Cambridgeshire Fire And Rescue Service (CFRS) Starts New Partnership With Anglian Water To Support Communities

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service (CFRS) has launched a new partnership with Anglian Water. The partnership will help the Service reach out to those most vulnerable in the community and support them with fire safety advice, as well as other areas to help keep them safe and continue to enjoy independence.

From November 2021, both organizations will share in a secure and responsible way, selected data to ensure both can support the safety and wellbeing of the most vulnerable residents in Cambridgeshire.

free Safe and Well visits

For CFRS, the information can be used to offer free Safe and Well visits

For CFRS, the information can be used to offer free Safe and Well visits. The visits, which are carried out by community safety officers and firefighters across Cambridgeshire, cover several areas around home safety. From fire safety to fall prevention, keeping warm, crime reduction, and even signposting on smoking cessation.

The hour-long visits are designed around helping residents stay safe and continue to be independent. They are available to those who are most vulnerable in our community. This may include those who smoke, have a disability or mental health problems, and are prioritized according to individual risk.

Priority Services Register

Anglian Water will be ensuring that vulnerable residents are signed up for their Priority Services Register, which offers a wide range of practical support from help in the event of an incident to extra protection against bogus callers and scams.

Station Commander - James Ball, who has been driving the workstream on behalf of CFRS, commented, “The joint working and notable example of interoperability has been the product of months of work. We understand this to be one of the first two-way data share agreements in the country involving a fire and rescue service and utility provider."

fire and rescue service

James Ball adds, "This partnership is highlighting how we can safely and responsibly share data to better reach the most vulnerable residents of Cambridgeshire to offer them the support they want and need.”

He continues, “It’s an excellent step forwards and we hope this will lay the foundation and set the precedent for setting up similar agreements with other partners and will go a long way to helping us ensure we are doing all we can to prevent fires from happening, particularly in the most at-risk groups.”

Access to essential services 

We want to ensure that our customers who need some additional support are signed up for our Priority Services Register"

Anglian Water’s Customer Services Partnership Manager, Bethanie Kennedy said, “We’re incredibly proud to be working in partnership with Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service. We want to make sure our customers are supported, and this is a great example of how effective partnerships can benefit those most in need, with minimal effort on the customer's part.”

Bethanie Kennedy adds, “Making sure all customers have access to our services is essential and it is vital that we know who may need extra help should there be any interruptions to water supplies. We want to ensure that our customers who need some additional support are signed up to our Priority Services Register.”

Arranging a visit 

Over the next six months, Anglian Water will be proactively contacting customers via SMS or letter within Cambridgeshire, who are signed up to the Priority Services Register and eligible for a free Safe & Well visit.

A customer can then request for details to be shared with the Fire & Rescue Service for the purpose of a Safe & Well visit to be arranged. No data will be shared without the customer's consent.