Contents
Impact on Critical Fire Response
Impact on Critical Special Service Response
Impact on Prevention and Protection Activity
Impact Other Resources (mobilisations)
1. Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service (LFRS) has robust systems in place to monitor, manage, and dynamically deploy our fire engines and firefighters to respond to emergencies across Lancashire.
2. There are 58 fire engines and a number of specialist appliances in the county however some are often unavailable due to many reasons: ongoing incidents; training; maintenance; leave or sickness absence; unavailability of on-call staff; and other operational reasons.
3. When there is a crewing shortage, we take steps to keep a fire engine or specialist appliance available, by bringing in firefighters from other stations (we call this detaching) or on overtime.
4. With improved technology and access to more comprehensive data, we now have a greater understanding of fire risk across Lancashire. As a result, we have changed this approach to ensure sufficient resources are available in the areas that need them and reduce unnecessary overtime.
5. Firefighters who crew a second fire engine may be detached to maintain the availability of a first fire engine somewhere else, making that fire engine temporarily unavailable. This only occurs when the first fire engine is available as well as other fire engines in the area and this ensures we maintain a balanced level of fire cover across the county.
6. This forms part of a dynamic, risk-based approach to managing resources effectively.
7. Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service continually assesses and adjusts our operational resources to ensure the best possible emergency response across the county.
8. Using technology, we can see at any given time where live incidents are located, which fire engines are attending, which fire engines are available, and which are temporarily offline for training, maintenance, or crewing. This data is combined with five years’ previous incident data to highlight community risk, enabling us to position fire engines in precisely the locations they are needed.
9. Every decision we make is guided by our commitment to public safety. Whether it is moving a fire engine to cover a neighbouring area or investing in new technology, our goal is always the same: to ensure that every community in Lancashire receives a timely and effective emergency response.
10. The Dynamic Resource Management (DRM) policy came into effect on 01 July 2025, it is a policy which provides steps which can be taken prior to using overtime to fill shortfalls, such as redistributing the crew from second fire engines at 2 pump wholetime stations where there is adequate fire cover in the area.
11. The four, two pump wholetime stations within LFRS are Blackburn, Blackpool, Burnley, and Preston. DRM will only be enacted if the first fire engine at that station and neighbouring station(s) are available, the table below highlights which engines must be available to enact DRM:
|
DRM Stations |
Engines that must be available to enact DRM |
||
|
Blackburn |
Blackburn P1 |
Darwen P1 |
|
|
Blackpool |
Blackpool P1 |
Bispham P1 |
South Shore P1 |
|
Burnley |
Burnley P1 |
Nelson P1 |
|
|
Preston |
Preston P1 |
Fulwood P1 |
Penwortham P1 |
|
Engine |
# DRM Q2 |
% DRM |
|
Blackpool |
40 |
22% |
|
Preston |
34 |
18% |
|
Blackburn |
22 |
12% |
|
Burnley |
28 |
15% |
|
Total |
124 |
17% |
*Data from 01/07/25 – 30/09/2025
12. DRM has been used a total of 124 times in Q2. 124 occasions out of a total of 736 available shifts across the four stations in that timeframe, representing DRM being enacted on 17% of available shifts.
13. 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:

14.When reviewing our critical fire response times and any impacts since DRM has been initiated, there has been no detrimental impact on any incident outcomes. In the current year, there have been fewer fires in low and medium risk LSOAs and an increase in high and very high risk LSOAs, when compared to the previous year. Across the four stations where DRM is enacted, response times have improved when compared to the same period last year, (by 20 seconds) in all but the low-risk category, though this remains substantially under the 12-minute average response time target. Since DRM was introduced at the start of quarter 2 (Q2), overall response times at DRM stations have increased by 6 seconds compared with Q2 2024, whereas response times across all stations over the same period have increased by 20 seconds, highlighting that DRM has not had substantial impacts on our ability to meet the published response standards.
|
DRM Stations |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Critical Fire |
Target (Mins) |
2024/25 |
2025/26 |
Previous Year to Date |
Year to Date |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
Q1 |
Incs |
Q2 |
Incs |
Q1 |
Incs |
Q2 |
Incs |
mm:ss |
Incs |
mm:ss |
Incs |
|
|||||||||||||||
|
L |
12 |
07:41 |
20 |
07:57 |
16 |
07:07 |
11 |
08:42 |
12 |
07:48 |
36 |
07:56 |
23 |
|
|||||||||||||
|
M |
10 |
06:23 |
51 |
06:03 |
44 |
05:46 |
45 |
06:09 |
44 |
06:14 |
95 |
05:57 |
89 |
|
|||||||||||||
|
H |
8 |
06:13 |
11 |
05:39 |
9 |
05:21 |
14 |
06:11 |
10 |
05:58 |
20 |
05:42 |
24 |
|
|||||||||||||
|
VH |
6 |
05:36 |
6 |
05:38 |
7 |
05:50 |
11 |
04:35 |
5 |
05:37 |
13 |
05:27 |
16 |
|
|||||||||||||
|
Overall |
06:36 |
88 |
06:22 |
76 |
05:53 |
81 |
06:28 |
71 |
06:30 |
164 |
06:10 |
152 |
|
||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||
|
Blackburn Station |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Critical Fire Response |
Target |
2024/2025 |
2025/2026 |
Previous Year to Date |
Year to Date |
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Q1 |
Incs |
Q2 |
Incs |
Q1 |
Incs |
Q2 |
Incs |
mm:ss |
Incs |
mm:ss |
Incs |
||||||||||||||||
|
L |
12 |
10:21 |
4 |
09:29 |
3 |
07:12 |
3 |
10:10 |
6 |
09:58 |
7 |
09:11 |
9 |
||||||||||||||
|
M |
10 |
06:36 |
16 |
06:32 |
13 |
06:46 |
12 |
06:20 |
21 |
06:34 |
29 |
06:30 |
33 |
||||||||||||||
|
H |
8 |
05:49 |
3 |
05:55 |
2 |
03:38 |
1 |
05:11 |
2 |
05:51 |
5 |
04:40 |
3 |
||||||||||||||
|
VH |
6 |
- |
0 |
- |
0 |
- |
0 |
- |
0 |
- |
0 |
- |
0 |
||||||||||||||
|
Overall |
07:09 |
23 |
06:57 |
18 |
06:39 |
16 |
07:03 |
29 |
07:04 |
41 |
06:55 |
45 |
|||||||||||||||
|
Blackpool Station |
|||||||||||||
|
Critical Fire Response |
Target |
2024/2025 |
2025/2026 |
Previous Year to Date |
Year to Date |
||||||||
|
Q1 |
Incs |
Q2 |
Incs |
Q1 |
Incs |
Q2 |
Incs |
mm:ss |
Incs |
mm:ss |
Incs |
||
|
L |
12 |
07:16 |
8 |
08:13 |
7 |
04:03 |
1 |
07:26 |
4 |
07:43 |
15 |
06:45 |
5 |
|
M |
10 |
05:46 |
11 |
07:48 |
6 |
05:07 |
19 |
05:38 |
8 |
06:29 |
17 |
05:16 |
27 |
|
H |
8 |
05:20 |
6 |
05:38 |
4 |
07:07 |
1 |
05:30 |
3 |
05:27 |
10 |
05:54 |
4 |
|
VH |
6 |
05:26 |
4 |
05:31 |
3 |
05:19 |
8 |
04:35 |
5 |
05:28 |
7 |
05:02 |
13 |
|
Overall |
06:03 |
29 |
07:10 |
20 |
05:12 |
29 |
05:42 |
20 |
06:30 |
49 |
05:24 |
49 |
|
|
Burnley Station |
|||||||||||||
|
Critical Fire Response |
Target |
2024/2025 |
2025/2026 |
Previous Year to Date |
Year to Date |
||||||||
|
Q1 |
Incs |
Q2 |
Incs |
Q1 |
Incs |
Q2 |
Incs |
mm:ss |
Incs |
mm:ss |
Incs |
||
|
L |
12 |
04:56 |
3 |
08:30 |
2 |
08:58 |
4 |
- |
0 |
06:21 |
5 |
08:58 |
4 |
|
M |
10 |
06:16 |
15 |
04:48 |
15 |
05:37 |
5 |
06:03 |
10 |
05:32 |
30 |
05:54 |
15 |
|
H |
8 |
- |
0 |
05:28 |
1 |
05:10 |
7 |
06:56 |
4 |
05:28 |
1 |
05:49 |
11 |
|
VH |
6 |
03:09 |
1 |
04:00 |
2 |
- |
0 |
- |
0 |
03:43 |
3 |
- |
0 |
|
Overall |
05:53 |
19 |
05:08 |
20 |
06:15 |
16 |
06:18 |
14 |
05:30 |
39 |
06:17 |
30 |
|
|
Preston Station |
|||||||||||||
|
Critical Fire Response |
Target |
2024/2025 |
2025/2026 |
Previous Year to Date |
Year to Date |
||||||||
|
Q1 |
Incs |
Q2 |
Incs |
Q1 |
Incs |
Q2 |
Incs |
mm:ss |
Incs |
mm:ss |
Incs |
||
|
L |
12 |
07:51 |
5 |
06:02 |
4 |
05:34 |
3 |
06:49 |
2 |
07:02 |
9 |
06:04 |
5 |
|
M |
10 |
06:57 |
9 |
06:16 |
10 |
05:52 |
9 |
06:26 |
7 |
06:36 |
19 |
06:07 |
16 |
|
H |
8 |
09:29 |
2 |
05:29 |
2 |
05:37 |
5 |
07:56 |
5 |
07:29 |
4 |
06:47 |
10 |
|
VH |
6 |
08:40 |
1 |
07:25 |
2 |
07:14 |
3 |
- |
0 |
07:50 |
3 |
07:14 |
3 |
|
Overall |
07:37 |
17 |
06:16 |
18 |
05:58 |
20 |
07:01 |
14 |
06:55 |
35 |
06:24 |
34 |
|
|
All LFRS Stations |
|||||||||||||
|
Critical Fire Response |
Target |
2024/2025 |
2025/2026 |
Previous Year to Date |
Year to Date |
||||||||
|
Q1 |
Incs |
Q2 |
Incs |
Q1 |
Incs |
Q2 |
Incs |
mm:ss |
Incs |
mm:ss |
Incs |
||
|
L |
12 |
08:51 |
20 |
09:02 |
16 |
09:07 |
11 |
09:21 |
12 |
08:57 |
36 |
09:14 |
23 |
|
M |
10 |
07:00 |
51 |
06:54 |
44 |
07:05 |
45 |
07:07 |
46 |
06:58 |
95 |
07:06 |
91 |
|
H |
8 |
07:12 |
11 |
06:35 |
9 |
05:37 |
14 |
06:38 |
14 |
06:53 |
20 |
06:07 |
28 |
|
VH |
6 |
06:02 |
6 |
05:55 |
7 |
05:49 |
11 |
05:00 |
5 |
05:59 |
13 |
05:31 |
16 |
|
Overall |
07:40 |
88 |
07:42 |
76 |
07:38 |
81 |
08:02 |
77 |
07:41 |
164 |
07:49 |
158 |
|
15.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.
16. When reviewing our critical special service response times and any impacts since DRM has been initiated, there has been little impact as a direct result of DRM. In Q2 2025, there were 204 critical special service incidents within the 4 station areas where DRM occurs. Since DRM was introduced at the start of Q2, overall response times at DRM stations have increased by 52 seconds compared with Q2 2024, whereas response times across all stations over the same period have increased by 11 seconds. Whilst this is a higher increase than overall, our response times remain substantially under the 13-minute average response time target, and our Key Performance Indicator demonstrates that performance levels continue to be met since the introduction of DRM.
|
Critical SSC |
Target |
2024/25 |
2025/26 |
Previous Year to Date |
Year to Date |
||||||||
|
Q1 |
Incs |
Q2 |
Incs |
Q1 |
Incs |
Q2 |
Incs |
mm:ss |
Incs |
mm:ss |
Incs |
||
|
Blackburn |
13 |
08:12 |
66 |
07:54 |
56 |
09:01 |
53 |
09:09 |
61 |
09:05 |
114 |
08:16 |
98 |
|
Blackpool |
06:47 |
56 |
06:40 |
47 |
07:38 |
62 |
06:48 |
52 |
07:15 |
114 |
09:05 |
114 |
|
|
Burnley |
07:18 |
48 |
06:50 |
44 |
07:28 |
35 |
08:12 |
42 |
07:52 |
77 |
07:15 |
114 |
|
|
Preston |
07:46 |
45 |
08:45 |
54 |
07:57 |
49 |
09:40 |
49 |
08:48 |
98 |
07:52 |
77 |
|
|
DRM Stations |
07:32 |
215 |
07:37 |
201 |
08:03 |
199 |
08:29 |
204 |
08:16 |
416 |
08:48 |
403 |
|
|
LFRS Overall |
08:22 |
716 |
08:36 |
690 |
08:38 |
666 |
08:47 |
681 |
08:29 |
1406 |
08:42 |
1347 |
|
17. As highlighted at the start of this paper, not every fire engine is always available due to various reasons. Robust performance monitoring is in place through various KPIs, below is a breakdown of average engine availability by month.
|
|
|
Apr 24 |
May 24 |
Jun 24 |
Jul 24 |
Aug 24 |
Sep 24 |
Oct 24 |
Nov 24 |
Dec 24 |
Jan 25 |
Feb 25 |
Mar 25 |
Apr 25 |
May 25 |
Jun 25 |
Jul 25 |
Aug 25 |
Sep 25 |
Available |
|
Pumps Avail (OC) |
21 |
21 |
20 |
20 |
20 |
21 |
22 |
23 |
24 |
25 |
23 |
22 |
24 |
24 |
23 |
23 |
23 |
23 |
22 |
|
|
Pumps Avail (WT) |
26 |
26 |
26 |
26 |
26 |
26 |
26 |
26 |
26 |
26 |
26 |
26 |
26 |
26 |
26 |
25 |
25 |
25 |
26 |
|
|
Pumps Avail (All) |
47 |
47 |
46 |
46 |
46 |
47 |
48 |
49 |
50 |
51 |
49 |
48 |
50 |
50 |
49 |
49 |
48 |
49 |
48 |
|
18. The average number of Wholetime fire engines available has reduced by one from 01 July 2025, On-Call fire engine availability has increased and whilst there is typically a drop in availability over the summer periods, there is still a significant upward trend compared to the 2024 summer period. Combined availability has resulted in LFRS maintaining an average of 48 fire engines available at any one time since DRM has been instigated, which is higher than the average availability over the same period last year.

19.Dynamic Resource Management aims to reduce the usage of overtime and overall budgetary pressures. Once DRM is enacted and a fire engine has been taken off the run, the remaining crew are redistributed to fill shortfalls as required.
20.The number of overtime shifts/activities recorded in Q2 2025, is 56. This is compared with 778 in Q2 2024.

21. 56 overtime shifts across the three months represents a cost of £24,166. For the same period in 2024, the overtime bill was £289,342, this equates to a saving of £265,175. This figure includes on-costs (such as national insurance) and is for overtime shifts directly related to maintaining fire engine availability. To enable direct comparison, one pay figure has been used (2025), therefore the 2024 cost will be slightly over reported.

22.Average detachments have been increasing year on year, and the number of detachments has increased over the same period in 2025 compared to 2024. This is to be expected with DRM as staff are detached to cover shortfalls at other stations. When staff go on detachments overtime or time owing is incurred for travel to and from each detachment. This is capped at a total of 3 hours and can be taken as time or payment, the costs of detachments are significantly less than a full overtime shift. Detached duty payments for Q2 were £11,200. In 2024 the cost of detachments in Q2 was £10,000 (equivalent including pay rise), representing a 12% increase in 2025.
23.The actual numbers of detachments in Q2 2025 rose by 19% from 1197 in 2024, to 1420 in 2025. This shows that more firefighters are choosing to take time rather than payment than in 2024, which may ultimately have a detrimental impact on staff availability due to taking this time back.
24.Enacting DRM and temporarily removing a resource from a two-pump station for a shift is anticipated to reduce the available time to complete prevention and protection activity. Overall, LFRS operational crews carried out 20% less Business Fire Safety Checks (BFSC) in Q2 2025/26 compared with Q2 2024/25, and 14% less Home Fire Safety Checks (HFSC) over the same period. Stations eligible for DRM have experienced a similar drop in BFSC numbers but a substantial drop in HFSC numbers (-28%). It is anticipated that enacting DRM will impact the activity at neighbouring stations due to an increase in mobilisations. This appears to be supported, as shown in the table below, DRM and neighbouring stations experienced a similar drop in BFSC as other stations, but a drop of 22% in HFSC, substantially greater than the overall reduction.
|
2024/25 – 2025/26 Q2 Comparison |
||
|
|
% Change |
|
|
Stations |
BFSC |
HFSC |
|
All Ops |
-20% |
-14% |
|
DRM Stations |
-17% |
-28% |
|
DRM & Neighbouring Stations |
-18% |
-22% |
|
Non-DRM Stations |
-23% |
-9% |
25.By removing an appliance for a full shift, it is assumed that incident activity (mobilisations) will increase for the remaining, and neighbouring appliances.
As can be seen by the trend lines (linear) in the chart below, incidents have been increasing slightly year on year since 2018/19. Mobilisations have also been increasing, but at a greater rate.
26.Beyond prevention activities, Lancashire FRS has little control over the number of incidents which it faces annually (see 26). However, policy decisions can have an impact on the number of mobilisations. One example is the Automatic Fire Alarm (AFA) policy which has been amended over recent years to remove non-life risk premises.

27. Comparing Preston Q2 over the previous eight years, as expected, Preston L50P2 has been mobilised 68 times less than expected; whilst Preston L50P1, Penwortham L57P1 and Fulwood L52P1 have all experienced increases in mobilisations, though only Preston L50P1 has been out of the expected range of deviation. Bamber Bridge L53P1 has experienced a reduction in mobilisations, whilst within the expected deviation, it is nonetheless surprising and potentially indicates that Penwortham has picked up more of Preston’s mobilisations than Fulwood. This may be attributed to Fulwood being On Call at night.
|
Fiscal Year |
Quarter |
L50P1 |
L50P2 |
L57P1 |
L52P1 |
L53P1 |
|
2018-2019 |
Q2 |
302 |
347 |
293 |
204 |
302 |
|
2019-2020 |
Q2 |
270 |
435 |
246 |
253 |
246 |
|
2020-2021 |
Q2 |
246 |
422 |
228 |
244 |
227 |
|
2021-2022 |
Q2 |
269 |
483 |
289 |
251 |
294 |
|
2022-2023 |
Q2 |
300 |
508 |
349 |
274 |
266 |
|
2023-2024 |
Q2 |
316 |
457 |
300 |
300 |
269 |
|
2024-2025 |
Q2 |
289 |
449 |
305 |
259 |
219 |
|
2025-2026 |
Q2 |
324 |
375 |
312 |
272 |
236 |
|
Avg 2018/19-2024/25 |
285 |
443 |
287 |
255 |
260 |
|
|
Std Dev 2018/19-2024/25 |
22 |
47 |
37 |
27 |
29 |
|
|
Deviation 2025/26 |
39 |
-68 |
25 |
17 |
-24 |
|

28. Comparing Blackpool area Q2 mobilisations over the previous eight years, as expected, Blackpool L30P2 has experienced reduced mobilisations at 77 fewer than average, which is over three times the standard deviation. The majority of these mobilisations appear to have been absorbed by L30P1 and Bispham L31P1, with South Shore, St. Annes and Fleetwood all within expected activity levels. Fleetwood L32P1 is the only appliance not at a DRM station in Western area to have experienced fewer than average mobilisations.
|
Fiscal Year |
Quarter |
L30P1 |
L30P2 |
L31P1 |
L32P1 |
L36P1 |
L37P1 |
|
2018-2019 |
Q2 |
265 |
370 |
253 |
165 |
171 |
261 |
|
2019-2020 |
Q2 |
208 |
387 |
231 |
198 |
160 |
278 |
|
2020-2021 |
Q2 |
215 |
416 |
270 |
217 |
151 |
298 |
|
2021-2022 |
Q2 |
223 |
422 |
210 |
222 |
186 |
384 |
|
2022-2023 |
Q2 |
232 |
413 |
231 |
211 |
199 |
365 |
|
2023-2024 |
Q2 |
220 |
370 |
211 |
195 |
144 |
286 |
|
2024-2025 |
Q2 |
230 |
362 |
256 |
160 |
149 |
284 |
|
2025-2026 |
Q2 |
316 |
314 |
290 |
177 |
166 |
344 |
|
Avg 2018/19-2024/25 |
228 |
391 |
237 |
195 |
166 |
308 |
|
|
Std Dev 2018/19-2024/25 |
17 |
23 |
21 |
23 |
19 |
44 |
|
|
Deviation 2025/26 |
88 |
-77 |
53 |
-18 |
0 |
36 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

29. Comparing Q2 mobilisations in Blackburn and neighbouring stations over the previous eight years, in Q2 2025/26 Blackburn L71P2 has experienced less than average mobilisations, but at 16 less than average, this is well within standard deviation. All other stations have had expected numbers of mobilisations, with Darwen L76P1 receiving the greatest increase.
|
Fiscal Year |
Quarter |
L71P1 |
L71P2 |
L76P1 |
L70P1 |
|
2018-2019 |
Q2 |
250 |
498 |
193 |
366 |
|
2019-2020 |
Q2 |
217 |
434 |
175 |
345 |
|
2020-2021 |
Q2 |
207 |
429 |
165 |
358 |
|
2021-2022 |
Q2 |
214 |
472 |
220 |
382 |
|
2022-2023 |
Q2 |
289 |
516 |
269 |
467 |
|
2023-2024 |
Q2 |
242 |
442 |
190 |
336 |
|
2024-2025 |
Q2 |
244 |
426 |
185 |
421 |
|
2025-2026 |
Q2 |
255 |
444 |
231 |
384 |
|
Avg 2018/19-2024/25 |
238 |
460 |
200 |
382 |
|
|
Std Dev 2018/19-2024/25 |
26 |
33 |
32 |
43 |
|
|
Deviation 2025/26 |
17 |
-16 |
31 |
2 |
|

30. Comparing Q2 mobilisations in Burnley and neighbouring station over the previous eight years, Burnley L90P2 has received 69 fewer mobilisations than average, almost double the standard deviation for that appliance. Burnley L90P1 was mobilised 42 times over the average, 13 over the standard deviation. Nelson, L94P1 has experienced only two incidents over the expected average. It is hard to identify any other stations/appliances which have experienced an increase in mobilisations due to DRM at Burnley.
|
Fiscal Year |
Quarter |
L90P1 |
L90P2 |
L92P1 |
L94P1 |
|
2018-2019 |
Q2 |
202 |
322 |
73 |
259 |
|
2019-2020 |
Q2 |
184 |
377 |
67 |
220 |
|
2020-2021 |
Q2 |
145 |
318 |
65 |
228 |
|
2021-2022 |
Q2 |
182 |
327 |
53 |
293 |
|
2022-2023 |
Q2 |
230 |
427 |
66 |
297 |
|
2023-2024 |
Q2 |
154 |
313 |
42 |
253 |
|
2024-2025 |
Q2 |
195 |
348 |
36 |
237 |
|
2025-2026 |
Q2 |
227 |
278 |
54 |
257 |
|
|
|||||
|
Avg 2018/19-2024/25 |
185 |
347 |
57 |
255 |
|
|
Std Dev 2018/19-2024/25 |
27 |
38 |
13 |
28 |
|
|
Deviation 2025/26 |
42 |
-69 |
-3 |
2 |
|
