⚠️ NOT FOR EMERGENCIES. This service is for administrative inquiries only. If in danger, dial 999 immediately.
Essex County Fire and Rescue Service
The Essex County Fire and Rescue Service Control Room offers critical services accessible via this number, including emergency fire reporting and community safety advice. The emergency reporting line operates 24/7 with trained control staff responding to fire incidents or hazards promptly. Dispatch is typically under one minute. For non-emergencies, services such as incident inquiries or requesting home safety visits are available from Monday to Friday, 08:00 to 18:00. Common reasons for calling include notifying active fires, seeking fire safety advice, or making media inquiries. It’s best to call non-emergency numbers during business hours to avoid delays.
Updated 14 Dec 2025
Expected outcomes
- Report active fires
- Request fire response
- Seek fire safety advice
- Inquire about incidents
- Request home safety visit
- Make media inquiries
Call preparation
Assemble everything before you dial. These requirements are verified by our call analysts and updated as organizations change their scripts.
- Location of incident
- Nature of emergency
- Contact details
- Incident reference
- Date of incident
- Media affiliation
Known issues
During major incidents, extended wait times may occur; however, additional control staff are deployed to manage increased call volumes efficiently. Many callers mistakenly use emergency lines for non-urgent inquiries, causing unnecessary delays. Public awareness campaigns emphasize using appropriate numbers for different queries, helping to mitigate this issue. To improve service, ensure calls to emergency lines are reserved for urgent matters, and use business hours for general inquiries or safety advice, reducing wait times and allowing for a more efficient response from the control room.
