Fire crews are right on target

We won't stop at our targets: Community Fire Safety Officer Phil Greenwood.

Fire crews in the borough of Rochdale are soaring ahead of most of their expected performance targets, Rochdale Online News can reveal.

Figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act show the majority of targets, including Home Fire Risk Assessments, dealing with accidental fires, and dealing with unwanted fire signals, are being achieved.

The information shows that this year (the financial year of 2008/9), there have been no deaths arising from accidental fires, an improvement from last year when there was one.
However, following a problem with deliberate fires in the area, figures have shown as below target for the past two years.

Rochdale Online News reported yesterday (Monday 1 June) how there are 3000 arson attacks every year – an average of nine every day, leaving resources strained.

However, there has been a decrease in the amount of deliberate primary fires (excluding vehicles), of 24.4 %, and a reduction of total deliberate primary fires of 19.5%.

There has been a successful drop in the number of houses without fire alarms fitted. In 2007/08, fire fighters visited fires in 107 houses that did not have a fire alarm fitted.
This has been reduced to 82 houses in 2008/09.

In a bid to keep residents safe the amount of Home Fire Risk Assessments undertaken by the fire service or partner staff are above target.

“The number of Home Fire Risk assessments undertaken by Rochdale Fire Service is up by 14% and those undertaken by partner staff are up by 35%.

Community Fire Safety Officer, Phil Greenwood said: “Year on year we are managing to improve as much as possible.

“At the same time, we are learning from our mistakes and we are learning how to smash targets. If we reach a target, that by no means we will stop and relax, we will keep going to continue to improve the service as much as possible.”