Quick Facts

Date formed:
1st April 1948 (originally named “Essex Fire Brigade”)

Legislation:
Fire & Rescue Services Act 2004

Purpose:
To protect and save life, property and the environment

Area covered:
366,980 hectares, across 14 local authority areas:
• Basildon
• Braintree
• Brentwood
• Castle Point   
• Chelmsford
• Colchester
• Epping
• Harlow  
• Maldon
• Rochford
• Southend
• Thurrock   
• Tendring
• Uttlesford

Population of the area covered by ECFRS
1.688 million
(source: Office for National Statistics mid-2007 population estimates)

Response:
On average, we attend 24,490 incidents a year (67 a day)

Staff:
1,441 firefighters (890 wholetime and 466 retained)
46 Control personnel
253 Support staff

Facilities: 
Headquarters building (Kelvedon)
Control centre and offices (Hutton)
Service Workshops (Lexden, Colchester)
Five training sites (Basildon, Chelmsford, Orsett, Wethersfield and Witham)

50 Fire stations of which:

• 12 are wholetime (a crew is based at the station at all times)
Basildon
Brentwood
Chelmsford   
Clacton
Colchester
Grays   
Harlow
Leigh
Loughton   
Orsett
Rayleigh Weir
Southend

• 34 are retained (crews responds from their home or place of work, nearby)
Billericay
Braintree
Brightlingsea
Burnham
Canvey Island
Coggeshall
Corringham
Dunmow
Epping   
Frinton
Halstead
Hawkwell
Ingatestone
Leaden Roding
Maldon
Manningtree
Newport
Old Harlow  
Ongar
Rochford
Saffron Walden
Shoeburyness
Sible Hedingham
Stansted
Thaxted
Tillingham
Tiptree
Tollesbury  
Weeley
West Mersea
Wethersfield
Wickford
Witham
Wivenhoe

• 4 are day crewed (wholetime during the day, retained at night)
Dovercourt  
Great Baddow   
South Woodham Ferrers   
Waltham Abbey

1 USAR station (Urban Search & Rescue Station / Specialist Rescue):
• which is day crewed
Lexden           

Fire Equipment in use:
128 Appliances 
21 Specialist Appliances   
6 Inland Boats