Date of Request
24/01/26
Request
Dear Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service,
Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, please provide the following information relating to residential buildings in your Fire & Rescue Service area where a “waking watch” (or equivalent 24/7 fire patrol) has been implemented as a fire risk mitigation measure.
For the purposes of this request, please interpret “waking watch” broadly to include any arrangement where one or more persons are employed or contracted to patrol a building for signs of fire, raise the alarm, assist evacuation, or provide a temporary fire safety presence pending remediation or installation of alternative measures (including temporary “fire marshal” arrangements and similar terminology).
1) Current number of buildings with a waking watch
As of the most recent date for which you hold data (or as close as possible to the date you process this request), please provide the number of residential buildings in your area with a waking watch in place.
2) Time series (to allow comparison with 2020/21 figures)
For each of the following dates, please provide the number of residential buildings with a waking watch in place in your area (or the nearest available snapshot):
31 March 2020
31 March 2021
31 March 2022
31 March 2023
31 March 2024
31 March 2025
Most recent available date in 2026 (or current date)
If you only began recording after a certain point, please provide figures from the earliest date available and state when recording began.
3)Internal assessment of effectiveness (if held)
Please provide copies of any internal assessments of effectiveness of waking watches held by your Fire & Rescue Service (if held)
Yours faithfully,
Response
Good Morning,
We thank you for your request for information, which has been received by Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service (the Service) and considered under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 2000.
The Service can confirm that the information that you have requested is held and is as below:
- Current number of buildings with a waking watch
5
- Time series (to allow comparison with 2020/21 figures)
31 March 2021 – 0
31 March 2022 – 0
31 March 2023 – 0
31 March 2024 – 0
31 March 2025 – 0
- Internal assessment of effectiveness (if held).
Not held
If you have any questions regarding your request, please contact Information Governance on tel: 0345 122 4454 or by e-mail informationrequests@hwfire.org.uk. In any such communication please include the reference number assigned (see Subject).
Should you have any queries regarding the management of your request and wish to make either a complaint or request a review of the information disclosed to you, please do so by using Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service’s complaints system: Comments and Complaints. This must be done within 40 working days of our response to your request. After this date and in line with ICO guidance the Service is not obliged to provide an internal review of your request.
If you are not satisfied with the outcome of the internal review, you may appeal the decision by contacting the Information Commissioner, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, SK9 5AF, Tel: 0303 123 1113 (alternatively 01625 545745) or E-mail: casework@ico.org.uk.
Further information on Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service may be viewed at the Service’s website: www.hwfire.org.uk
Thank you for your request for information.
Kind regards,
Information Governance Team