Fire crews routinely attend a range of emergencies other than fires, such as flooding, traffic collisions or assisting other emergency services with medical issues. Home Office figures show the Norfolk firefighters reported 75 deaths in non-fire incidents they attended in the year to March 2023, up from 62 in the previous 12 months. This was despite a 6pc annual reduction in total non-fire call-outs with 2,745 incidents attended. READ MORE: Norfolk fire crews called to 825 arsons attacks in 12 monthsOne of the main drivers of the rise was an increase in the number of deaths in medical incidents. In total Norfolk fire crews attended 613 road crashes, 103 flooding or water rescue calls, and 77 medical incidents.

Source: The Times January 28, 2024 06:19 UTC