Over £200,000 has been paid out as compensation in the last three years to Humberside Fire and Rescue Service firefighters who have suffered injury or illness.
There have been nine instances of compensation payouts to a Humberside Fire and Rescue firefighter in the past three-and-a-half years. Amounts ranged from as low as £205 to £114,826. The compensation payouts add up to just under £220,000.
The data was obtained by a Freedom of Information (FOI) request by the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS). Humberside Fire and Rescue Service does not make direct compensation payments, but pays through its insurers, who hold the information.
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There were four successful compensation claims for injury between 2020 and 2022, totalling £11,700. Three illness-related claims were paid out between 2021 and 2023, totalling almost £200,000.
A further two claims were classed as "accident" and saw over £11,000 paid out. There were no compensation payouts in 2018 and 2019.
A Humberside Fire and Rescue spokesperson said: "Compensation claims and direct payments for injuries and illnesses are handled on behalf of Humberside Fire and Rescue Service through its insurers. While the figure is low, the settlement and time frame can vary greatly depending on the injury or illness.
"The Service prioritises the health and safety of its staff by conducting thorough risk assessments for training and operational procedures, including following national guidelines, and is proactive in sharing learning from national incidents. However, although figures are low, due to the nature of their work, there is an increased exposure to risk when responding to emergencies."
The payouts to firefighters for injury, illness or accident, offer an interesting snapshot into both how council tax fire authority precepts are spent on insurers to cover payouts, and the risks faced by firefighters in the line of duty.
The figures do not detail the circumstances of the payouts, and any ongoing or rejected claims are not covered.
Nor is the fate of the firefighters after the payouts known. The payout amounts are the only detail to suggest the severity of injury or illness suffered in the course of work.
The compensation data comes as the fire service's latest annual accounts, to be audited, reported another year of underspend. Despite a £11.5m cut to external funding since 2010/11, the fire service has successfully adapted financially to a tighter budget.
In 2022/23, the fire authority's total expenditure was £54m.
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The FOI request asked for detail of the nature of injury or illness related to the compensation payout. This was declined on public interest data protection grounds due to the low numbers of claims involved and potential for individuals to be identified.
As a compromise the nature of each claim, whether it was for injury, illness, or other, was provided. All payout figures can be seen below.
2020: Accident - £4,547,20; Injury: two payments, £5,504 and £205. Total in year: £10,256,20.
2021: Injury - £2,000; Illness: £114,826. Total in year: £116,826.
2022: Accident: £6,796; Illness: £12,197. Injury: £4,000. Total: £22,993.
2023: Illness: £69,851.65.
Total compensation paid, 2018-present: £219,926.85.
