It’s not every day we get a peek behind the curtain of official statistics, especially when it comes to something as vital as fire and rescue services. But that’s exactly what this project aims to do: make the detailed data from the Incident Recording System (IRS) publicly available. Think of it as opening up a treasure trove of information that helps us understand fires, false alarms, and even those increasingly common medical co-responses.
This whole initiative really gained momentum following the Grenfell Tower Inquiry. The recommendation to consolidate all fire safety responsibilities under one department – moving from the Home Office to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government in April 2025 – was a significant shift. And with that move came a fresh look at how fire statistics are handled and shared.
The core challenge, as you can imagine, is balancing transparency with privacy. The IRS is a remarkably detailed system, capturing nearly 200 questions about every incident. While this depth is fantastic for analysis, it also means there’s a lot of information that could potentially identify individuals. So, a huge part of this project has been figuring out how to share this rich data while being incredibly careful about protecting personal details. It’s a delicate dance, ensuring that while we illuminate trends and patterns, we don’t inadvertently reveal sensitive information.
Currently, the department publishes three main annual reports based on IRS data: one on general fire and rescue incident statistics, another delving deeper into the causes and timing of fires, and a third focusing specifically on non-fire incidents. These are great for spotting the big picture, but the sheer volume of data collected means much of the granular detail remains locked away. This project is about changing that.
The benefits of releasing this incident-level data are pretty compelling. For starters, it empowers the fire sector and other interested parties to conduct much more in-depth analysis. It’s about boosting transparency across the board, giving everyone a clearer view of the sector’s operations. Plus, it’s intended to streamline responses to Freedom of Information requests, providing a readily accessible resource. And, perhaps surprisingly, making this data more widely available can even help enhance its overall quality, benefiting everyone from the department itself to the fire services and external researchers.
Of course, the sensitive nature of the data is paramount. The project team has been meticulously considering the Data Protection Act 1998, which defines personal information as data that can identify a living individual. This includes not just names and ages of those rescued or injured, but also potentially sensitive details like ethnic origin, health conditions, or involvement in criminal proceedings. The goal is to release data that is useful and informative, without crossing that crucial privacy line. It’s a complex undertaking, but one that promises to bring a new level of understanding to the critical work of our fire and rescue services.
