Lancashire Combined Fire Authority
Performance Committee
Meeting to be held on Wednesday 8 July 2026
Annual Review of KPI 3.3 – Fire Engine Availability
Contact for further information – Sam Pink, Assistant Chief Fire Officer (ACFO)
Telephone: 01772 866801
Executive SummaryFurther to the scrutiny of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) by Members of the CFA Performance Committee, the Service was asked to reflect on the suitability of the ‘Fire Engine Availability’ KPIs with particular reference to the On Call (OC) measure.
On the 17 July 2023, Members of the CFA Planning Committee approved the recommendation to combine the two Wholetime (WT) and OC availability performance measures, into a single station-based performance measure (resolution 08/23). Members agreed to change the previous KPIs (3.3.1) WT availability target of 99.5% and the (3.3.2) OC target of an aspirational 95%, into a combined (KPI 3.3) 90% first pump availability target across the 39 fire stations in Lancashire.
It was agreed this would be reviewed annually.
Recommendation(s)
Performance Monitoring
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Information
In July 2023, members agreed a single KPI measure for the first pump availability across the 39 fire stations in Lancashire.
This ‘Availability KPI’ reports on the combined availability of the primary asset at each of the 39 locations, in percentage terms, whether that be a WT or OC appliance. This aligns with the Response Standard KPI approach which measures 1st pump response times and gives a true indication of the speed of response and first intervention provided across each of the 39 risk areas.
As such the KPI reports availability by virtue of all first pumps at WT, flexi day crewed and day crewing plus stations in addition to the first pumps at stand-alone OC stations.
At the national level, on-call availability remains a significant challenge, as emphasised by the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) and His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS). Ongoing efforts, both locally and nationally, are focused on addressing these key issues. Within the Service, considerable initiatives are underway to enhance recruitment, training, retention, and the wider use of on-call personnel, all while maintaining realistic role expectations given the limited training hours available each week.
The table below shows the availability achieved in each quarter over the 2025-26 year. The total availability over 2025-26 was 89.55%, slightly below the 90% target. However, availability has increased over the year with the latest quarter being above the standard.
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Quarter 1 |
Quarter 2 |
Quarter 3 |
Quarter 4 |
2025-26 |
|
89.32% |
88.58% |
89.67% |
90.67% |
89.55% |
Table 1 – pump availability by quarter of 2025-26
Four months of the year recorded above the standard: April 90.08%, December 90.53%, January 91.78%, and March 90.29%.
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*UCL – Upper Control Limit and LCL – Lower Control Limit.
The Service KPI change appears to provide an appropriate balance of oversight and ambition for fire engines crewed by both WT and OC firefighters. The 90% availability performance standard is supplemented by further internal KPIs for use by local managers to drive contractual performance and ensure value for money.
Recommendations
Business risk
Low – the Service is currently below the target for availability, however, the availability standard of 90% ensures that fire cover distribution can be appropriately measured and reported, using KPIs that are specific, measurable and achievable, and tailored towards managing the risk that exists across the county.
Furthermore, the current approach is consistent with the measurement of 1st pump response times to incidents and the Dynamic Cover Tool system which is based upon covering 39 risk areas within Lancashire.
Local and national work is underway to address OC challenges, and the introduction of the Dynamic Cover Tool at North West Fire Control has mitigated Service risk by aiding the deployment of resources more efficiently.
Sustainability or Environmental Impact
Negligible – overall appliance numbers remain, hence little environmental impacts, positive or negative arise from this availability KPI.
Equality and Diversity Implications
None
Data Protection (GDPR)
None
HR implications
None
Legal implications
None
Financial implications
None
Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985
List of background papers
Paper: Planning Committee Agenda Item: Measuring Progress - Fire Engine Availability - KPI Review
Date: 17 July 2023
Contact:
Reason for inclusion in Part 2 if appropriate: