Dorset Fire and Rescue Service were two minutes quicker than their target calls out times last year, making 2018 their third consecutive year ahead of target.
A Buzz News Freedom of Information Act request has revealed that Dorset Fire and Rescue Service are continuing to beat their target response time of ten minutes for the third year in a row.
According to the request, the target response time is “aimed to achieve on 75% occasions a basic response of ten minutes, including all call handling and travel time”.
But between 2017 and 2018, Dorset Fire and Rescue Service had an average successful response time of 7:51 minutes across the 50 fire stations situated in the county.
Michael Weinhonig, chairperson of the Community Overview and Scrutiny Panel for Bournemouth Borough Council said the community is “very fortunate” to have such quick call out times.
He said: “We are very fortunate to get the response times that we do from our fire services”.
“The service is not just about putting out fires but also preventing them. These times show to positive effect such action can have.
“I’ve got every faith in our local fire service”.
Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch councils set to merge on April 1 to form the second biggest conurbation in Britain but Mr Weinhoing reassured constituents that response times wouldn’t change despite the larger area.
“Constituents don’t need to worry about the effect of the merger on response times,” he said.
“Strategies and policies are already in place to ensure there is no reduction of services should occur in the 18-month hand over the period”.
An update of the national response times in England is expected in March.
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