The Combined Fire Authority for County Durham and Darlington Performance Committee met on Thursday 11 June 2026. The meeting's agenda included a review of the service's performance in the fourth quarter of the 2025/26 financial year, an update on car fires, and a summary of letters of appreciation received by the service.

Car Fires Update

A presentation was scheduled to be given by the Director of Community Risk Management regarding car fires.

Performance Report Quarter Four 2025/26

The committee was scheduled to receive a report from the Deputy Chief Fire Officer detailing the organisation's performance at the end of the fourth quarter of the 2025/26 financial year. The report indicated that 40% of strategic performance indicators met or exceeded their target levels, and 43% either maintained or improved when compared to the previous year.

Within the Prevention category, there was one fatality arising from an accidental dwelling fire (ADF) in County Durham and Darlington. Accidental dwelling fires remained above target, with kitchen fires identified as the main driver. Hospitalisations from ADFs also remained above target, highlighting a need for continued prevention work and partnership with health and care services. Secondary fire activity remained high, with a year-end total of 3,206, above target and the previous year. Home Fire Safety Visit delivery was strong, with 18,205 visits completed against a target of 18,004.

In Protection, primary fires in non-domestic premises remained above target. False alarms caused by automatic fire detection equipment were broadly stable, with the service finishing the year slightly below target. Fire safety audit activity remained positive, with 2,137 audits completed, exceeding target and improving on the previous year.

The Response section of the report showed mixed results for response standards in quarter four. Dwelling fires finished above target at 72.73%, non-domestic fires were marginally below target at 69.31%, and road traffic collisions were above target at 72.70%. The report noted that constraints such as geography and traffic were the main factors, rather than systemic deterioration. Availability of on-call appliances for the first pump remained below target throughout the quarter, finishing the year at 69.49%, below the 75% target.

Under Health and Safety, accidents to personnel remained above target, with a year-end total of 17. Service contributory vehicle accidents also remained above target, with a year-end total of 20, indicating a continued need for focus on driver safety and preventative action.

The report recommended that members note its content and comment on the reported performance.

Letters of Appreciation Quarter Four 2025/26

A report from the Deputy Chief Fire Officer was scheduled to provide details of letters of appreciation received by the service between 1 January 2026 and 31 March 2026. Four letters were received during this period. These included thanks for firefighters assisting a resident with a carbon monoxide alarm in Newton Aycliffe, praise for Darlington Blue Watch carrying out a Home Fire Safety Visit, appreciation for Darlington White Watch hosting a station visit for children, and thanks for the Shoreham-by-Sea Fire and Rescue Service for their response to a carbon monoxide alarm.

Formal Complaints Quarter Four 2025/26

The meeting was also scheduled to consider a report from the Deputy Chief Fire Officer concerning formal complaints received by the service during the fourth quarter of the 2025/26 financial year. This item was designated as exempt or confidential information and would be discussed in Part B of the meeting, meaning the public would not be present for this discussion.