Jo Coles, York and North Yorkshire Deputy Mayor for Policing, Fire and Crime, has this week been holding senior fire officers to account around arson and deliberate fire setting across the county.
Monthly Public Meetings give the public the chance ask questions around police and fire performance, see the latest performance data and focus on a particular topic of public interest.
September’s meeting focussed on deliberate fire setting, outlining how the fire and rescue service respond to incidents and work to prevent them.
Deliberate fires represent 40% of total fires reported In York and North Yorkshire in the last year, with 792 incidents over the past 12 months, 170 higher than last year.
Jo Coles, Deputy Mayor for Policing, Fire and Crime said:
“Mayor David Skaith and I will always do everything we can to improve public safety. This summer has once again been an exceptionally challenging one for our fire fighters, but we can all be incredibly proud of the hard work and dedication of work the fire service has done to keep our communities safe this summer.
“People are rightly concerned about any arson or deliberate fire setting incidents, but action in this area isn’t just a matter for the fire and rescue service. Other agencies such as North Yorkshire Police and local authority partners are key allies too.
"To really address this issue we need the superpower of partnership working to ensure everyone is doing everything they can to keep people safe. Having convened partners in the summer, it’s great to hear that partnership working is becoming even more embedded.
“Our meeting this week also set out more details about the action the fire and rescue service is taking, how York and North Yorkshire compare to national trends and what else can be done to prevent fires like these.
In July this year York and North Yorkshire had 65% less rain than two years ago.
Partners involved in the prevention activities as well as interventions following deliberate fire setting includes North Yorkshire Police, City of York Council and North Yorkshire Council, youth justice teams, housing providers and education institutions. They come together to share information about problem areas, emerging issues and opportunities for joint intervention.
The full meeting can be viewed on the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority YouTube channel: 17 September– NYFRS- Online Public Meeting - Deliberate Fire Starting
