Fire Statistics

[GB]

I am looking for statistics for the percent of RoO living room / kitchen & bedroom etc.

Also does the FDR1 provide stats for cause of ignition and if alcohol is involved.

I have looked at the DCLG Statistical Release which gives me an annual accidental dwelling number but no further breakdown of the FDR1 data.

Can anyone point me to another site please?

[jayjay]

The published statistics do not normally show that much detail. In the past I have contacted them direct and asked if they can provide details of  what I required and they have always obliged, not sure if they will have the information on alcohol as it is a long time since I have filled in a fire report.

[SamFIRT]

Firstly the process no longer uses FDR1 as a collection method. It is now a national electronic system called the Incident Recording System or IRS.

There is a question in the  collection process asking if the fire victim was was incapacitated and specifically:

Question 8.17 ? Was impairment due to suspected drugs/alcohol a contributory factor in the fire?

Options: Yes, No, Don't Know

[Messy]

That sort of question is decades overdue.
Its a shame that drugs and alcohol have been linked as the data collected will be far less useful than if separate stats were available

More info in IRS is here
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/11806/Incident_Recording_System_-_Questions_and_Lists_-_Version_1.6_-__XML_Schemas_v1-0p__in_use_from_April_2012.pdf

[Golden]

I used to have a copy of the report but can't seem to find it at the moment. In my opinion a huge contributor to fire deaths is lifestyles associated with alcohol and drug abuse - I used to work closely with the drug and alcohol team of the local authority to highlight this.

http://www.london-fire.gov.uk/NewsReleases2008_PR1012.asp#_blank

[SamFIRT]

One of the major problems is there is no verification required of the incident commanders view of the reason for the incapacitation. If a Crew/Watch manager sees a person mumbling, staggering and smelling of alcohol that person could be drunk.............. or have a medical condition ....or have had one glass of wine/beer and have been attacked.... or whatever.   Its all based on assumption. But then so are all the IRS stats.

[Golden]

Sam - true in many situations (and IRS) but the report I'm talking about analysed hospital data from fire victims and included blood alcohol levels - that was where the 42% of victims (if I remember rightly) came from.

My generalisation comes from attending many fires where there is obvious evidence of alcohol abuse - but that evidence is only circumstantial as you rightly point out.

[Messy]

FDR1s were only ever supposed to record the 'supposed cause', so taking recording whether someone is on drugs or mentally ill can only ever be an assumption which fits in with the 'supposed' approach. I assume IRS process is the same.

Despite the problems, collecting this data has got to be better than ignoring it. In fact it does seem odd that the only time alcohol or drugs were ever recorded was following fatal fires - but its a little bit late by then!

[GB]

Appreciate the LFB article link.

So....is there not a facility / location that we as the FE community can easily access all of the IRS / FDR1 (for the old guys like me!) data with meaningful statistics where we can complete a probability analysis where some factors can be managed without a personal call to the office for National Statistics?

[SamFIRT]

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/fire-statistics-great-britain

Try this. Have fun. You can get the raw data in excel format from this too. 

[wee brian]

I think there was talk of DCLG releasing the entire wadge of stats for people to analyse themselves. Just a question of getting it done I think.

If you've got a good reason for asking, then the Stats people at DCLG will sometimes help.

[SamFIRT]

That is the link I sent.

Sam