Firefighters responded to more than 5,000 non-fire emergencies in Essex last year.
In 2021/2022, crews will be involved in 5,221 flood incidents, road traffic accidents, water rescues, building collapses, securing dangerous structures, spills of hazardous materials, and assistance to other partners and agencies. was called to
Heavy rains and widespread flooding resulted in more than 180 accidents in January.
The control room received three times the average number of calls in a 24-hour period. Crews have been deployed in 70 rescue cases, including dogs washed up in rivers, flooded property, and road traffic collisions.
The team also received 90 calls from homeowners and drivers who were affected by the floods, but none were life-threatening.
Firefighters on call prevented floodwaters from entering 12 homes after the River Blane breached its levee.
The crew worked with Maldon’s on-call firefighters and the Environmental Agency, who had special equipment to help pump water out of the home.
The Essex County Fire and Rescue Service is nationally and internationally recognized for working with communities and businesses to keep people safe and prevent fires and accidents before they occur.
The organization also works with partners to address broader social issues by creating intervention programs that influence positive behavior change.
Firefighters visit residents’ homes to provide home safety advice and install smoke detectors.
The crew also conducts fire safety inspections and audits and visits businesses and buildings to assess how well the facility is managed with respect to fire safety.
In 2021/2022, firefighters completed 1,267 home fire safety checks and 3,391 protection jobs.
The crew also continued to work in the fight against Covid-19, conducting lateral flow testing, assisting vaccination centers and administering vaccines.