Responding to the pandemic: The fire and rescue service’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020

Published on: 22 January 2021

Publication types: COVID-19 and Fire & rescue services

Fire and Rescue Services: Avon, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Cheshire, Cleveland, Cornwall, Cumbria, Derbyshire, Devon and Somerset, Dorset and Wiltshire, Durham and Darlington, East Sussex, Essex, Gloucestershire, Greater Manchester, Hampshire, Hereford and Worcester, Hertfordshire, Humberside, Isle of Wight, Isles of Scilly, Kent, Lancashire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, London, Merseyside, Norfolk, North Yorkshire, Northamptonshire, Northumberland, Nottinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Royal Berkshire, Shropshire, South Yorkshire, Staffordshire, Suffolk, Surrey, Tyne and Wear, Warwickshire, West Midlands, West Sussex and West Yorkshire

Summary

In August 2020, the Home Secretary commissioned us to inspect how fire and rescue authorities in England responded to the COVID-19 outbreak and the numerous challenges it presents.

Virtually, we inspected England’s 45 fire and rescue services from September to November 2020, focusing on their response during the initial outbreak of the pandemic.

The inspections examined these areas:

  • what is working well and what is being learnt;
  • how the fire and rescue sector is responding to the COVID-19 crisis;
  • how fire and rescue services are dealing with the problems they face; and
  • what changes are likely as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The national report shows our overall findings on the sector’s preparation and response to the pandemic.

The 44 individual national service letters below give detailed findings and focus areas for improvement for each fire and rescue service.

Get the national report

Responding to the pandemic: The fire and rescue service’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 (PDF document)

Get the press release

Too many firefighters prevented from fully supporting public during COVID-19 pandemic

Get the national service letters

Responding to the pandemic: The fire and rescue service’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 – Avon Fire and Rescue Service

Responding to the pandemic: The fire and rescue service’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 – Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service

Responding to the pandemic: The fire and rescue service’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 – Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service

Responding to the pandemic: The fire and rescue service’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 – Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service

Responding to the pandemic: The fire and rescue service’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 – Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service

Responding to the pandemic: The fire and rescue service’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 – Cleveland Fire Brigade

Responding to the pandemic: The fire and rescue service’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 – Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service

Responding to the pandemic: The fire and rescue service’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 – County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service

Responding to the pandemic: The fire and rescue service’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 – Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service

Responding to the pandemic: The fire and rescue service’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 – Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service

Responding to the pandemic: The fire and rescue service’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 – Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service

Responding to the pandemic: The fire and rescue service’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 – Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service

Responding to the pandemic: The fire and rescue service’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 – East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service

Responding to the pandemic: The fire and rescue service’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 – Essex Fire and Rescue Service

Responding to the pandemic: The fire and rescue service’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 – Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service

Responding to the pandemic: The fire and rescue service’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 – Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service

Responding to the pandemic: The fire and rescue service’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 – Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Services

Responding to the pandemic: The fire and rescue service’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 – Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service

Responding to the pandemic: The fire and rescue service’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 – Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service

Responding to the pandemic: The fire and rescue service’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 – Humberside Fire and Rescue Service

Responding to the pandemic: The fire and rescue service’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 – Isles of Scilly Fire and Rescue Service

Responding to the pandemic: The fire and rescue service’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 – Kent Fire and Rescue Service

Responding to the pandemic: The fire and rescue service’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 – Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service

Responding to the pandemic: The fire and rescue service’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 – Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service

Responding to the pandemic: The fire and rescue service’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 – Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Service

Responding to the pandemic: The fire and rescue service’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 – London Fire Brigade

Responding to the pandemic: The fire and rescue service’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 – Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service

Responding to the pandemic: The fire and rescue service’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 – Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service

Responding to the pandemic: The fire and rescue service’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 – Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service

Responding to the pandemic: The fire and rescue service’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 – Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service

Responding to the pandemic: The fire and rescue service’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 – North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service

Responding to the pandemic: The fire and rescue service’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 – Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service

Responding to the pandemic: The fire and rescue service’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 – Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service

Responding to the pandemic: The fire and rescue service’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 – Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service

Responding to the pandemic: The fire and rescue service’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 – Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service

Responding to the pandemic: The fire and rescue service’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 – South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service

Responding to the pandemic: The fire and rescue service’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 – Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service

Responding to the pandemic: The fire and rescue service’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 – Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service

Responding to the pandemic: The fire and rescue service’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 – Surrey Fire and Rescue Service

Responding to the pandemic: The fire and rescue service’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 – Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service

Responding to the pandemic: The fire and rescue service’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 – Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service

Responding to the pandemic: The fire and rescue service’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 – West Midlands Fire Service

Responding to the pandemic: The fire and rescue service’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 – West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service

Responding to the pandemic: The fire and rescue service’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 – West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service