Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service (NFRS) has completed its evaluation of the decision to reinstate 24-hour whole-time crewing at Ashfield Fire Station, with a report revealing significant improvements in service delivery and response times in the district.
The changes, implemented in November 2023, were part of a broader effort to address resource gaps and enhance the safety of the community, with the results now exceeding initial expectations.
In 2021, an independent review of fire cover identified a critical need for enhanced response times in the Ashfield district, prompting NFRS to consider reintroducing 24-hour Wholetime crewing. The Fire Authority approved the proposals in early 2023, and by July 2023, the necessary adjustments had been made across other fire stations to enable the move. Ashfield Fire Station officially resumed 24-hour operations on 29 November 2023.
The reinstatement of 24-hour cover at Ashfield has had an immediate and positive effect, says the report.
During the first nine months following the change, from December 2023 to August 2024, Ashfield crews responded to 469 incidents, up from 433 in the same period the previous year. Most notably, average attendance times dropped from 8 minutes and 36 seconds to 7 minutes and 24 seconds. This 1 minute and 12-second improvement far exceeds the 48-second reduction predicted in the 2021 review.
© Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service
In addition, the change has had no adverse effects on response times elsewhere in the county. Overall, Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service reported a slight improvement in county-wide response times, reducing to an average of 8 minutes and 1 second post-implementation.
The changes at Ashfield have also led to a decrease in cross-border support from Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service. Prior to the reintroduction of full-time crewing, Derbyshire’s fire appliances were called into Ashfield 68 times over a comparable period. Since the changes, this number has fallen to just 30, significantly easing the reliance on neighbouring fire services.
Financially, the shift has proven beneficial. The reduction in callouts for On-Call firefighters at Ashfield and Hucknall stations has saved approximately £46,000 in attendance fees, disturbance allowances, and turnout payments, contributing to a projected £65,000 underspend in the On-Call pay budget for the 2024/25 financial year.
The new crewing model has allowed Ashfield Fire Station to expand its community outreach efforts. Safe and well visits—a critical part of fire prevention work—have increased by 93%, with 736 visits completed post-implementation compared to 381 in the previous year. Business safety checks have surged by over 250%, rising from 21 to 75. Additionally, the station has been able to support more community groups, increasing its partnerships from two to five, including initiatives like the Selston Youth Initiative and Ashfield LGBT+ Drop-in.
While the changes have been largely positive, they have had some impact on the On-Call firefighters at Ashfield. Mobilisations for the On-Call crew dropped by 56%, from 245 incidents to 107. Despite this reduction, the availability of On-Call staff remains strong at 92.39%, above the NFRS target of 85%. Furthermore, two On-Call firefighters have left since the changes, but exit interviews confirmed that the departures were unrelated to the reduction in callouts.
Staff morale at Ashfield Fire Station has shown marked improvement since the changes. A recent staff survey revealed that 82% of employees plan to stay with the service for at least the next 12 months, up by 8.8 percentage points from previous surveys. Additionally, 67% of staff would recommend NFRS as a great place to work, a significant increase from 2022.
The service will continue to monitor the effects of the changes, with a full 12-month evaluation set to be presented to the Fire Authority in 2025. This will mark the conclusion of the formal evaluation process, but ongoing assessments of performance and ridership will ensure the changes continue to meet community needs.