When to call 999
Call 999 when:
• You have even a small fire – they can get bigger
• A life is at risk
• The fire or incident is happening now
• Someone is trapped or may be injured
• Don’t be afraid to dial the Fire Service if you need us, even if you are not sure if there is a fire or not.
• Don’t think “I’d better not dial, it’s probably nothing.” It is better to be safe than sorry.
• Don’t attempt to contact your local fire station or the numbers listed in the telephone directory, they cannot mobilise fire engines without authority from our control room.
• Don’t think that someone else must have already rung for the Fire Service; we would rather receive several calls to a fire than none at all.
• Do not put the phone down until the Fire Service Control Operator has taken all of the details, unless you are directly affected by the fire and have an opportunity to escape.
What happens when you dial 999?
You will be answered by a telephone exchange operator who will ask you which emergency service you require. Stay on the line and you will then be connected to the Fire Service Control Room at Service Headquarters, NOT your local fire station.
Even if you have barred the ‘calling line identity’ facility, your telephone number will be displayed to the telephone exchange operator. This is a safety feature to enable us to ascertain an approximate location of the emergency.
As you are being connected to the Fire Service you will hear the telephone exchange operator passing your telephone number to the Fire Service Control Operator.
The Fire Service Control Operator will then ask you a number of questions
1. What is the full address? (It is at this stage that fire engines may be mobilised)
2. What is on fire?
3. Is there anybody trapped?
4. Are there any nearby landmarks?
5. What telephone number are you dialling from?
6. You may be asked for your name and address
Why we need to ask you these questions?
1. We need to know the address where the emergency is. This information is entered into our computer to enable us to pinpoint exactly where our fire appliances need to attend.
2. We need to know what is on fire or what other emergency you have to enable us to decide what our response will be, i.e. How many fire engines we will send?
3. We need to know if people are trapped inside a building to enable our highly trained operators to offer fire survival advice.
4. Nearby landmarks, such as pubs or telephone boxes are valuable sources of information which enable our drivers to reach your location as quickly as possible.
5. We need to know the telephone number that you are calling from, so that we can contact you again if we need any further information from you. This information is not given to anyone other than emergency service personnel.
6. We may need to know your name and address. This can be used as guidance to where the fire has been seen from.
It may seem as though you are being asked too many questions and your call is taking too long to deal with. Don’t worry, the fire engines are often on their way even while we are still talking to you and other valuable information can be gathered which will be passed on to the firefighters while they are en-route to the incident . This information may include things such as where in a building people are trapped or whether there are things such as an oil tank near the fire and can help the firefighters deal with the problem more quickly when they arrive.
It takes our Control Room less than 60 seconds to mobilise a fire engine!
Hoax calls
Hoax calls cost lives. If you make a hoax 999 call, you may be preventing a fire engine and crew from attending a real emergency where people really are in danger. If you make a hoax call, we will investigate and work with the police to bring about a prosecution if necessary. We can also have mobile phones used to make hoax calls barred from making any calls.
When to call other agencies
We receive many calls for services that are not emergencies. In many of these cases there is either no legal requirement for us to help or other agencies are responsible for providing assistance. The following information outlines who would be best to call. However, please be assured that for any other type of incident where people or animals are in danger, or there is a humanitarian need, if we can help then we will.
Animals in high or precarious positions
Most animals will usually get themselves down. However, the RSPCA are better able to help than the fire service.
Dangerous structures
Building owners are responsible for the safety of their own buildings. Local authorities enforce the law on dangerous buildings. Follow this link to find your local authority
Flooding
For information about flood warnings or what to do to help protect your home from flooding contact the Environment Agency.
The local authority is the agency responsible for leading arrangements to deal with widespread flooding.
If you are trapped by floodwater, call 999 and we will rescue you.
During widespread flooding we will be very busy, so only call 999 for genuine emergencies.
Minor leaks are best dealt with by a plumber, and many will provide 24 hour response, please see your local phone directory for plumbers in your area.
Where we are asked to pump water from non-domestic premises, LFRS will make a charge. Hiring pumps and hose from a hire shop will often be the cheaper option. See your local phone directory for shops in your area.
Gas leaks /smell of gas
If you smell gas or suspect a leak:
DO NOT create a flame or operate electrical switches (on or off)
DO extinguish naked flames
turn off gas at meter
keep people away from the area
open doors and windows to ventilate the property
Call National Grid on 0800 111 999 to report the leak.
Locked premises
LFRS will normally charge a fee for gaining entry, and may cause some damage in the process. A locksmith is better equipped to get you in with minimal damage. See your local phone directory.
Spills or debris on roads
On major roads and motorways the Highways Agency is responsible for managing spills or debris on the road. On other roads matters should be referred to the Local Authority.