Fire and rescue services in England face funding shortfall as incident rates rise
Iain Hoey
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Fire and rescue incident demand rises 20% in England
The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) has reported that fire and rescue services in England attended over 600,000 incidents in 2024, a 20% increase compared with 2014.
According to NFCC analysis of Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government data, fire and rescue services responded to 600,185 incidents in the year ending December 2024, compared to 499,934 incidents in 2014.
The NFCC said the number of non-fire incidents has increased by 65% over the same period, from 128,488 in 2014 to 211,631 in 2024.
Collaboration incidents and public health emergencies increase demands
The NFCC reported that in 2024, fire and rescue services in England attended 72,694 collaboration incidents, an 11% increase on the previous year.
It said these included responding to incidents alongside other emergency services, assisting entry and exit, and attending suicide-related events.
The NFCC stated that the number of suicide-related incidents attended by fire and rescue services rose from 1,119 in 2014 to 3,184 in 2024, an increase of 184%.
The organisation noted that such incidents have steadily increased in the last decade, alongside wider public health challenges.
Climate change increases wildfire and flooding callouts
According to the NFCC, the number of flooding incidents attended by fire and rescue services has increased by 18% in recent years.
It said the 5-year rolling average rose from 13,854 between 2012 and 2019, to 16,412 between 2019 and 2024.
The NFCC added that 225 wildfires had already been attended as of 27 May 2025, compared with 34 for the same period in 2024 and 106 in 2022, which was a record year for wildfires.
The council stated that these trends show fire and rescue services are responding to risks directly linked to the climate crisis.
Workforce reductions and underinvestment raise concerns
The NFCC said the number of wholetime firefighters in England has fallen by 25% since 2008, a reduction of approximately 11,000 personnel.
It estimated that fire and rescue services have lost nearly £1 billion in capital investment since the removal of the capital funding grant in 2014/15.
According to the NFCC, this loss has affected the ability of services to maintain and modernise infrastructure, including fire stations.
NFCC Chair Phil Garrigan said: “These figures are unequivocal – fire and rescue services are busier now than they were 10 years ago, and we are taking on more responsibility, not less.
“The risks faced are now more challenging and more complex.
“Despite this fact, we are seeing firefighter numbers falling, whereas all other public services are seeing their numbers return to pre-austerity levels.”
Garrigan added: “Our work to support our blue light colleagues is crucial in maintaining public safety and we welcome the opportunity to make a real difference but, if it is to be sustained against a backdrop of increasing demand, we need to see investment back into the fire and rescue service.”
“If we leave fire and rescue services without proper financial support and investment, we risk undermining public and firefighter safety.
“When it comes to wildfires, flooding and terrorism – fire and rescue services are right at the heart of the response.
“If we fail to invest, then we need to be prepared to answer to the communities that rely on these services in their greatest time of need.”
Garrigan continued: “The world has changed, and we cannot rely on an outdated funding model that has removed all capital funding and hasn’t responded to a changing demand profile or the impact of the climate change crisis to underpin a service as crucial as fire and rescue.”
Fire and rescue services in England face funding shortfall as incident rates rise: Summary
The National Fire Chiefs Council has reported that fire and rescue services in England responded to 600,185 incidents in 2024.
This represents a 20% increase compared to 2014.
The number of non-fire incidents rose from 128,488 in 2014 to 211,631 in 2024.
Collaboration-related callouts increased by 11% in 2024, reaching 72,694 incidents.
Suicide-related incidents increased by 184% over the last decade.
The 5-year average for flooding incidents rose by 18% since 2019.
Fire and rescue services responded to 225 wildfires by 27 May 2025.
This is over 100 more than during the same period in 2022.
The NFCC estimates a £1 billion capital investment loss since 2014/15.
Firefighter numbers in England have declined by 25% since 2008.
The NFCC has called for renewed investment in fire and rescue services.
