Data On Fire Incidents

Response to this request is long overdue. By law, under all circumstances, West Midlands Fire Service should have responded by now (details). You can complain by requesting an internal review.

Dear West Midlands Fire Service,

I would like to see data of every incident responded to since January 2009 for the region. This includes information for when (date) and where (postcode) the incident happened.

This also includes the type of fire/incident (e.g arson, candle, cigarette) dealt with.

Please provide the above information digitally, preferably in the form of an excel spreadsheet.
If it is not possible to provide the information requested due to the information exceeding the cost of compliance limits identified in Section 12, please provide advice and assistance, under your Section 16 obligations, as to how I can refine my request to be included in the scope of the Act.

In any case, if you can identify ways that my request could be refined please provide further advice and assistance to indicate this.

I look forward to your response within 20 working days, as stipulated by the Act.

If you have any queries please don't hesitate to contact me and I will be happy.

Yours faithfully,

Rhi Storer

Barbara Wilkins, West Midlands Fire Service

Ref: FOI/20022

Dear Ms Storer,

RE: FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000 REQUEST

I can confirm that we have received your request concerning incidents attended by West Midlands Fire Service. Your request was received on 17th February 2020 and I am dealing with it under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

In certain circumstances a fee may be payable and if that is the case, I will let you know. A fees notice will be issued to you, and you will be required to pay this before we will proceed to deal with the request.

If you have any queries about this letter, please contact me. Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications.

Further information concerning Freedom of Information requests can be found on the Information Commissioner website at either the following link: https://ico.org.uk/ or at Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, SK9 5AF.

Regards
Barbara Wilkins
ICT Data Management
0121 380 6464

[email address]
www.wmfs.net/our-plan

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Barbara Wilkins, West Midlands Fire Service

2 Attachments

 

Ref: FOI/20022

 

Dear Ms Storer

 

RE: FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000 REQUEST

 

I am writing to confirm that the West Midlands Fire Service has now
completed its search for the information you requested further to your
freedom of information request.

 

Please find below a summary of our findings.

 

Request

I would like to see data of every incident responded to since January 2009
for the region. This includes information for when (date) and where
(postcode) the incident happened.

This also includes the type of fire/incident (e.g arson, candle,
cigarette) dealt with.

Reply

Please see attached for data for 1^st January 2009 to 31^st March 2009.
However, please note the following caveats:

o Prior to 01/04/2009 data was kept in various spreadsheets dependant on
incident type, and these had different formats and column headings
o In relation to incident location, LSOA details were not recorded,
therefore dependant on incident type, Ward or District level locations
are given.
o Road Traffic Collision (RTC) and False alarm incidents are included
within Special Service Calls (SSC’s).
o Where the cells are blank, the data is either unknown, unavailable, or
not applicable.

 

Incident data from April 2009 is exempt under section 21 of the Freedom of
Information Act 2000 as this information is reasonably accessible to the
requestor. Information concerning incidents attended since April 2009 can
be found on the Birmingham Data Factory website at the following link:
[1]https://data.birmingham.gov.uk/dataset/w...

 

The location of incidents is provided at lower super output area level,
further detail about individual incidents is classed as personal data and
therefore attracts a Section 40(2) exemption under the Freedom of
Information Act 2000. Disclosure of the information may cause damage and
distress to the individuals involved so would therefore be unfair to
disclose it and contravene the principles of the Data Protection Act 2018.

 

If you have any queries about this Freedom of Information request, please
contact us. Please remember to quote the reference number above in any
future communications.

 

For service complaints, issues or comments regarding this request please
contact The Public Relations Department, West Midlands Fire Service, 99
Vauxhall Road, Birmingham, B7 4HW

 

Further information concerning Freedom of Information requests can be
found on the Information Commissioner website at either the following
link: [2]https://ico.org.uk/ or at Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow,
SK9 5AF.

Regards

Barbara Wilkins

ICT Data Management

0121 380 6464

[3][email address]

[4]www.wmfs.net/our-plan

[5]Corporate E-mail Signature

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Dear Barbara Wilkins,

Thank you for your timely data.

I have noticed that the data you have supplied me is only for the year 2008-09. Does West Midlands Fire Service have data from 2009-10; 2010-11; 2011-12; 2012-13; 2013-14; 2014-15; 2015-16; 2016-17; 2017-18; 2018-19; 2019-20 on related records of every incident response?

If the information is available, please provide the above information digitally, preferably in the form of an excel spreadsheet.

If it is not possible to provide the information requested due to the information exceeding the cost of compliance limits identified in Section 12, please provide advice and assistance, under your Section 16 obligations, as to how I can refine my request to be included in the scope of the Act.

In any case, if you can identify ways that my request could be refined please provide further advice and assistance to indicate this.

I look forward to your response within 20 working days, as stipulated by the Act.

If you have any queries please don't hesitate to contact me and I will be happy.

Yours faithfully,

Rhi Storer

Barbara Wilkins, West Midlands Fire Service

FOI20022

Dear Ms Storer,

As you can see from the response below, incident data from April 2009 is
exempt under section 21 of the Freedom of
 Information Act 2000 as this information is reasonably accessible to the 
requestor. Information concerning incidents attended since April 2009 can
be found on the Birmingham Data Factory website at the following link:
 
https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=ht...

Regards

Barbara Wilkins

EU GDPR Project Officer

Data Management

0121 380 6464

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Rhi Storer <[FOI #647384 email]>
Sent: 13 March 2020 09:43
To: Barbara Wilkins <[email address]>
Subject: Re: FOI20022 - Freedom of information request
 
Dear Barbara Wilkins,

Thank you for your timely data.

I have noticed that the data you have supplied me is only for the year
2008-09. Does West Midlands Fire Service have data from 2009-10; 2010-11;
2011-12; 2012-13; 2013-14; 2014-15; 2015-16; 2016-17; 2017-18; 2018-19;
2019-20 on related records of every incident response?

If the information is available, please provide the above information
digitally, preferably in the form of an excel spreadsheet.

If it is not possible to provide the information requested due to the
information exceeding the cost of compliance limits identified in Section
12, please provide advice and assistance, under your Section 16
obligations, as to how I can refine my request to be included in the scope
of the Act.

In any case, if you can identify ways that my request could be refined
please provide further advice and assistance to indicate this.

I look forward to your response within 20 working days, as stipulated by
the Act.

If you have any queries please don't hesitate to contact me and I will be
happy.

Yours faithfully,

Rhi Storer

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