• Fire safety must be integral to home care technology, including care assessment and management practices, warn Fire Chiefs 
  • An estimated two million people rely on telecare – set to grow as the population ages and more people are living with disabilities 
  • Coroners have repeatedly noted the role of Technology Enabled Care (TEC) in fire death incidents involving vulnerable people 
  • Fire Chiefs call for improved regulation of TEC services, including stronger standards, accreditation, and quality assurance. Chiefs also urge TEC providers in the public and private sector to follow NFCC’s recommendations around best practice. 

Millions of vulnerable people across the UK rely on home care technology such as telecare to live safely and independently – but Fire Chiefs are warning that increased use of these services makes the safety of TEC users a growing risk. Publishing a new Technology Enabled Care (TEC) Policy Position Statement, the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) is calling for stronger regulation and oversight of home care technology services to help ensure the people who rely on them are kept safe. 

An estimated two million people across the country rely on telecare to live independently in their own homes. Many of these people are among those most vulnerable to fire, including older people, people with disabilities and those living with long-term health conditions. The risks facing these groups are well established. Over the last decade, more than a third of fire fatalities in England involved people aged over 65 living alone. 

Fire Chiefs say action is needed given longstanding FRS concerns about the role of TEC services in incidents where vulnerable people have died in fires. Coroners’ Prevention of Future Deaths Reports issued over the last two decades have also highlighted recurring failures, including fire risks not being identified, linked smoke detection not being installed, alarms not being connected to monitoring systems, and critical information not being passed to emergency responders. 

Demand for telecare services is expected to grow significantly as the population ages and more care is delivered at home. More than a quarter of the population is projected to be aged over 65 by 2065, while an estimated 9.1 million people are expected to be living with a major illness in England by 2040, increasing the number of people who may rely on support to live independently. 

NFCC is calling on the UK and devolved governments to review and strengthen regulation of TEC services, saying stronger standards, accreditation and quality assurance are needed to help prevent vulnerable people being put at unnecessary risk. NFCC is also calling on TEC providers to follow NFCC’s recommendations around best practice.  

Terry Pinto, Technology Enabled Care Lead at the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC), and Prevention Lead at Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service, said: 

“Telecare can be life-saving, but only when a person’s needs and fire risks are properly assessed and equipment is installed, maintained and monitored in accordance with recognised British Standards. 

“Having personally reviewed fatal fires in Norfolk and supported other fire and rescue services with similar cases, I have seen the same concerns arise repeatedly. It is deeply concerning that issues identified years ago are still occurring, particularly when we know that getting these systems right can save lives. 

“We need stronger oversight, consistent standards and clear accountability across the sector. People who rely on telecare should be able to trust that these systems will provide the protection they expect when they need it most.” 

NFCC said improvements are needed across a sector where accreditation remains voluntary in many areas. Less than two-thirds of TEC alarm receiving centres are currently certified through the TEC Services Association’s Quality Standards Framework; many monitoring centres, providers and suppliers continue to operate without formal oversight. 

The TEC Services Association (TSA), the independent advisory and membership body for the TEC sector, has highlighted the importance of quality assurance and professional standards as demand for these services continues to grow. 

Alyson Scurfield OBE, Chief Executive of the TEC Services Association (TSA), said: 

“NFCC’s position is a strong endorsement of the importance of standards, independent certification and quality assurance in technology enabled care. We particularly welcome its call for TEC providers to be independently certified through a UKAS-accredited body. 

“TSA has long supported higher and more consistent standards across the sector, and through TEC Quality and the Quality Standards Framework we are helping providers demonstrate that they meet recognised standards and give commissioners and people who use TEC greater confidence in the services they rely on. We look forward to continuing our work with NFCC to support safer, higher-quality TEC.” 

NFCC’s position statement calls for all TEC providers to hold third-party accreditation, for alarm receiving centre staff to receive accredited training, and for providers to demonstrate compliance with relevant British Standards. It also calls for fire safety prevention and mitigation measures to form a key part of health-based risk assessments for vulnerable people, including linked and monitored smoke and carbon monoxide detection where residents may be unable to react appropriately or evacuate without assistance during a fire. 

The position statement also calls for national governments to provide continuous and adequate funding for local authorities to support TEC provision, as well as independent academic research into TEC patient safety and fire risk. 

NFCC also said the ongoing digital switchover provides an opportunity to strengthen resilience, improve safety and raise standards across the sector as services continue to modernise. 

ENDS 

Notes to editors 

  • NFCC’s Technology Enabled Care (TEC) Position Statement can be read here. 
  • Further information on fire risks in the home more generally, and NFCC’s recommendations to prevent fires and fire deaths and injuries in accidental dwelling fires, can be found in NFCC’s Home Fire Safety Policy Position Statement here.  
  • Government estimates suggest around two million people in the UK currently use telecare services. Further information on the UK’s digital phone switchover and the Telecare National Action Plan can be found here. 
  • Office for National Statistics data shows the population of England and Wales recorded as having a disability increased from 10.1 million in 2011 to 10.5 million in 2021. The Health Foundation projects that 9.1 million people in England will be living with a major illness by 2040, an increase of 2.5 million compared with 2019. 
  • NFCC analysis of MHCLG fire statistics found that over the last decade, 37% of fire fatalities in England were people aged over 65 living in single occupancy dwellings. During the same period, 73% of fire fatalities of all ages occurred in single occupancy dwellings. Between 2015 and 2025, the average fire fatality rate per million population for people aged over 65 was 25.6, compared with 4.4 for the population as a whole. 
  • NFCC’s position statement references a number of Prevention of Future Deaths Reports issued by coroners over the last two decades which identified recurring concerns relating to the provision and operation of Technology Enabled Care services. 
  • Research published by the TEC Services Association (TSA) found that many local authorities view Technology Enabled Care as an important tool for responding to growing demand and complexity within adult social care, with many councils also planning to expand its use in future. The research also found that less than two-thirds of Technology Enabled Care alarm receiving centres are currently certified through the TSA’s Quality Standards Framework. 
  • The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) is a charity and an independent membership association and the professional voice of the UK Fire and Rescue Service. NFCC supports fire and rescue services to help them save lives and keep their local communities safe. 
  • The TEC Services Association (TSA) is the independent advisory and membership body for the Technology Enabled Care sector.