative and protective fire safety action.

Jim Wallace, Chief Executive, Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service said: “How we perform as an organisation makes a difference to people’s lives, by protecting them and keeping them safe from fires and a range of other emergencies. 

“The past year was one of extreme weather conditions – wildland fires, severe flooding and the unprecedented tidal surges.  This combined with the delivery of two major global events of which we were a key partner – the G8 Summit and the World Police & Fire Games, challenged our emergency response and resilience – and we rose to the challenge.  I believe over the past year we have made a real difference to the safety and well-being of the people of Northern Ireland

“Like all public services we are facing very difficult financial challenges ahead. Over the past year we have undertaken considerable work and continue to do so to prepare ourselves for these challenges to ensure we are making the very best possible use of our resources to provide the most efficient service going forward.

“Our organisation is on a journey of transformation to provide the most effective, most efficient and safe service possible to the public. Although we are not there yet and much still needs to be done – significant progress has been made over the past year to change, improve and transform the way we do things and we have a clear direction of travel going forward.”

Click here for the Performance summary leaflet 2013/14

Click here for the NIFRS Annual Report & Statement of Accounts 2013/14

Original source

NIFRS