Lancashire Combined Fire Authority

Performance Committee

Meeting to be held on Wednesday 8 July 2026

Performance Management Information for Quarter 4, 2025-26

(Appendix 1 refers).

Contact for further information – Sam Pink, Assistant Chief Fire Officer (ACFO)

Telephone: 01772 866801

Executive Summary

This paper provides a clear measure of our progress against the Key Performance

Indicators (KPI) detailed in the Community Risk Management Plan 2022-2027.

Recommendation

The Performance Committee is asked to note and endorse the Quarter 4 Measuring Progress report, including two positive, and one negative exception.

Information

As set out in the report.

Business Risk

High

Environmental Impact

High – the report apprises the Committee of the Authority's progress.

Equality & Diversity Implications

High – the report apprises the Committee of the Authority's progress.

HR Implications

Medium

Financial Implications

Medium

Legal Implications

None

Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985

List of background papers

Paper:         

Date:           

Contact:      

Reason for inclusion in Part 2 if appropriate: Not applicable

Measuring Progress

Performance Report

Quarter 4: January 2026 – March 2026

Introduction

The following pages set out Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service’s (LFRS) Performance Framework, an explanation of how our Key Performance Indicator’s (KPI) are measured and how we are performing.

The document illustrates our performance across all our KPIs and where appropriate, by an analysis of the KPIs which are classified as being in exception, along with an analysis of the cause and actions being taken to improve performance.

Contents	Page (s)
Introduction	2
Table of Contents	3
Explanation of Performance Measures	4
Performance Framework and Indicator Trends	5 – 7
Key Performance Indicators	8 – 47

Table of contents

Explanation of Performance Measures. 4

Performance Framework and indicator trends. 5

1.1 Overall Staff Engagement 8

1.2.1 Staff Absence Wholetime (WT) 10

1.2.2 Staff Absence On-Call (OC) 14

1.2.3 Staff Absence Green Book. 15

1.3.1 Workforce Diversity. 18

1.3.2 Workforce Diversity Recruited. 19

1.4 Staff Accidents. 20

2.1 Risk Map. 21

2.2 Overall Activity. 22

2.3 Accidental Dwelling Fires (ADF) 24

2.3.1 ADF – Harm to people: Casualties. 25

2.3.2 ADF – Harm to property: Extent of damage (fire severity) 26

2.4 Accidental Building Fires (ABF) - Commercial Premises. 27

2.4.1 ABF (Commercial Premises) – Harm to property: Extent of damage (fire severity) 28

2.5 Accidental Building Fires (Non-Commercial Premises) 29

2.5.1 ABF (Non-Commercial Premises: Private Garages and Sheds) – Harm to property: Extent of damage (fire severity) 30

2.6 Deliberate Fires Total: Specific performance measure of deliberate fires. 31

2.6.1 Deliberate Fires – Dwellings. 32

2.6.2 Deliberate Fires – Commercial Premises. 33

2.6.3 Deliberate Fires – Other (Rubbish, grassland, vehicles etc.) 34

2.7 Home Fire Safety Checks (HFSC) 35

2.8 Prevention activities delivered. 36

2.9 Business Fire Safety Checks. 37

2.9.1 Fire Safety Activity. 39

2.10 Building Regulation Consultations (BRC) 40

3.1 Critical Fire Response – 1^st Fire Engine Attendance. 41

3.2 Critical Special Service Response – 1^st Fire Engine Attendance. 42

3.3 Fire Engine Availability. 43

4.1 Progress Against Allocated Budget 44

4.2 Partnership Collaboration.. 45

4.3 Overall User Satisfaction.. 47

Explanation of Performance Measures

KPIs are monitored either by using an XmR^[1] chart, comparing current performance against that achieved in the previous year’s activity, or against a pre-determined standard - for example: the response standard KPIs are measured against a range of set times.

The set times are dependent upon the risk rating given to each Super Output Area (SOA), which is presented as a percentage of occasions where the standard is met.

^[1]XmR chart explanation (Value [X] over a moving [m] range [R]).

An XmR chart is a control chart used to highlight any significant changes in activity so that interventions can be made before an issue arises. It can also highlight where activity has decreased, potentially as a result of preventative action which could be replicated elsewhere.

Activity is deemed to be within standard if it remains within set upper and lower limits. These limits are based upon the previous three years activity and are set using a statistically derived constant, approximately equivalent to three standard deviations.

An exception report is generated if the upper, or lower, XmR rules are breached.

The following rules are applicable to the XmR charts and define when an exception has occurred:

· A single point beyond the Upper Control Limit is classified as a negative exception.

· A single point beyond the Lower Control Limit is classified as a positive exception.

Example XmR chart: In the example below, this KPI would produce a negative exception for meeting rule 1, as the activity, represented as a dark blue line, for May 2021 (    ) is above the Upper Control Limit (UCL) and a positive exception in September 2021 (    ) for meeting rule 2, being below the Lower Control Limit (LCL).

Performance Framework and indicator trends

The Combined Fire Authority sets the Service challenging targets for a range of key performance indicators (KPI) which help them to monitor and measure our performance in achieving success and meeting our priorities. Performance against these KPIs is scrutinised every quarter at the Performance Committee.

The following graphic illustrates our priorities and how their respective KPIs fit within the overall performance framework.

This section also provides an overview of the performance direction of the KPIs. Each KPI is shown within its priority, with an indicator called Sparklines; which are the inset summary charts and indicate the relative direction of travel over the last four quarters. The last point of the chart represents the most recent quarter. Sparklines are simple indicative indicators and are not intended to have labelled points or axes.

1.1 Overall Staff Engagement

A written update on staff engagement will be provided on a quarterly basis.

Scope and definition:

Staff engagement is achieved through a variety of activities carried out every day across the service including station visits, digital staff sessions, appraisals, and team meetings. This includes a programme of wellbeing interactions such as workplace toolbox talks, station visits, workshops, peer support, trauma risk management (TRiM) interventions, health and wellbeing campaign activities, and wellbeing support dog visits. All members of staff can raise questions, ideas and improvements on the Service’s intranet and staff are regularly involved in testing and trialling new equipment and ways of working. Surveys and consultations are held on specific matters when required.

A comprehensive staff survey is undertaken periodically to gain insight from all staff on a range of topics including leadership, training and development, health and wellbeing, and equality, diversity, and inclusion. The feedback is used to shape future activity and bring about improvements and new ideas. The survey includes a staff engagement index which is a measure of overall staff engagement based on levels of pride, advocacy, attachment, inspiration and motivation. The current staff engagement index score is 69% (2025).

Measurement/update:

From January to March 2026, 17 station visits were carried out by principal officers and area managers as part of our service-wide engagement programme. Forty wellbeing interactions were undertaken ranging from workshops with crews to wellbeing support dog engagements.

An extended leadership workshop was held with middle and senior managers, and eight Watch Managers' Forum events took place to keep wholetime and functional watch managers informed of what is happening in service delivery and give them the opportunity to share feedback and be involved in changes. 

Engagement took place regarding improvements to Garstang Fire Station and several offices at Service Headquarters and the Leadership and Development Centre. The Service engaged with staff over topics relating to our fleet and equipment including thermal imaging and situational analysis cameras, which are being trialled by breathing apparatus instructors.

An On the Menu online event was open to everyone in the Service to learn about equality impact assessments - when and how to complete them and the data sources that matter - and a survey of on-call unit managers provided insight to shape future on-call leadership meetings.

Engagement index:

An engagement index is calculated based on five questions measuring pride, advocacy, attachment, inspiration and motivation; factors that are understood to be important features shared by staff who are engaged with the organisation.

For each respondent an engagement score is calculated as the average score across the five questions where strongly disagree is equivalent to 0, disagree is equivalent to 25, neither agree nor disagree is equivalent to 50, agree is equivalent to 75 and strongly agree is equivalent to 100. The engagement index is then calculated as the average engagement score in the organisation.

This approach means that a score of 100 is equivalent to all respondents saying strongly agree to all five engagement questions, while a score of zero is equivalent to all respondents saying strongly disagree to all five engagement questions.

The survey results highlight areas of success as well as areas for development and the feedback will be considered by the Service and used to inform current and future planning. Feedback will also be provided to staff to demonstrate that views have been listened to in terms of action taken as a result.

1.2.1 Staff Absence Wholetime (WT)

Quarter shifts lost 2.49

To ensure LFRS aligns to national standards, absence is calculated using the cumulative number of shifts (days) lost due to sickness for all wholetime staff divided by the total average headcount strength. This follows the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) reporting methodology.

Annual Standard: Not more than 8 shifts lost.

This is represented on the chart as annual shifts lost divided by four quarters, which equates to a quarterly standard of two.

Cumulative total number of shifts lost:

9.85

The agreed target performance level is 8 shifts lost per employee per year across both Grey (KPI 1.2.1) and Green book (1.2.3) staff. The actual shifts lost for both for 2025-26 was 8.70 shift lost per employee, which is 0.70 above target.

What are the reasons for an Exception report

This is a negative exception report due to the number of shifts lost through absence per employee being above the Service target for quarter 4.

The element of this section of the report refers to sickness absence rates for the period 1 January 2026 to 31 March 2026.

The agreed target performance level is 2 shifts lost per employee per quarter for wholetime staff. The actual shifts lost for the period for this group of staff is 2.49, which is 0.49 shifts above target for the quarter. During the same quarter the previous year, 2.23 shifts were lost which is an increase of 0.26 shifts lost per wholetime employee compared to the same quarter last year.

Analysis

1,493 wholetime absence shifts lost in the quarter = 2.49 against a target of 2.00.

The number of cases of long-term absence which spanned over the total of the three months remained at 4 cases in Quarter 4. The absence reasons being:

Reason	Case/s
Absence reasons include: Mental health, Musculo skeletal, Hospital/Post operative, and Skin condition	4
Total	4

197 shifts were lost during the quarter as a result of the above four cases of long-term absence, this is in comparison to 46 shifts were lost during the same quarter of 2024-25. These cases account for 0.33 shifts lost per person over the quarter.

There were 27 cases of long-term absence which were recorded within the 3 months:

Reason	Case/s
Mental Health	11
Musculo Skeletal	9
Other absence types	5
Hospital/Post Operative Procedure	2
Total	27

Analysis of Absence for 2025-26

The agreed target performance level is 8 shifts lost per employee per year for wholetime staff. The actual shifts lost for the period for this group of staff is 09.85, which is 1.85 shifts above target for the year. During the same period the previous year, 8.28 shifts were lost which is an increase of 1.57 shifts lost per wholetime employee compared to the same period last year.

Analysis

6,035 wholetime absence shifts lost in the year = 9.85 against a target of 8.00.

Musculo skeletal, mental health and hospital/post operative absences account for the greatest number of shifts lost per category. The increase in number of shifts lost between 2024-25 and 2025-26 is primarily explained by the increase absences as a result of Musculo skeletaland mental health absences. Musculo skeletal absence have increased by 396 shifts lost and mental health absences by 371, which accounts for an increase in 767 shifts lost, which accounts for most of the overall +849 rise.

The number of instances of absences has increased as a broadly similar rate to the increase in shifts lost. The largest increases in instances relate to Musculo skeletal absences which have increased from 38 occurrences in 2024-25 to 67 occurrences in 2025-26 an increase of 29 separate periods of absence. Mental health absences have increased from 34 occurrences to 60 and increase of 26 occurrences.

Absence is predominantly medically supported and longer‑term, not short‑term casual sickness.

Respiratory and gastrointestinal illness remain prevalent, particularly in winter months, these are typically short‑term and self‑resolving. The majority of time lost relates to longer‑term, medically supported absence, rather than repeated short‑term episodes.

Self-certified absences of under seven days also account for a significant proportion of absences with 114 occurrences affecting 109 wholetime staff.

Measures the Service takes to manage absence

The Service has an Absence Management Policy which details our approach to managing absences to ensure that staff time is managed effectively, and that members of staff are supported back to work or exited from the Service in a compassionate way.

The Human Resources (HR) system I-Trent automatically generates monthly reports to line managers and HR Business Partners in relation to employees and their periods and reasons for absence, and these are closely monitored. Where employees are absent due to a mental health, or a stress related condition, they are referred to Occupational Health Unit (OHU) as early as possible. Employees returning to work have a return-to-work interview and stress risk assessment, or individual health risk assessments are completed where required.

The Service has several support mechanisms available to support individuals to return to work or be exited as appropriate including guidance from Occupational Health, access to Trauma Risk Management (TRiM), access to an Employee Assistance Programme and the Firefighters Charity.

Where an employee does not return to work in a timely manner an absence review meeting will take place with the employee and the line manager and a representative from Human Resources. The meetings are aimed at identifying support to return an individual back to work which can include modified duties for a period, redeployment, but ultimately can result in dismissal, or permanent ill health retirement from the service.

The Absence Management Policy details when a formal review of an employee’s performance levels would normally take place. In terms of short-term absence, a formal review would take place where an employee has three or more periods of absence in six months, or an employee has 14 days absent. In terms of long-term absence, a formal review will normally take place at three, six, nine and 11 months.

A key challenge for supporting operational staff return to work is that the threshold for fitness and return to work for operational firefighters is higher than in other occupations due to their hazardous working conditions.

Absence rates among Wholetime staff currently exceed the Service target, highlighting the need for a targeted strategy to address this concern.

In-depth analysis has been conducted on the leading causes of long-term absence, which include musculoskeletal issues, hospital/post-operative recovery, and mental health-related absences.

Among the 53 musculoskeletal cases, ten were classified as long-term (over 28 days) involving back, upper limb, and other/undefined conditions. Six of these individuals have subsequently returned to full duty.

Regarding hospital/post-operative absences, three long-term cases were recorded; two employees have since resumed work. All cases received support from OHU, and formal absence meetings were held as required by policy when absence triggers were met.

For mental health—other, eight long-term cases were identified, primarily stemming from personal or family circumstances. Only two cases remain active. Absence management protocols are being implemented, with comprehensive support offered and discussions regarding modified duties underway to facilitate workplace reintegration.

There are four ongoing cases related to mental health—stress, each associated with work-related stress. Three of these involve additional procedures such as disciplinary investigations or formal grievances, managed according to established guidelines with appropriate support provided. One case remains unresolved.

The Service has undertaken some initial analysis to determine if there are any increases in absence levels associated with particular times of the year, such as school-holiday spikes, however this has not identified anything out of the ordinary.

During the last quarter (Quarter 4), 14 Stage 1 and one Stage 2 meetings were conducted. Managers are committed to supporting earlier returns by implementing meaningful modified duties.

1.2.2 Staff Absence On-Call (OC)

Cumulative Absence 1.47%

To ensure LFRS aligns to national standards, absence is calculated using the cumulative number of shifts (days) lost due to sickness for all wholetime staff divided by the total average headcount strength. This follows the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) reporting methodology.

Annual Standard: No more than 2.5% lost as a percentage of available hours of cover.

Cumulative On-Call absence, as a percentage of available hours of cover at end of the quarter, 1.47%.

Cumulative On-Call absence (as % of available hours of cover):

1.47%

1.2.3 Staff Absence Green Book

Quarter shifts lost 1.69

The cumulative number of shifts (days) lost due to sickness for all Green Book staff divided by the average strength. The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) have changed the reporting methodology used and the average strength figures used in this report are based on headcount and not full-time equivalents (FTE).

Annual Standard: Not more than 8 shifts lost.

This is represented on the chart as annual shifts lost divided by four quarters, which equates to a quarterly standard of two.

Cumulative total number of shifts lost:

5.97

What are the reasons for an Exception report

This is a positive exception report due to the number of shifts lost through absence per employee being below the Service target for quarter 4.

The agreed target performance level is eight shifts lost per employee per year for Green book staff. The actual shifts lost for the period for this group of staff is 5.97, which is 2.21 within target. During the same period the previous year, 7.22 shifts were lost which is a decrease of shifts lost per green book employee compared to the same period last year.

Analysis

During the period, January 2026 – March 2026, absence statistics show non-uniformed personnel absence below target for the quarter, with 1.69 shifts lost in the quarter against a target of 2.00 shifts lost.

1,482 non-uniformed absence shifts lost = 5.97 against a target of 8.00 during the quarter 1 to quarter 4. There were no cases of long-term absence which spanned over the total of the three months. The number of long-term absence cases recorded in the quarter remained at four in Quarter 4.

Reason	Case/s
Mental Health (Other)	3
Other absence types	1
Total	4

179 shifts were lost during the quarter as a result of the above four cases of long-term absences, this is in comparison to 188 shifts lost during the same quarter of 2024-25. These cases account for 0.69 shifts lost per person over the quarter.

Analysis

1,482 Green Book absence shifts lost in the year = 5.97 against a target of 8.00.

During 2025-26, Green Book absence was largely driven by a small number of long-term absence cases, relating to mental health conditions, Musculo skeletal and hospital/post operative recovery.  

Stress related absences related to a small number of individuals, accounting for 175 shifts lost over six individual occurrences.

Short-term absence relating to respiratory infections, gastro-intestinal illness and headaches/migraines, followed a seasonal pattern, with higher levels in the autumn and winter.

In summary, absence is predominantly medically supported and longer‑term, not short‑term casual sickness.

Measures the Service takes to manage absence

The Service has an Absence Management Policy which details its approach to how it will manage absence ensuring that staff time is managed effectively, but also members of staff are supported back to work or exited from the Service in a compassionate way.

The Human Resources (HR) system ITrent automatically generates monthly reports to line managers and HR Business Partners in relation to employees and the periods and reasons for absence and these are closely monitored. Where employees are absent due to a mental health, or a stress related condition, these employees are referred to Occupational Health Unit (OHU) as early as possible. Employees returning to work have a return-to-work interview and stress risk assessment, or individual health risk assessments are completed where required.

The Service has several support mechanisms available to support individuals to return to work or be exited as appropriate including guidance from Occupational Health, access to Trauma Risk Management (TRiM), access to an Employee Assistance Programme and the Firefighters Charity.

Where an employee does not return to work in a timely manner an absence review meeting will take place with the employee and the line manager and a representative from Human Resources. The meetings are aimed at identifying support to return an individual back to work which can include modified duties for a period, redeployment, but ultimately can result in dismissal, or permanent ill health retirement from the service.

The Absence Management Policy details when a formal review of an employee’s performance levels would normally take place. In terms of short-term absence, a formal review would take place where an employee has three or more periods of absence in six months, or an employee has 14 days absent. In terms of long-term absence, a formal review will normally take place at three, six, nine and 11 months.

1.3.1 Workforce Diversity

Diversity Percentage (Refer to charts)

Workforce diversity as a percentage: Performance measure of how representative our staff are of our communities, to monitor equality and diversity within LFRS.

Combined diversity percentage of Grey Book and Green Book staff. Outer circle represents the position at the current quarter, with the inner circle illustrating the position at the same quarter the previous year.

Diversity percentage by Grey Book staff and Green Book staff. Counts will include double counts if dual contract between Grey and Green Book.

Characteristic	Diversity	Grey Book	%	Green Book	%
Gender	Female	Grey	11%	Green	63%
	Male		89%		37%
Ethnicity	Other than white	Grey	3%	Green	6%
	White		92%		85%
	Not stated		5%		9%
Sexual orientation	LGBT	Grey	5%	Green	3%
	Heterosexual		63%		68%
	Not stated		32%		29%
Disability	Disability	Grey	4%	Green	6%
	No disability		94%		87%
	Not stated		2%		7%

1.3.2 Workforce Diversity Recruited

Diversity Percentage (Refer to charts)

Workforce diversity recruited as a percentage: Performance measure of our success in recruiting a diverse workforce to monitor equality and diversity within LFRS.

Combined cumulative diversity percentage of Grey Book staff and Green Book staff. Outer circle represents the current period, with the inner circle illustrating the same period of the previous year.

During the quarter, there were a total of 37 new recruits.

No further breakdown is provided to prevent the possible identification of individuals due to the small numbers of recruits during certain periods.

1.4 Staff Accidents

Activity 11

This KPI details the numbers of accidents which have involved LFRS staff members at work within the quarter.

As part of our Health and Safety Management System we report and investigate all accidents which occur within LFRS to identify any learning opportunities which can contribute to improving our safety culture within the Service.

As the body ultimately responsible for health and safety performance, this KPI enables Fire Authority members to view LFRS progress on managing health and safety risks within LFRS.

Quarterly activity decreased 31.25% (5 incidents) over the same quarter of the previous year.

Year to date activity decreased 9.84% over the same period of the previous year.

Total number of staff	Year to Date	2025-26 Quarter 4	Previous year to Date	2024-25 Quarter 4
accidents	55	11	61	16

2.1 Risk Map

Risk Score 30,532

This indicator measures the fire risk in each Super Output Area (SOA). Risk is determined using fire activity over the previous three fiscal years along with a range of demographic data, such as population and deprivation.

Specifically, the risk score for each SOA is calculated using the formula shown below. Once an SOA has been assigned a score, it is then categorised by risk grade.

The County risk map score is updated annually before the end of the first quarter. Standard: To reduce the risk in Lancashire - an annual reduction in the County risk map score. An improvement is shown by a year-on-year decreasing ‘Overall Risk Score’ value. The inset table below shows the latest count of risk areas against the previous year, along with the overall risk score compared to the previous year.

Risk Grade	Very High	High	Medium	Low	Overall Risk Score
2025 count	12	51	333	545	30,532
2024 count	11	54	340	536	30,750
Direction and % Change

2.2 Overall Activity

Quarter Activity 3,786

The number of incidents that LFRS attend with one or more pumping appliances. Includes fires, special service calls, false alarms and collaborative work undertaken with other emergency services. For example, missing person searches on behalf of the Lancashire Constabulary (LanCon) and gaining entry incidents at the request of the North West Ambulance Service (NWAS).

A breakdown of incident types included within this KPI are shown on the following page.

Quarterly activity decreased 5.80% over the same quarter of the previous year.

Incidents	Year to Date	2025-26 Quarter 4	Previous year to Date	2024-25 Quarter 4
attended	17,663	3,786	16,939	4,019

	Current mean	3 Year mean	2024-25	2023-24	2022-23
Current mean activity and the monthly mean activity over the previous three years.	1,472	1,477	1,413	1,449	1,570

2.2 Overall Activity Breakdown

Quarter Activity 3,786

Incidents attended by LFRS consist of a myriad of different types. The breakdown below, whilst not an exhaustive list, aims to illustrate how activity captured within KPI 2.2 Overall Activity is split by the different types of incidents.

The chart figures represent the count and percentage each activity contributes to the quarter’s activity, whilst the inset table breaks the incident types down further.

	FALSE ALARM incidents make up 45% of activity. Fire alarm due to apparatus incidents account for 28% of incidents, good intent false alarm 16%, and malicious false alarms account for 1%.
	FIRE PRIMARY incidents encompass Accidental Dwelling Fires, which account for 45% of primary fires and are shown in KPI 2.3.
	FIRE SECONDARY incidents are caused by either a deliberate or accidental act, or the cause is not known. Deliberate fires mainly involve loose refuse and currently account for 51% of secondary fires, with 49% being an accidental or not known cause.
	SPECIAL SERVICE incidents are made up of many different activities, so only a selection of types, such as Gaining entry to a domestic property on behalf of NWAS and Road Traffic Collisions (RTC), effecting entry, flooding incidents can be shown. Other types can range from hazardous materials incidents, to spill and leaks or advice only.

2.3 Accidental Dwelling Fires (ADF)

Quarter Activity 178

The number of primary fires where a dwelling has been affected, and the cause of fire has been recorded as ‘Accidental’ or ‘Not known’.

A primary fire is one involving property (excluding disused property) or any fires involving casualties, rescues, or any fire attended by five or more pumping appliances.

Quarterly activity increased 3.49% over the same quarter of the previous year.

Accidental Dwelling	Year to date	2025-26 Quarter 4	Previous year to date	2024-25 Quarter 4
Fires	742	178	690	172

	Current mean	3 Year mean	2024-25	2023-24	2022-23
Current mean activity and the monthly mean activity over the previous three years.	62	60	58	59	64

2.3.1 ADF – Harm to people: Casualties

Quarter Activity 21

ADF criteria as 2.3. The number of fire related fatalities, slight and serious injuries.

· A slight injury is defined as: a person attending hospital as an outpatient (not precautionary check).

· A serious injury is defined as: at least an overnight stay in hospital as an in-patient.

Casualty Status	Year to Date	2025-26 Quarter 4	Previous year to Date	2024-25 Quarter 4
Fatal	5	3	6	0
Injuries appear Serious	17	10	7	1
Injuries appear Slight	27	8	31	7
Total	49	21	44	8

	Current mean	3 Year mean	2024-25	2023-24	2022-23
Current mean activity and the monthly mean activity over the previous three years.	4	3	4	3	3

2.3.2 ADF – Harm to property: Extent of damage (fire severity)

Quarter Percentage 88%

ADF criteria as 2.3. Extent of fire, heat and smoke damage is recorded at the time the STOP message is sent and includes all damage types.

The table below shows a breakdown of fire severity at ADFs, with a direction indicator comparing the current quarter to the same quarter of the previous year.

An improvement is shown if the combined percentage of fires limited to heat and/or smoke damage only, the item first ignited or to the room of origin, is higher than the comparable quarter of the previous year.

Combined quarterly percentage increased 3.25% over the same quarter of the previous year.

Fire severity	25-26 Q1	25-26 Q2	25-26 Q3	25-26 Q4	Ç/ò	24-25 Q1	24-25 Q2	24-25 Q3	24-25 Q4
Limited to heat and/or smoke	26%	25%	27%	25%	Ç	23%	23%	25%	23%
Limited to item first ignited	15%	13%	15%	14%	ò	13%	15%	14%	21%
Limited to room of origin	45%	47%	44%	49%	Ç	50%	47%	48%	41%
Limited to floor of origin	9%	7%	10%	7%	ò	8%	7%	8%	11%
Spread beyond floor of origin	3%	6%	3%	4%	Ç	5%	6%	4%	3%
Whole Building	2%	2%	1%	1%	ó	1%	2%	1%	1%
Combined percentage	86%	85%	86%	88%	Ç	86%	85%	87%	85%

2.4 Accidental Building Fires (ABF) - Commercial Premises

Quarter Activity 48

The number of primary fires where a building has been affected, which is other than a dwelling or a private building associated with a dwelling, and the cause of fire has been recorded as Accidental or Not known.

A primary fire is one involving property (excluding disused property) or any fires involving casualties, rescues, or any fire attended by five or more pumping appliances.

Quarterly activity decreased 26.15% over the same quarter of the previous year.

Accidental Building Fires	Year to Date	2025-26 Quarter 4	Previous year to Date	2024-25 Quarter 4
(Commercial Premises)	209	48	253	65

	Current mean	3 Year mean	2024-25	2023-24	2022-23
Current mean activity and the monthly mean activity over the previous three years.	17	21	21	20	21

2.4.1 ABF (Commercial Premises) – Harm to property: Extent of damage (fire severity)

Quarter Percentage 73%

ABF criteria as 2.4. Extent of fire, heat and smoke damage is recorded at the time the STOP message is sent and includes all damage types.

The table below shows a breakdown of fire severity at ABFs, with a direction indicator comparing the current quarter to the same quarter of the previous year.

An improvement is shown if the combined percentage of fires limited to heat and/or smoke damage only, the item first ignited or to the room of origin, is higher than the comparable quarter of the previous year.

Combined quarterly percentage decreased 3.45% over the same quarter of the previous year.

Fire severity	25-26 Q1	25-26 Q2	25-26 Q3	25-26 Q4	Ç/ò	24-25 Q1	24-25 Q2	24-25 Q3	24-25 Q4
Limited to heat and/or smoke	20%	21%	18%	16%	ò	15%	27%	14%	21%
Limited to item first ignited	18%	19%	15%	2%	ò	19%	15%	21%	20%
Limited to room of origin	27%	36%	44%	55%	Ç	44%	39%	33%	35%
Limited to floor of origin	20%	12%	9%	19%	Ç	13%	14%	14%	17%
Spread beyond floor of origin	2%	0%	7%	2%	ó	1%	2%	9%	2%
Whole Building	13%	12%	7%	6%	Ç	8%	3%	9%	5%
Combined percentage	65%	76%	77%	73%	ò	78%	81%	68%	77%

2.5 Accidental Building Fires (Non-Commercial Premises)

Quarter Activity 14

The number of primary fires where a private garage, private shed, private greenhouse, private summerhouse, or other private non-residential building has been affected, and the cause of fire has been recorded as Accidental or Not known.

A primary fire is one involving property (excluding disused property) or any fires involving casualties, rescues, or any fire attended by five or more pumping appliances.

Quarterly activity increased 7.69% over the same quarter of the previous year.

Accidental Building Fires	Year to Date	2025-26 Quarter 4	Previous year to Date	2024-25 Quarter 4
(Non-Commercial Premises)	110	14	71	13

	Current mean	3 Year mean	2024-25	2023-24	2022-23
Current mean activity and the monthly mean activity over the previous three years.	9	6	6	6	7

2.5.1 ABF (Non-Commercial Premises: Private Garages and Sheds) – Harm to property: Extent of damage (fire severity)

Quarter Percentage 29%

ABF criteria as 2.5. Extent of fire, heat and smoke damage is recorded at the time the STOP message is sent and includes all damage types.

The table below shows a breakdown of fire severity at ABFs, with a direction indicator comparing the current quarter to the same quarter of the previous year.

An improvement is shown if the combined percentage of fires is limited to heat and/or smoke damage only, the item first ignited or to the room of origin, is higher than the comparable quarter of the previous year.

As the property types of sheds and garages are typically of a single room construction, there is an increased likelihood of the whole building being affected.

Combined quarterly percentage increased 13.19% over the same quarter of the previous year.

Fire severity	25-26 Q1	25-26 Q2	25-26 Q3	25-26 Q4	Ç/ò	24-25 Q1	24-25 Q2	24-25 Q3	24-25 Q4
Limited to heat and/or smoke	5%	3%	0%	0%	ó	14%	0%	12%	0%
Limited to item first ignited	10%	3%	13%	14%	Ç	10%	5%	6%	0%
Limited to room of origin	13%	15%	25%	14%	ò	14%	5%	19%	15%
Limited to floor of origin	5%	3%	6%	0%	ò	14%	19%	19%	8%
Spread beyond floor of origin	0%	0%	0%	0%	ó	0%	0%	0%	0%
Whole Building	67%	76%	56%	72%	ò	48%	71%	44%	77%
Combined percentage	28%	21%	38%	29%	Ç	38%	10%	37%	15%

2.6 Deliberate Fires Total: Specific performance measure of deliberate fires

Quarter Activity 293

The number of primary and secondary fires where the cause of fire has been recorded as deliberate.

This is an overall total measure of deliberate dwelling, commercial premises, and other fires, which are further reported within their respective KPIs.

Quarterly activity decreased 34.74% over the same quarter of the previous year.

Deliberate	Year to Date	2025-26 Quarter 4	Previous year to Date	2024-25 Quarter 4
Fires	2,064	293	1,923	449

	Current mean	3 Year mean	2024-25	2023-24	2022-23
Current mean activity and the monthly mean activity over the previous three years.	172	167	160	151	191

2.6.1 Deliberate Fires – Dwellings

Quarter Activity 10

The number of primary fires where a dwelling has been affected, and the cause of fire has been recorded as deliberate.

A primary fire is one involving property (excluding disused property) or any fires involving casualties, rescues, or any fire attended by five or more pumping appliances.

Quarterly activity decreased 52.38% over the same quarter of the previous year.

Deliberate Fires -	Year to Date	2025-26 Quarter 4	Previous year to Date	2024-25 Quarter 4
Dwellings	67	10	86	21

	Current mean	3 Year mean	2024-25	2023-24	2022-23
Current mean activity and the monthly mean activity over the previous three years.	6	7	7	7	7

2.6.2 Deliberate Fires – Commercial Premises

Quarter Activity 20

The number of primary fires where the property type is a building, which is other than a dwelling or a private building associated with a dwelling, and the cause of fire has been recorded as deliberate.

A second incident activity line is shown which excludes Crown premises which fall outside of our legislative jurisdiction.

A primary fire is one involving property (excluding disused property) or any fires involving casualties, rescues, or any fire attended by five or more pumping appliances.

Quarterly activity decreased 47.37% over the same quarter of the previous year.

Deliberate Fires -	Year to Date	2025-26 Quarter 4	Previous year to Date	2024-25 Quarter 4
Commercial	137	20	140	38

	Current mean	3 Year mean	2024-25	2023-24	2022-23
Current mean activity and the monthly mean activity over the previous three years.	11	11	12	12	10

2.6.3 Deliberate Fires – Other (Rubbish, grassland, vehicles etc.)

Quarter Activity 263

The number of primary and secondary fires where the property type is other than a building, except where the building is recorded as disused, and the cause of fire has been recorded as deliberate.

The majority of deliberate fires are outdoor secondary fires and include grassland and refuse fires. Abandoned vehicle fires are also included under secondary fires.

Primary fires are when the incident involves casualties or rescues, property loss or five or more pumping appliances attend the incident, and can include large scale moorland fires or vehicle fires which are not abandoned.

Quarterly activity decreased 32.56% over the same quarter of the previous year.

Deliberate Fires -	Year to Date	2025-26 Quarter 4	Previous year to Date	2024-25 Quarter 4
Other	1,860	263	1,697	390

	Current mean	3 Year mean	2024-25	2023-24	2022-23
Current mean activity and the monthly mean activity over the previous three years.	155	149	141	132	175

2.7 Home Fire Safety Checks (HFSC)

Quarter Activity 54%

The percentage of completed HFSCs, excluding refusals, carried out by LFRS personnel in the home, where the risk score has been determined to be high.

An improvement is shown if:

· The total number of HFSCs completed is greater than the comparable quarter of the previous year and,

· The percentage of high HFSC outcomes is greater than the comparable quarter of the previous year.

Quarterly activity increased 11.1% against the same quarter of the previous year, whilst the high-risk outcomes remained static.

	2025-26		Ç/ò	2024-25
	HFSC completed	% of High HFSC outcomes	Progress	HFSC completed	% of High HFSC outcomes
Q 1	5,869	50%	Ç/ò	5,713	52%
Q 2	6,039	50%	ò/ó	6,182	50%
Q 3	5,436	50%	ò/ó	5,928	50%
Q 4	5,848	54%	Ç/ó	5,262	54%

Cumulative year to date activity

2.8 Prevention activities delivered

Activity	Description	Targets for delivery	Data for Quarter 4 2025-26
ChildSafe	Fire Safety education package to Year Two (key stage one)	Offered to all year two pupils	162 sessions delivered to 5,010 students
RoadSense	Fire and Road Safety education package to Year Six (key stage two)	Offered to all year six pupils	173 sessions delivered to 7,810 students
SENDSafe	Fire Safety education package for learners with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)	Offered to all SEND schools	Three sessions delivered to 55 students
Wasted Lives	Pre Driver information session in workshop or assembly format. Aimed at Year 10 or Year 11 in high school (key stage four)	Increase delivery aligned to district risk in the academic year	28 sessions delivered to 2,666 students
Biker Down	Three-hour course aimed at Powered 2 Wheel riders covering incident management, first aid and the science of being seen	Deliver a minimum of 12 sessions per year	Six sessions 92 attendees
FIRES	Fire setting intervention delivered to four to17 year olds. Referrals made by anyone who might work or support the family of a child who is setting fires	Deliver an intervention to all referrals	43 referrals opened prior to Quarter 4 and carried over. 43 referrals received in Quarter 4. 37 referrals closed in Quarter 4. 49 referrals carried to 2026/27, Quarter 1
Partner Training (including care providers)	LFRS deliver a ‘train the trainer’ package to organisations/agencies within health and social care. There are currently 190 preferred partners, and 73 standard partners registered with LFRS. Partnerships are reviewed and RAG rated quarterly	Increase the number of partners rated green on the RAG report and continue to review partnerships and provide training	17 sessions delivered to 244 delegates
Specific education sessions such as Water Safety & Bright Sparx	Education package delivered either virtually or in person to educate about Water Safety, Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB), deliberate fire setting etc. Covers key stages two, three and four	Increase delivery	Two Choices and Consequence sessions, to 103 pupils.
Arson Threat Referral	Bespoke service where a threat of arson has been made. Referrals largely come from the Police.	Meet demand from LanCon	195 visits completed

2.9 Business Fire Safety Checks

Quarter Activity 819

Business Fire Safety Checks (BFSC) are interventions which look at different aspects of fire safety compliance, including risk assessments, fire alarms, escape routes and fire doors. If the result of a BFSC is unsatisfactory, fire safety advice will be provided to help the business comply with The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. If critical fire safety issues are identified, then a business safety advisor will conduct a follow-up intervention.

· The pro rata BFSC target is delivered through each quarter.

A +/-10% tolerance is applied to the completed BFSCs and the year to date (YTD) BFSCs, against both the quarterly and YTD targets. When both counts are outside of the 10% tolerance they will be deemed in exception. This enables local delivery to flex with the needs of their district plan over the quarters.

	2025-26				Ç/ò	2024-25
	BFSC completed	Quarter Target	BFSC Cumulative	Year to Date Target	Progress	BFSC completed	Quarter Target
Q 1	769	625	769	625	ò	924	625
Q 2	753	625	1,522	1,250	ò	943	625
Q 3	719	625	2,241	1,875	ò	883	625
Q 4	819	625	3,060	2,500	ò	887	625

Cumulative year to date activity

Top five completed BFSCs: satisfactory and unsatisfactory premise types.

What are the reasons for the Exception

This is a positive exception due to the number of completed Business Fire Safety Checks (BFSC) being greater than 10% of the quarterly target, and the cumulative year to date target.

Targeting Strategy

Service delivery personnel have been carrying out BFSCs in their respective districts for over two years, and this work is now embedded into business-as-usual activity.

The KPI dashboard and District Intel Profiles are used to identify and target both the business types and business locations for this activity.

2.9.1 Fire Safety Activity

Quarter Activity 5%

The number of Fire Safety Enforcement inspections carried out within the period resulting in supporting businesses to improve and become compliant with fire safety regulations or to take formal action of enforcement and prosecution of those that fail to comply. Formal activity is defined as one or more of the following: enforcement notice or an action plan, alterations notice or prohibition notice.

An improvement is shown if the percentage of audits ‘Requiring formal activity’ is greater than the comparable quarter of the previous year. This helps inform that the correct businesses are being identified.

Quarterly activity remained static against the same quarter of the previous year.

	2025-26								2024-25
Quarter	Fire Safety Enforcement Inspections	Formal Activity	% Formal Activity	Informal Activity	% Informal Activity	Satisfactory Audit	% Satisfactory Audit	Progress	% Formal Activity	% Informal Activity
1	402	19	5%	261	65%	80	20%	ò	6%	80%
2	442	30	7%	368	83%	44	10%	Ç	6%	73%
3	404	32	8%	334	83%	28	7%	ó	8%	66%
4	375	20	5%	336	89%	22	6%	ò	8%	63%

2.10 Building Regulation Consultations (BRC)

Building Regulations: If a business intends to carry out building work it must do so in accordance with the requirements of current Building Regulations.

There are two building control bodies that can be used, the Local Authority or an Approved Inspector.

These bodies are then responsible for ensuring compliance with building regulations which generally apply when:

· Erecting a new building

· Extending or altering an existing building

· Providing services and/or fittings in a building

· Altering the use of a building

Purpose of the consultation process: If the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (FSO) applies to the premises, or will apply following the work, the building control body must consult with LFRS. LFRS then comments on FSO requirements and may also provide additional advice relevant to the building type which may exceed minimum requirements but, if adopted, would further enhance safety or resilience (for example, use of sprinklers).

LFRS cannot enforce building regulations but can offer observations to the building control body regarding compliance if it is felt the proposals may not comply. In addition to securing a safe premises, an important outcome of the process is to ensure that the completed building meets the requirements of the FSO once occupied, so that no additional works are necessary.

Building Regulation Consultations	25-26 Quarter 1	25-26 Quarter 2	25-26 Quarter 3	25-26 Quarter 4
Received	219	289	265	290
Completed within timeframe ^[1]	214	276	239	275
% Completed within timeframe	97.7%	95.5%	90.2%	94.8%

^[1] LFRS should make comments in writing within 15 working days of receiving a BRC.

3.1 Critical Fire Response – 1^st Fire Engine Attendance

Quarter Response 07:46

Critical fire incidents are defined as incidents that are likely to involve a significant threat to life, structures or the environment. Our response standards, in respect of critical fires, are variable and are determined by the risk map (KPI 2.1) and subsequent risk grade of the Super Output Area (SOA) in which the fire occurred.

The response standards include call handling and fire engine response time for the first fire engine attending a critical fire, and are as follows:

· Very high risk area = 6 minutes	· Medium risk area = 10 minutes
· High risk area = 8 minutes	· Low risk area = 12 minutes

We have achieved our standards when the time between the ‘Time of Call’ (TOC) and ‘Time in Attendance’ (TIA) of the first fire engine arriving at the incident, averaged over the quarter, is less than the relevant response standard. Expressed in minutes & seconds.

Critical Fire Response	Quarter 1	Quarter 2	Quarter 3	Quarter 4	Year to Date	Previous Year to Date
Very High (6 min)	05:49	05:00	05:31	05:10	05:26	05:52
High (8 min)	05:37	06:38	06:06	05:56	06:05	06:18
Medium (10 min)	07:05	07:11	07:18	07:10	07:11	07:08
Low (12 min)	09:07	09:25	09:09	09:03	09:12	08:48
Overall	07:38	08:05	07:51	07:46	07:50	07:38

[Any out of standard response times are expressed within square brackets]

3.2 Critical Special Service Response – 1^st Fire Engine Attendance

Quarter Response 09:05

Critical special service incidents are non-fire incidents where there is a risk to life, for example, road traffic collisions, rescues and hazardous materials incidents. For these incidents there is a single response standard which measures call handling time and fire engine response time.

The response standard for the first fire engine attending a critical special service call = 13 minutes.

We have achieved our standards when the time between the ‘Time of Call’ (TOC) and ‘Time in Attendance’ (TIA) of the first fire engine arriving at the incident, averaged over the quarter, is less than the response standard. Expressed in minutes & seconds.

Critical Special Service Response	Quarter 1	Quarter 2	Quarter 3	Quarter 4	Year to Date	Previous Year to Date
(13 min)	08:37	08:46	08:49	09:05	08:49	08:46

[Out of standard response times are expressed within square brackets]

3.3 Fire Engine Availability

Quarter Availability 90.67%

This indicator measures the total availability of the first fire engine at each of the 39 fire stations. It is measured as the percentage of time the first fire engine is available to respond compared to the total time in the period.

Standard: 90%

Quarterly availability increased 1.10% over the same quarter of the previous year.

Fire engine availability	Year to Date	2025-26 Quarter 4	Previous year to Date	2024-25 Quarter 4
WT, FDC, DCP & OC	89.55%	90.67%	87.97%	89.57%

4.1 Progress Against Allocated Budget

Quarter variance -0.39%*

The total cumulative value of the savings delivered to date compared to the year’s standard and the total.

As a public service we are committed to providing a value for money service to the community and it is important that once a budget has been agreed and set, our spending remains within this.

The 2025-26 revenue outturn position was £77.2 million against a £77.5 million net annual budget. The £0.3 million saving is mainly attributable to savings on pay due to carrying vacant posts.

The 2025-26 capital outturn was £6.2 million against a revised budget of £7.1 million. The remaining £0.9 million will slip into 2026-27. Extended lead times and resourcing shortfall ensued the slippage.

*Revenue budget variance:

-0.39%

4.2 Partnership Collaboration

A written update on partnership collaboration will be provided on a quarterly basis.

Scope and definition:

The Police, Fire & Rescue Service, and Ambulance Service are mandated to work together under the Policing and Crime Act 2017. The aim is to encourage closer working between police, fire, and ambulance services to improve efficiency and emergency response

This report outlines the progress of major workstreams overseen in Lancashire by the Blue Light Collaboration Board (BLCB) and collaboration regionally and nationally carried out by Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service (LFRS). Collaboration is evaluated internally as to the return it provides against efficiency, effectiveness, value for money, partner benefits and benefits for Lancashire communities.

The BLCB workstreams are managed through both Strategic and Tactical meetings, supporting improved outcomes, better value for money, reduced demand, and addressing inequalities in communities. The following workstreams feed into the BLCB.

Leadership Development

Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service (LFRS), Lancashire Police (LanCon), and North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) continue to seek efficiencies and foster professional relationships across Blue Light Services.

Following the success and positive feedback from the three leadership events held in 2025, one hosted by each blue light service, the 2026 programme is underway. The programme is titled ‘Get a Grip Leadership Development Programme’ and is designed to create a shared leadership space where leaders from across the different organisations can learn together, challenge each other & build stronger leadership habits across the system. The first session was held at LFRS Leadership and Development Centre in April and covered self-awareness, responsibility and the example you set.

The group is also continuing to progress a cross-service coaching and mentoring network where people with similar roles at a comparable level are identified to link with each other in the role of either a coach or a mentor.

Health and Wellbeing

A new collaborative group was formed through the BLCB, bringing together Health and Wellbeing leads from all three Services. The group’s goal is to understand and align the health and wellbeing offerings across Blue Light organisations and explore joint opportunities to support staff. It is led by LFRS.

The Firelight Project is a bespoke eight-week programme developed by Cuerden Valley Park Trust in collaboration with LFRS, Lancashire Police and North West Ambulance Service (NWAS). The project aims to establish a mental health and wellbeing hub within Cuerden Valley Park to support those serving in Blue Light and associated services. The programme delivers a range of experience-led conservation activities through regular weekly sessions in the park. In March, LFRS had the privilege of taking part in the inaugural Experience Day, with the pilot programme launched on 29 April 2026.

Estates and Co-location

The estates and co-location initiative between LFRS, NWAS, and LanCon aims to identify opportunities for shared sites, enhancing collaboration and value for money. Successful co-location at Lancaster, St Annes, Darwen, Preston, and other Fire Stations has improved operational efficiency and fostered stronger inter-service relationships, ultimately benefiting Lancashire communities. The group has also proved to be successful in providing an understanding of each organisation’s structures, processes, procedures and planned change in relation to the Estate and Asset Management. Current ongoing work is the sharing of Fire Safety best practice from LFRS.

Fleet

Heads of Fleet departments across the three services meet regularly and share best practice, information and standards across the three fleets. Work is ongoing to identify areas if similarity where collaboration would benefit any of the services fleets and to ensure that interoperability is factored into any strategic fleet decisions. A specific workstream is looking at the introduction of electric vehicles into the fleet and the shared access to charging infrastructure.

Recruitment

Recruitment is the most recent subgroup to be set up and is still in its infancy with HR representatives from all three services. This group is looking at opportunities for joint recruitment initiatives, exploring ways to improve the vetting and references protocol, reviewing best practice for supporting applicants with neurodiverse conditions and consider cost saving collaboration through shared recruitment events and recruitment material.

Procurement

LFRS Procurement department operates with several public sector collaborative procurement streams. Recent examples where savings have been made include the procurement of fire ground radios, Altberg boots (worn by all operational personnel) and gym equipment purchase.

A blue light savings tracker is maintained by procurement to keep track of these savings. LFRS are currently undergoing a process to introduce new Breathing Apparatus sets across the service. These sets were purchased as part of a regional procurement process which offered not only value for money, but also improved resilience, standardisation, interoperability and governance across multiple organisations.

4.3 Overall User Satisfaction

Percentage satisfied 98.56%

The percentage of people who were satisfied with the service received from the total number of people surveyed.

People surveyed include those who have experienced an accidental dwelling fire, a commercial fire, or a special service incident that we attended.

The standard is achieved if the percentage of satisfied responses is greater than the 97.50% standard.

During the quarter, 100 people were surveyed; 98 responded that they were very or fairly satisfied.

Question	Running Total	Number Satisfied	% Satisfied	% Standard	% Variance
Taking everything into account, are you satisfied, dissatisfied, or neither with the service you received from Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service?	4,174	4,114	98.56%	97.50%	1.06%